Old Church Street - Famous Residents

Famous Residents

Charles Kingsley lived at 56 Old Church Street. Close to the junction of Old Church Street and Mallord Street, at 28 Mallord Street is a house designed in 1913–14 for Augustus John. At 13 Mallord Street, A. A. Milne lived. Just yards away is 127 Old Church Street. A plaque marks this house as the residence of William and Evelyn De Morgan. The building was especially adapted for them so that they could create and paint ceramics.

The politician and playwright Benn Levy lived at No 66, which was designed in 1936 by Walter Gropius and Maxwell Fry; Levy's house formed part of a joint development with No 64, the home of publisher Denis Cohen, which was designed by Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff.

The notable shoe designer Manolo Blahnik (b 1942) sold his shoes to “Zapata” a boutique on Old Church Street. The Chelsea Arts Club is at number 143. The sporting painter John F Sartorius (c. 1775–1830) has a plaque marking his house at number 155. In 1792 there was a field called “Queen’s Elm Field” at the northern end of the street. Several houses were built there in 1794. On the corner of Old Church Street and Fulham Road is a building called “The Queen’s Elm”. It was once a pub but is now a fashion shop. Directly opposite is a Jewish burial ground. It was in use from 1815 to 1884 by the Western Synagogue, now called the Western Marble Arch Synagogue. The southern side of Fulham Road at this point is called Queen’s Elm Parade. Steve Clark, former guitarist for Def Leppard lived and died in his home at 44 Old Church Street.