Mortimer House, Victorian residence in South Kensington, England
Mortimer House sits at the junction of Egerton Gardens and Brompton Road, with red and blue brickwork and tall chimney stacks as defining features. The building combines different architectural elements: an oak staircase with Jacobean features characterizes the entrance hall, while the double drawing room shows Adamesque influences.
The house replaced Crescent House in the 1880s after Edward Howley Palmer, former Governor of the Bank of England, obtained permission to rebuild. This reconstruction marked a period when South Kensington was developing into an upscale residential area.
The exterior displays distinctive decorative stone bears and griffins that catch the eye. The entrance hall with its oak staircase blends architectural styles from different periods in a way visitors can immediately notice.
Access is from Brompton Road, where the building is clearly visible. The surroundings offer good orientation with nearby streets and Kensington Gardens within reasonable distance.
One first-floor room contains decorative elements suggesting its past use as a chapel, a hidden history within a private residence. This unexpected feature often goes unnoticed by those passing by.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
