Photo: JRennocks / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
575 Wandsworth Road is a Grade II listed historic building in London Borough of Lambeth, cared for by the National Trust. Read about its history and architecture, plus how to visit and what's nearby.
About 575 Wandsworth Road
575 Wandsworth Road is a modest terraced house in Lambeth whose interior is entirely covered in hand-carved fretwork.
The work was created over roughly two decades by Khadambi Asalache, a Kenyan-born poet, novelist and Treasury civil servant who lived there from 1981 until his death in 2006.
He taught himself the craft and drew on Islamic design traditions, reportedly to disguise damp patches.
The National Trust acquired the property in 2010 and opened it for pre-booked guided tours in 2013 following major conservation work.
Visits remain by guided tour only, since the fragile carved interiors cannot withstand casual footfall.
Read more on WikipediaHistory of 575 Wandsworth Road
The house was the home of Khadambi Asalache, a Kenyan-born poet, novelist and civil servant who worked at the Treasury, from 1981 until his death in 2006. Over roughly two decades he taught himself fretwork carving and covered the walls, ceilings and doors with intricate wooden patterns drawing on Islamic design traditions, reportedly to disguise damp patches. He left the house to the National Trust, which acquired it in 2010 and opened it for pre-booked guided tours in 2013 following major conservation work.
Architecture of 575 Wandsworth Road
The property is an early nineteenth-century London terraced house, its significance lying entirely in the self-taught decorative carving added by its former owner rather than in any formal architectural pedigree.
Worth knowing
Khadambi Asalache was a published poet and novelist as well as a civil servant, and his home remains one of the few National Trust properties shaped almost entirely by one self-taught amateur craftsman.
Facilities
Plan your visit to 575 Wandsworth Road
Address: SW8 3JD
Nearest station: Wandsworth Road Rail Station (0.1 miles)
Open May to October for pre-booked guided tours only; check official website for current dates and availability.
Places to visit near 575 Wandsworth Road
Carlyle's House
View Carlyle's House on heritage mapLindsey House, Chelsea
View Lindsey House, Chelsea on heritage mapJewel Tower
View Jewel Tower on heritage mapWestminster Abbey
View Westminster Abbey on heritage mapHistoric places nearby
Within 5 miles of 575 Wandsworth Road (SW8) there are 24 historic properties, including 10 historic buildings, 7 historic houses and 3 palaces, across Historic Houses, English Heritage and National Trust sites.
Within 10 miles of 575 Wandsworth Road (SW8) there are 46 historic properties, including 22 historic buildings, 11 historic houses and 5 palaces, across English Heritage, Historic Houses and National Trust sites.
Within 20 miles of 575 Wandsworth Road (SW8) there are 74 historic properties, including 31 historic buildings, 22 historic houses and 5 palaces, across Historic Houses, National Trust and English Heritage sites.
Stay nearby
Make more of your visit with an overnight stay near 575 Wandsworth Road.
Find places to stay nearby Affiliate link. We may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.Facts
A plain Lambeth terrace house with floor-to-ceiling hand-carved interiors made by one self-taught civil servant.
- Type
- historic building
- Location
- London Borough of Lambeth, England
- Visit duration
- Approximately one hour
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