A London home once owned by Monty Python co-founder Eric Idle has hit the market for £4.25 million (A$8 million), bringing with it a celebrity history that stretches from British comedy royalty to two of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
The four-bedroom, two-bathroom mid-Victorian residence on Carlton Hill in St John’s Wood was one of two properties Idle owned on the street and became a private London base where the comedian and writer entertained figures from the worlds of film and music.
According to the selling agent, Idle’s guests reportedly included members of The Rolling Stones, while the property was also used as a temporary London home by Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford at different times.
Carrie stayed at the property in 1979 while filming The Empire Strikes Back at Elstree Studios and Idle was away making Life of Brian.
Harrison subsequently rented the house while working on Raiders of the Lost Ark, which was also partly filmed at Elstree.
Now the home that played a part in that period of British and Hollywood history is being offered for sale through Aston Chase.
Spanning 2,827 sq ft, or about 263 sqm, the period residence has four principal floors as well as a contemporary lower-ground level constructed beneath its two-car driveway.
Behind its white-stucco and brick façade, the raised ground floor centres on a 30ft drawing room with a gilded ceiling and oak chevron flooring, opening onto a garden terrace. A separate study is also positioned on the level.
The garden level has been designed around a state-of-the-art kitchen, with a dining table positioned centrally in place of a conventional island to create a farmhouse-style dining space. It flows into an informal living area and out to a south-facing rear garden.
Perhaps appropriately for a house with such strong entertainment connections, another level has been turned into a combination yoga studio and cinema.
The lower-ground space has 2.9m ceilings and a skylight and is currently fitted with boxing equipment and a pull-down projector screen.
Upstairs, the principal suite occupies the first floor and includes a dressing room, marble ensuite with dual sinks and access to a private balcony. Three further bedrooms and a family bathroom occupy the top floor.
Aston Chase co-founder and CEO Mark Pollack said Idle’s ownership had left the property with an unusual place in entertainment history.
“It’s incredibly rare to find a London home that balances prime positioning with such a compelling cultural backstory,” Mr Pollack said.
“Under the ownership of Eric Idle, Carlton Hill became part of a fascinating moment in British and Hollywood history. Today the property offers well considered contemporary living within a classic mid-Victorian structure. It’s genuinely a special house, both in terms of design and story.”
The property is in one of St John’s Wood’s established prestige pockets, an area known for its white-stucco Victorian villas and entertainment connections, with Abbey Road Studios nearby.
Aston Chase House Sales Director Michael Sulkin said the location continued to be tightly held.
“Carlton Hill has rich provenance amongst some of the most iconic stars of the entertainment industry, and today it provides an elegant family home,” Mr Sulkin said.
View the listing here.