The so-called ‘Lion Houses’, built by James Nicholls between 1899 and 1903, are famous throughout Barnes and West London for the miniature lions that sit atop of their gate posts, bays and parapets. If rumours are to be believed, these quirky features are actually the result of an ordering mix-up, when 1000 ornamental lions were supplied to the builder, instead of the 100 he is thought to have ordered.
The Lion Houses are located on the former estate of The Laurels, a country house that once stood to the east of Barnes Green, now better known as The Crescent, Laurel Road, Hillersdon Avenue, Glebe Road, Ranelagh Avenue, and Bellevue Road. And, one of the best examples of these distinctive properties has just gone on the market for £5,000,000.
