The Skeel Library House in London’s Hampstead, formerly the grand Edwardian-era library and reading rooms of Westfield College, where many prominent women were educated, has been transformed into a spectacular four-bedroom townhouse style residence providing 5,120 sq.ft. (475.65 sq.m) of living space. Features include the double-height library with 16ft (4.9m) high ceilings, now a voluminous reception room, four VIP bedroom suites, outside garden terrace and two underground parking bays: for sale via Draper London.
Immaculately presented, with specification by Bowler James Brindley and interior design and dressing by Suna Interior Design, the Skeel Library House is like a townhouse in terms of its layout providing luxurious accommodation over lower ground, ground, first, mezzanine and second floor. The centrepiece of the residence is the former college library on the first floor, now a double-height open plan reception room, providing grand living room, 10-seat dining area and family kitchen, with full height crittal windows and the preserved and restored mezzanine book gallery overlooking the principal living space.
There is also a first floor snug/reading room and on the ground floor a visitor waiting room, study/home office and the principal bedroom suite providing bedroom, walk-in dressing room and main bathroom. There are two further bedroom suites (both ensuite) on the second floor and on the lower ground floor a fourth bedroom suite with walk-in dressing room and bathroom. This lower ground floor suite opens onto a private garden terrace and could alternatively be used as a family room/second reception room.
The Skeel Library House is part of a luxury residential development, the conversion of the former Westfield College on Kidderpore Avenue, now known as Hampstead Manor, providing luxury residences, 24-hour concierge, CCTV security and hotel style wellness facilities set in landscaped gardens with a waterfeature designed by Fabrik. The residents of the Skeel Library House will have access to the on site wellness facility which provides a 14-metre swimming pool, sauna and hamman, gymnasium and spa style shower/changing facilities.
The Skeel Library House was formerly the main library and reading rooms of the Grade II Listed Westfield College (1882-1989), a pioneering institution dedicated to higher education for women. Founded in 1882 the college moved to Kidderpore Avenue in 1891 and the magnificent Edwardian Baroque-style library was built in 1903 and was known as the Skeel Library, named after history lecturer and librarian Professor Caroline Skeel, who helped the college gain recognition as a leading Faculty of the Arts.
The double-height library has oak bookshelves, deep bays with multi-storey crittal windows and a mezzanine book gallery overlooking the main library hall. The library and adjoining reading rooms were the intellectual heart of the college, where generations of students gathered under the soaring ceilings and oak galleries to study, explore ideas, debate and build their knowledge and futures.
The college originally admitted only women as students and became co-educational in 1964. Famous alumini of Westfield College who would have visited the library include Jane Hawking, the author and wife of scientist Stephen Hawking; Bill Bailey MBE, the comedian and TV presenter, Adrian Chiles, the TV sports presenter, Guy Walters, the historian and TV presenter, diplomat Lady Gillian Braithwaite, who supported the rise of President Boris Yeltsin; Baroness Janet Royall, the secretary and principal advisor to Labour leader Neil Kinnock; and Zeng Baosun, the lecturer who was the first Chinese woman to obtain a London Honours Degree.
Following the merger in 1989 of Westfield College and Queen Mary College the Kidderpore Avenue campus became redundant. In 2020 the former college was redeveloped by developer Mount Anvil into a luxury residential address with the Skeel Library converted into the scheme’s most important trophy home.
Now the Skeel Library House has been listed for sale. Illuminated by elegant Murano chandeliers, the former library has dark stained timber parquet flooring in a herringbone design with restored crittal windows, joinery and ceiling cornicing. Adjoining the spacious living and dining areas the bespoke family kitchen is arranged around a large central island and has dark-stained veneer cabinetry and integrated Miele appliances.
All the bedrooms have luxurious deep, silk effect carpets and built in wardrobes. The principal bedroom suite has a walk-in wardrobe/dressing room finished in timber veneer fitted joinery and a main bathroom clad in Arabescato grey veined marble with a separate bath and walk-in marble shower, with bespoke double vanity unit and heat towel rail. The other bedrooms have ensuites clad in Emperador veined marble with Villeroy & Boch sanitaryware. The premium specification includes comfort cooling to the main reception room and principal bedroom suite and state-of-the-art lighting and home security systems.
Craig Draper, Founder & Managing Director of Draper London says: “The Skeel Library House is the crown jewel of Hampstead Manor and offers a discerning purchaser a spacious family home with all the layout advantages of a grand London townhouse. Combining the dramatic double-height library, more intimate living spaces and luxurious bedroom suites this remarkable four bedroom residence seamlessly blends heritage with contemporary living. The concierge, CCTV security and wellness facilities within Hampstead Manor will provide the residents of the Skeel Library House with hotel style amenities within the comfort and privacy of their new residential address.”
Leafy Hampstead is one of London’s most desirable residential addresses, known for its village ambience, beautiful historic buildings and exceptional green open spaces which include Hampstead Heath providing over 800 acres of parkland, ponds and woodland.
Hampstead Village offers a wide selection cafes, restaurants, boutiques and historic gastro pubs. Hamptead Undergound Station (Northern Line) provides convenient access to the West End, City of London and beyond, with easy links to the Canary Wharf and London Bridge office hubs and Heathrow International Airport via the Elizabeth Line.