Hidden just two miles from central London stands an eccentric gothic mansion packed with secret passages, hidden lifts, creepy corridors and a 200-year-old cellar — a place its custodians describe as stepping into a “dark fairytale”.
The property operates as a gothic events venue hosted by English magician Simon Drake, and it has now opened its doors for short-term hires. Its labyrinth of immersive rooms and atmospheric settings has already made it a favourite for Halloween-themed shoots and film productions.
In three decades of hosting events, weddings and shows, Drake says film and photo shoots have been among the most enjoyable bookings of all. “In three decades of hosting events, weddings, and shows, film and photo shoots have easily been some of the most fun,” he said.
The venue’s guest book reads like a roll call of British showbusiness. Hugh Grant has celebrated his birthday there, Richard Branson has staged a product launch within its walls, and both Rik Mayall and internet personality Charity Shop Sue have filmed there for a Lidl campaign.
Drake describes the mansion as “a constant revolving door for creative projects, music videos, and spooky seasonal features”, citing shoots such as The Welsh Twins’ Halloween feature as typical of the work it attracts. The announcement lands at an opportune moment: with spooky season in full swing, demand for atmospheric backdrops is at its peak — and for those who prefer their frights after dark, the capital is well stocked with Halloween events with a difference.
Location managers will note the rarity of the offer. Few period properties combine genuinely gothic architecture with fully dressed, camera-ready interiors — and fewer still sit within a couple of miles of central London’s studios and production offices. The result is a venue that can pass for a haunted house, a Victorian underworld or a rock-and-roll nightclub without a single flat needing to be built.
A cellar of curios, a castle folly and a magic shop
The inventory of curiosities runs deep. Beneath the house lies a 200-year-old cellar filled with film props and curios, while the private garden hides a gothic castle folly. Inside, an immersive cabaret theatre and nightclub provide ready-made performance space — and, fittingly for a venue hosted by a magician, there is a magic shop on the premises too.
Drake is best known for creating and starring in Channel 4’s The Secret Cabaret, and the venue carries that theatrical DNA. Every corridor, it seems, has been dressed to surprise, unsettle and delight in equal measure.
“Disney on acid” — and two miles from central London
The property is listed with Locations Direct, the location agency, whose team say it stands apart from everything else on their books. Jordan Kirby, a location agent at the firm, said the company represents thousands of extraordinary properties across the UK, “but this property is in an absolute league of its own, especially as we head into spooky season”.
Kirby added that calling the mansion “‘Disney on acid’ isn’t an exaggeration”, insisting that stepping inside “genuinely feels like walking onto the set of a dark fairytale”. The proximity to the capital makes the find all the more remarkable: “A property this unique, with so many extraordinary features just two miles from Central London, is unheard of.” It is, in his words, “total sensory overload and easily the most hauntingly unique hidden gem in our portfolio.”
Open for bookings — including last-minute Halloween shoots
The space is currently open for short-term hires spanning TV and film productions, fashion editorials, high-impact brand activations and private immersive events. The venue is often available for last-minute shoots, meaning producers hunting a haunting Halloween backdrop may still be in time to book.
Full details of the property and its features can be found on the Locations Direct website. And for those who would rather watch the scares than stage them, Paranormal Activity’s return to the West End offers a spine-tingling night out this October.
Whether it ends up hosting the next cult horror production or a private celebration with theatrical ambitions, the mansion’s arrival on the locations market adds one of the capital’s strangest addresses to the books. For film crews and event organisers willing to embrace the eccentric, the doors — hidden ones included — are now open.
