15 Cheyne Walk is a Grade II* listed house on

Cheyne Walk Cheyne Walk is an historic road in Chelsea, London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It runs parallel with the River Thames. Before the construction of Chelsea Embankment reduced the width of the Thames here, it fronted ...

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament const ...

, London, built in 1718. It was originally known as ''Carlton House''. It is considered to be a replica of

4 Cheyne Walk 4 Cheyne Walk is a Grade II* listed house on Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, London, built in 1718 and architecturally in the Queen Anne style. There is a blue plaque noting that the novelist George Eliot lived there until her death. In 2015, it was acq ...

. Notable former residents include the landscape painter Cecil Gordon Lawson, the engraver Henry Thomas Ryall, the Allason family, well known for their political and literary influence, and the Baron and Baroness Courtney of Penwith.

History

When built, it would have been directly on the waterfront, and thus approachable by boat. With the building of

Chelsea Embankment Chelsea Embankment is part of the Thames Embankment, a road and walkway along the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. The western end of Chelsea Embankment, including a stretch of Cheyne Walk, is in the Royal Borough ...

, it is now set some way back from the river, but it still has no buildings interrupting the view of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...

. It is a four-storey red-brick building with four windows on each floor at the front. The building is Grade II* listed but with a minimal description.

Notable residents

The first person to live there was Admiral Sir John Balchen (then a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

), who lived there until his death at sea in 1744, aside from two periods in 1724 and 1725–28, when it was rented out to Captain Reginald RN and then to Captain Leonard Wynn RN. On Balchen's death the house passed to his son-in-law Commodore Temple West (later vice-admiral), who had married Balchen's daughter Frances. The Temple-Wests lived there until 1755, two years before West's death in 1757. In 1861, Henry Thomas Ryall was living there with his wife Georgina, niece and two servants. In 1871, Cecil Gordon Lawson (1849–1882), the landscape painter was living there with his parents (a number of his works still hang there), William Lawson of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, a well-regarded portrait painter, and his wife also known for her flower pieces, along with his two older brothers Francis Wilfrid Lawson (1842–1935), a "historical painter and designer" and Malcolm Leonard Lawson (1847–1918), a "professor of music". In 1918,

Baron Courtney of Penwith Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher th ...

was living there at the time of his death. Courtney was a member of

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-con ...

's second administration from 1880 to 1883 and served as Chairman of Ways and Means (Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons) from 1886 to 1893. In 1919, the now widowed Lady Courtney hosted the first meeting of the ''Fight the Famine Committee'' at 15 Cheyne Walk. The Save the Children Fund was to develop from that committee. In 2002, as a "wreck in need of renovation" it was for sale for £5 million. For about 40 years prior to 2002, it had been home to Lieutenant-Colonel James Allason MP, the Conservative Party politician, then his wife Nuala Allason (they divorced in 1974) and their son, fellow former Tory MP

Rupert Allason Rupert William Simon Allason (born 8 November 1951) is a British former Conservative Party politician and professional author. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Torbay in Devon, from 1987 to 1997. He writes books and articles on the sub ...

, who also writes spy novels using the pen name Nigel West. The empty house had subsequently been used as a location for the 2002 film '' The Gathering Storm'', about Winston Churchill's wilderness years. It was used as the home of Churchill's friend Sir Desmond Morton, played by

Jim Broadbent James Broadbent (born 24 May 1949) is an English actor. He won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his supporting role as John Bayley in the feature film '' Iris'' (2001), as well as winning a BAFTA TV Award and a Golden Globe for ...

. File:15 Cheyne Walk 04.JPG, 15 Cheyne Walk File:15 Cheyne Walk 05.JPG, 15 Cheyne Walk File:15 Cheyne Walk 08.JPG, 15 Cheyne Walk

References

{{Authority control Buildings and structures on the River Thames Grade II* listed buildings in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Grade II* listed houses in London Houses completed in 1718 Houses in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Queen Anne architecture in the United Kingdom 1718 establishments in England

History

Notable residents

See also

References