2 min readAbove: Ormeley Lodge in London.
In southwest London, a pair of storied houses with aristocratic ties are making waves on the real estate market. One is Ormeley Lodge, the longtime Georgian home of Lady Annabel Goldsmith (of Annabel’s fame), who died last October. Built around 1715, the landmark estate is available for $33.6 million. The other is called Britannia Studios and currently belongs to her daughter, TV and film producer Jemima Goldsmith (also known as Jemima Khan), who was previously married to Imran Khan, the onetime prime minister of Pakistan. Her artist-studio-turned-residence is listed at $8.7 million.
Ormeley Lodge.
Home to Lady Goldsmith for more than five decades, the Grade II-listed Ormeley Lodge is the more famous of the two properties, as it’s where the prominent socialite and author was known to entertain her famous circle of friends. Among them were both members of the Hollywood elite and the royal family, like Prince William and Prince Harry. Located between Richmond Park and Ham Common Woods, the 15,800-square-foot brick manor is even rumored to have been the site of an uncomfortable meeting between Princess Diana, a frequent visitor, and Queen Camilla, then-Camilla Parker Bowles.
The pool at Ormeley Lodge.
Set on 2.3 manicured acres, the ten-bedroom principal house marries English Baroque with Classical architecture and features spacious interiors brimming with ornate moldings, paneling, and wallpaper. The grounds are studded with additional structures, such as a mews house and matching guest cottage, while amenities include an outdoor pool, tennis court, aviary, and extensive walled gardens by Arabella Lennox-Boyd and Mary Keen.
Britannia Studios is a former artist studio.
Roughly seven miles away is Britannia Studios, which straddles the Fulham and Chelsea neighborhoods closer to central London. Jemima Goldsmith originally purchased the 6,000-square-foot converted artist studio in 1999, when she was married to Imran Khan, a cricket player who would go on to have a successful political career in his native Pakistan after they divorced.
“After nearly 30 years here, my kids have moved out and I’ve finally decided to move,” Goldsmith told the Daily Mail.
The drawing room at Britannia Studios.
The five-bedroom Britannia Studios has a more contemporary style compared to Ormeley Lodge, with an open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area with oversized sash windows. The second floor includes a drawing room with built-in bookshelves and vaulted ceilings, plus a primary bedroom wing that includes an en-suite bath and dressing room. Another bedroom opens to a private roof terrace.
Though worlds apart in style, the two homes offer a glimpse into the lives of one of Britain’s most well-connected families, now passing the torch to a new generation of owners.
Britannia Studios is listed for £6.5 million with Savills and UK Sotheby’s International Realty.
Ormeley Lodge is listed for £25 million with Knight Frank and UK Sotheby’s International Realty.