Fournier St Spitalfields E1

Fournier St Spitalfields E1 “ Number 27 Fournier Street is now once again what it was when built – one of the most architecturally important and attractive houses in Spitalfields.” Spitalfields: The history of a nation in a handful of streets, Random House, 2016 Dan Cruickshank Architecture & Art Historian, BBC Presenter Knight Frank are honoured to offer a rare family residence of architectural significance in the historic Spitalfields conservation area. Dating from the 1720s it is located in Fournier Street, the most prestigious street in the area and home to some of the best preserved early Georgian domestic town-houses in Britain, few of which ever come on the market. Originally built for a wealthy French Huguenot family, this impressive listed building covers 4,313 sqft (401m2) configured over five floors. It has been lovingly and carefully restored by the current owner, an art collector and connoisseur, to retain all its original features, including the 18th century panelled interiors, sash windows and fireplaces as well as an imposing George I staircase. “ There are about one hundred and thirty Georgian terrace houses in the historic heart of Spitalfields, centred around Nicholas Hawksmoor’s magnificent Baroque Christ Church, completed in 1729. Of these houses – all of which are precious and generally different in the plans, forms and details – a half dozen or so are particularly important and architecturally impressive. This is partly a result of their larger than usual size but also because of the richness of their interiors, the erudition and ambition of their design and execution, and the completeness of their preservation. Number 27 Fournier Street is one of these particularly important and special houses.” – Dan Cruickshank An impressive eighteenth century front door opens into a spacious entrance hall from which a majestic staircase rises through the house. On the ground floor to the right a well-proportioned living room extends from front to back; to the left there is a large guest cloakroom. The basement has been carefully restored with stone flags and underfloor heating throughout. This provides a large well-appointed kitchen with hand made dresser units and informal breakfast room. There is also a separate scullery and butler’s kitchen. The vaults have been purposefully renovated to provide a large laundry utility room and extensive wine cellars. On the first floor lie the four formal reception rooms of the house. Addressing either street or garden, their elegant panelled interiors and high ceilings contribute to a sense of great space and light. “ Standard Spitalfields Georgian houses are either three windows wide and two rooms deep, or five windows wide and one room deep. Number 27 is five windows wide and two rooms deep meaning that, at first floor level, there are four rooms – as opposed to the usual two.” – Dan Cruickshank On the floors above there are four bedroom suites. On the second floor two front facing large double bedrooms address the street with accompanying bathrooms overlooking the garden. All the bathrooms have contemporary fixtures whilst retaining their historic detailing. On the third floor, once used as silk weaving garret, a principle bedroom extends the full width of the house with adjoining bathroom. The remaining bedroom has delightful views overlooking the rear garden. “ Unlike most Spitalfields 18th houses those on Fournier Street, particularly on the south side, possess substantial gardens and not just courts or yards. Some on the north side also enjoy this amenity including 27 where, its seems, its now large garden once contained a private coach house and stable (a very rare thing in Georgian Spitalfields) served by an arched opening at the west end of the house. Once again, this usual arrangement is very unusual in Spitalfields.” – Dan Cruickshank The secluded garden is enclosed by old brick walls with a central stone paved seating area surrounded by planted beds of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. fortune of their first occupants, and to the fate that on a rainwater head on the front of 27 Fournier lower portion of the staircase, and with sawing has befallen the houses during the generations Street along with the date 1725, was a successful machines on workshop tables packed into first after they were built. Huguenot master silk weaver, closely connected floor panelled rooms, the Spitalfields Historic Number 27 Fournier Street was built in 1725 with other leading Huguenot weaving families in Buildings Trust took action. In the early 1980s on the Wood-Michell estate when the street (then Spitalfields, including the Pilons based in what it managed to purchase the house, relocate its called Church Street) was relatively new with both is now 15 Princelet Street (Daniel Pilon married few remaining workshop tenants and then, sides built or rebuilt during the half decade after Bourdon’s daughter). with covenants in