Michael Faraday was a Victorian chemist and physicist who invented the electric motor. The son of a poor London blacksmith, he received very little formal education and taught himself from science books whilst working as a bookbinder.
In the spring of 1812, a customer at the bookbindery recognised Faraday’s love for science and offered him tickets to several lectures given by renowned chemist Sir Humphry Davy.
Faraday ended up compiling his notes from these seminars in a bound volume and sent it to Davy asking if he could work as his assistant. Despite his background as a tradesman and lack of a university degree, Davy sensed the young man’s drive and intelligence and helped him secure a position in his laboratory at the Royal Institution.
Here, Faraday learnt about electric currents and magnetic fields, ultimately building a device using a magnet and liquid mercury that would become the first electric motor. A decade after this breakthrough, he discovered the principle of electromagnetic induction and used it to produce a machine that could generate electricity.
Faraday’s work was so groundbreaking that he came to be known as the 'Father of Electricity'. Albert Einstein reportedly kept a picture of him on his study wall, and Prince Albert - the husband of Queen Victoria - was so impressed with his work that he gifted him a comfortable home near Hampton Court Palace.
This Grade II Listed property, built in the 18th century, is currently on the market with Dexters, who specialise in selling historic and period homes. Offering over 3,000 sq. ft of living space, the Georgian house has five bedrooms, three receptions rooms and two bathrooms.
As you enter the home, you’ll find a grand entrance way with a winding staircase that leads down to a living room with inlaid wooden walls and an original coal fireplace. Two sash windows, fitted with period shutters, fill the space with natural light and make it a lovely place to spend time with family and friends.
On the same level, there’s a spacious kitchen with white integrated cabinets, a double oven and a dining table for informal meals. The connecting conservatory has bi-folding doors that open onto a stone terrace with a wooden arch that leads to a large garden lawn surrounded by raised flower beds.
Upstairs, there’s a formal dining room as well as five bedrooms split over the top two levels. The principal bedroom suite has high ceilings, with an adjoining bathroom and two window seats that would be perfect for curling up with a book on a rainy day.
Abigail Boucher, Director of Dexters Hampton says, ‘with its grand interiors and famous former owner, Faraday House provides an opportunity to buy a piece of British history. Next to Bushy Park, the River Thames and the grounds of Hampton Court Palace, it would make a fantastic family home full of charming period features.’
