Two historic Bloomsbury properties have hit the market for the first time in 130 years with offers in excess of £15.5m sought.
The properties are located on Gordon Square whose notable former residents include Leonard and Virginia Woolf, Clive and Vanessa Bell, Lytton Strachey and John Maynard Keynes.
Dr Williams’s Library is a rare Grade II-listed property built in a Tudor style that extends to more than 27,616 sq ft across its five upper storeys along with a basement and raised ground floor. The second lot is known as The Henry Morley Building and it sits to the rear of the library. The building, which is let on a long lease to University College London, is arranged over three floors and has a gross internal area of approximately 5,369 sq ft.
The trustees of the Dr Williams’s Trust have instructed Knight Frank to sell the assets.
Emma Cleugh, head of the education and charities team at Knight Frank, said: “What an exceptional property. We’re so excited to bring this truly remarkable piece of history to the market. The buildings together provide owner occupiers, investors or developers with the rarest of opportunities. Consent is already in place to reconfigure the accommodation into offices, which means a party looking for their next project can come in and can put their own stamp on things straight away.
“Being in Bloomsbury, London’s intellectual and literary epicentre, means that this opportunity is likely to pique the interest of multiple university and educational requirements that are in the market at present.”
A spokesperson for the charity added: “While it is a wrench to leave such a wonderful building in the heart of London, the Dr William’s Trust is looking forward to a bright future and being able to promote more actively access to – and care of – its nationally significant collections.”