place, sold it on to a selected 1725. With the new and monumental church at Bourdon did not long enjoy his palatial sympathetic new owner who initiated repairs, its west end the street was, for much of the 18th new home. He died in about 1732 and his will of under the guidance of the Trust, to return the century, one of the premier residential streets that year reveals both his wealth and his shrewd, building to single occupation residential use. in Spitalfields, with three of the area’s large and and worldly-wise business acumen. He left his Repairs and restoration included reinstating runs special houses located along its south side, with ‘household goods’ and all his ‘plate’ to his ‘beloved of pine panelling on parts of the ground and first 27 on its north side. Unlike most Spitalfields 18th wife Margaret’, along with his ‘linen, rings and floors, the reconstruction of the missing lower houses those on Fournier Street, particularly on jewels’ and £3,500 in ‘lawful money’ – a very flight of the staircase, and removing paint and Dan Cruickshank, British Art the south side, posses substantial gardens and significant sum in ready cash at the time. The poor pointing from the authentic but somewhat not just courts or yards. Some on the north side more affluent Spitalfields master weavers were disfigured front façade. Historian and BBC Presenter also enjoy this amenity including 27 where, its rich indeed. And Bourdon was canny enough to But, on the whole, despite partitions and writes about 27 Fournier Street seems, its now large garden once contained a be aware that this fortune could prove to be a alterations related to the London Dispensary, and private coach house and stable (a very rare thing problem. He was evidently aware that, after his despite decades of light industrial use and multi- in Georgian Spitalfields) served by an arched death, his wealthy widow might attract unsavoury occupation after 1946, the Trust was thankful There are about one hundred and thirty Georgian opening at the west end of the house. Once fortune-hunters and consequently sought to to discover that the interior of the 1725 house terrace houses in the historic heart of Spitalfields, again, this usual arrangement is very unusual discourage such adventurers by stipulating in remained remarkable intact, including fine fire centred around Nicholas Hawksmoor’s in Spitalfields. his will that ‘… in case my wife happens to marry surrounds on the first floor; the majority of the magnificent Baroque Christ Church, completed in The construction of number 27 Fournier again … before such marriage she shall be obliged delicately detailed and most elegant staircase – 1729. Of these houses – all of which are precious Street appears to have involved a collaboration to place in the name of my executors [in] some with its twisted balusters and dramatically ramped and generally different in the plans, forms and between two of the area’s leading speculating public funds or other security the sum of £1,000 handrails; the panelling, with most on the second details – a half dozen or so are particularly builders, working for the house’s first occupant – sterling, the interest whereof shall be paid to floor surviving largely unaltered, and the finely important and architecturally impressive. This is Peter Bourdon – who in December 1725 obtained her during her natural life and after her decease carved brackets embellishing the doorcase on partly a result of their larger than usual size but a ninety-eight year lease for the site from the the said capital shall go to my children or their Fournier Street. also because of the richness of their interiors, landlords, the Wood-Michell estate. The lease descendants by equal portions.’ Since that time the current owner had the erudition and ambition of their design was witnessed by William Tayler or Taylor, a local After Bourdon’s death 27 Fournier Street completed a series of repairs and improvements – and execution, and the completeness of their carpenter. At the time he was constructing more passed through the hands of various successful sympathetic in character – to complete or improve preservation. Number 27 Fournier Street is one of modest houses in Fournier Street, to the west of Spitalfields silk weaving families, including the earlier works. These include exposing the these particularly important and special houses. 27, along with houses in adjoining Wilkes Street. Obadiah Agace , who was Daniel Pilon’s the interior of the weather-boarded weaving garret Standard Spitalfields Georgian houses are Tayler also, in 1726, built for his own occupation son-in-law. Spitalfields Huguenot weavers did (probably a late 18th century addition to the either three windows wide and two rooms deep, or a spectacular large and finely detailed house that indeed form a tight-knit community. But by the house); repaving and repairing the basement and five windows wide and one room deep.

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