A scandal that Charles Dickens turned into fiction unfolded in a London pad that is now up for grabs.
The grand seven-bedroom townhouse, which is on the market for £18.5 million (about $25 million), occupies prime position on Harley Street in the affluent neighborhood of Marylebone. A private spa, plunge pool, and rooftop terrace give the home plenty of appeal, but its most compelling feature might be its literary legacy. The Georgian mansion was originally owned by a rich fraudster who is believed to have inspired the character Mr. Merdle in Dickens’s 1857 novel Little Dorrit.
Built between 1822 and 1825 by architect John White Jr., the 8,600-square-foot abode is a masterclass in Georgian elegance, with a red-brick facade, tall sash windows, a fanlight entrance, and an ornamental balcony. Spanning five floors, the Grade II-listed digs pair historic architecture with modern perks, such as a home cinema, a full-floor principal suite, and a top-level penthouse with vaulted ceilings and a separate kitchen. A private elevator connects every level, naturally.
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The townhouse has a red-brick facade and tall sash windows.
Beauchamp Estates/Tony Murray Photography
Interiors are tailored for entertaining and retreat. On the ground floor, a formal dining room and designer kitchen—with sleek cabinetry, built-ins, and a central island—flow into a bright sitting room with bay windows overlooking a private patio garden. Oak parquet floors run throughout. There’s also a courtyard garden below and a rooftop terrace above.
Upstairs, the drawing room stretches the full width of the house and features high ceilings, a Regency fireplace, and French doors opening to the balcony. The principal suite includes a walk-in dressing room and marble-clad bathroom with a sculptural soaking tub and rain shower. The top-floor penthouse offers open-plan living, ideal for guests or staff.
The lower ground has a mosaic pool, plunge pool, sauna, and steam room.
Beauchamp Estates/Tony Murray Photography
The lower ground floor houses the wellness and leisure area, with a mosaic-lined swimming pool, plunge pool, sauna, steam room, and mirrored gym that opens to the courtyard. There’s also a walk-in wine cellar, media room, and discreet staff quarters.
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There’s oak parquet flooring throughout and stately fireplaces.
Beauchamp Estates/Tony Murray Photography
But the home’s most fascinating story dates back to its original owner, John Henry Deffell—a wealthy East India Company merchant whose fortune collapsed in scandal in 1847. His fraud made headlines in The Morning Chronicle, where Dickens was working at the time. Scholars believe Deffell inspired Mr. Merdle, the high-society financier in Little Dorrit, whose empire—and life—ended in ruin. The parallels are hard to miss.
“This magnificent Victorian mansion is one of the grandest on Harley Street—and one of only a handful with a private pool,” said Jeremy Gee of Beauchamp Estates. “Now fully modernized and beautifully presented, it’s a world away from anything remotely Dickensian.”
Indeed, this is a house with history, literary lore, and plenty of chapters left to write.
Click here to see more photos of this Harley Street townhouse.
Beauchamp Estates/Tony Murray Photography
Authors
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Abby Montanez
