The grand property that takes centre stage in the BBC hit comedy Amandaland is not located in the fictional rundown neighbourhood of South Harlesden, but is actually one of the most impressive homes in trendy Camberwell, south-east London. The four-storey Victorian house, built in 1871, boasts 12 bedrooms and six bathrooms, and was put on the market two years ago for a staggering £4.25 million.
The Starring Role in Amandaland
In the highly anticipated second series of the Motherland spin-off, protagonist Amanda Hughes, portrayed by Lucy Punch, sets her sights on the lavish property. She believes this house will finally provide her with the 'Georgian proportions' she so desires. The recently divorced former boutique owner and overbearing mother aggressively targets 'the old cat lady' who resides there, even drawing up plans to rip out the kitchen she despises and introduce 'some Scandi accents' to the interior, which she considers 'a monstrosity'.
In the series, the 'big house' is owned by Elspeth, played by Pam Ferris, who is looking to sell as 'the stairs aren't getting any easier' and she wants to move nearer to her son. However, the Daily Mail can reveal that the actual property is owned by actor William Chubb, 71, who purchased the house with his late wife, journalist Cassandra Jardine, in 1998. The couple raised their five children there.
The Real Property
The detached home is situated within the Minet Conservation Area, a distinct architectural neighbourhood developed by a French Huguenot-descended family in the 1800s. The property features a grand spiral staircase, prominently displayed in the TV show, which also stars Joanna Lumley. It comes with an outdoor heated swimming pool set in a secluded garden and sits on the corner of an affluent street with a neat park opposite.
The house is so expansive that it includes a separate three-bedroomed annex converted from an old horse and coach house, which the family rented out. A string of lodgers, many of whom became family friends, also rented rooms in the property. After the children grew up and moved out, the property became too large for William, whose television credits include Vampire Academy, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and the BBC's House of Cards.
The Family's Heartbreaking Decision
William and his family took the difficult decision to put the house on the market a few years ago for £4.25 million. Their daughter Christabel explained that her father had grown tired of lodgers, and with the cost of fuel rising, he felt it was time for the family to say goodbye. In August 2023, Christabel wrote: 'My dad has grown tired of lodgers, and with the growing cost of keeping it going, he eventually decided to sell it. We had private, tearful conversations with each other, all of us feeling the same way: losing the house would feel like losing mum all over again. The two were inextricably linked.'
She added: 'I know this scenario is not exclusive to us: the cost of energy has increased by a million per cent in the past two years, mortgage rates are astronomical and building costs are rocketing. Many homeowners have decided to downsize, but this cocktail of financial turmoil hardly makes for a 'good climate' in which to sell a house.' But she said the family had come to terms with saying goodbye to their home, noting: 'It's a rite of passage that all adults must eventually go through: saying goodbye to things that matter most to you. It is time for us to employ some of mum's determined optimism: we did it once, we can do it again. I know that the wisteria will continue to bloom long after we're gone, and I know that dad will find somewhere else he loves, if not quite as much, then almost.'
In the end, the property was taken off the market and is believed to be rented out to television companies, with location fees up to £15,000 per day for large period properties. Amandaland may have provided the family with a welcome financial lifeline.
Property Details
When it went up for sale, estate agents described the property as a 'remarkable detached Victorian house' being 'offered to the market for the first time in a generation'. It was deemed 'arguably one of the most important houses to come to the market in Camberwell for many years'. The agents wrote in a glossy brochure: 'Once you step into the entrance hall the grand staircase and period detailing are immediately evident. The ground floor is the real hub of the house, being of grand proportions, filled with space and light courtesy of superb ceiling height and large windows. However, it is at once homely, relaxing and well lived in, with the beautiful kitchen providing dreamy views towards the park.'
The living room, at the rear of the house, has French doors leading out onto a huge terrace. Describing the scene, the agents wrote: 'Suddenly you are transported to another world, as the huge garden swings into view.' There is also a front room that 'would make an excellent games room or cinema room'. The house's lower ground floor consists of 'two very large double bedrooms and a single room plus two bathrooms'. It also has its own side access, which 'could be of interest to those looking for a teenager's hangout or staff flat within the main house'.
The first floor features the principal bedroom, complete with en-suite bathroom, along with two further bedrooms and a study, while the top floor has three additional double bedrooms and a family bathroom. Of the annex building, they said: 'Currently rented out, The Coach House could continue as a useful rental investment property, or could offer a number of potential uses to those who are perhaps looking for a creative home studio space, be it an artist, gallery owner or collector. It would make a fantastic home recording studio, or house a small classic car collection.'
Summing up, they described it as 'a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire this remarkable property, in an area of London that has always been home to those in the media and creative arts world and is now attracting a wide variety of people for its quiet yet buzzy atmosphere and independent spirit'.
Family Memories
In her account published in the Daily Telegraph, Christabel told how the family moved there when they were 'desperately in need of more space' when her mother was pregnant with her fifth child. She recounted how, as the children grew up, it had been 'the setting for countless dinner parties, birthday celebrations and Christmases'. She wrote: 'The sounds of chatter, laughter and clinking glasses echoing off the high ceiling were so appealing that I'd sit on the staircase and listen in on the grownups long after I'd been sent to bed.' Meanwhile, on Saturdays, the garden would be filled with 'extended family, neighbours, friends, lodgers and colleagues enjoying a swim, drink, chat and stolen moment together, happily forgetting that we are in the south of London, not the south of France'.
Her mother had been fulfilling her dream of 'forming her own Von Trapp clan' when she fell ill with lung cancer in 2010. Cassandra continued to work despite being under the care of nurses and night nurses, while medical equipment turned her parents' room into 'a makeshift hospital room' and a stairlift was installed 'to ferry Mum (and lazy teenagers) up and down the stairs'. Christabel wrote: 'Towards the end of her life, she reassured us that her last two years had in fact been two of her happiest: she was able to spend time at home, surrounded by her family and legions of friends.' Eventually, she said, her mother was taken to Trinity Hospice, in Clapham, where she died in her sleep 14 hours later in May 2012.
Following her death, William told how Cassandra's courage had been an inspiration to both him and his children. He outlined how the house was very much 'the domain' of Cassandra, who had often written about her family life and 'her large rambling home'. It was only during the last six months of her life, when she was confined to a wheelchair, that she retreated from its day-to-day running. In 2012 he said: 'It's true, it was very much her set-up. I was proud to call myself a supporting player in this particular show.' He added: 'Over the two years of her illness she withdrew from it little by little, for obvious reasons. And we grew to know our roles. If you think of it as a stage production, the lead player gracefully made her final exit, but we are able to get on with the play without her.'
Neighbourhood Reaction
William was away from the property this week, but one resident told the Daily Mail: 'I haven't seen the show but everyone's been talking about it and how the house features in it. It was on the market a couple of years back but in the end they didn't have to sell it and I think filming Amandaland here might have helped.' Locals told how filming took place 'over a few days' at the end of last year. The resident said: 'It was filmed just before Christmas. I don't think the people who made it have said whether the house will feature in the next series or not. I don't know any more about it.'
Neighbours told the Daily Mail this week that they are used to seeing film crews come and go now that the property is routinely rented out as a location to provide extra income for the owners. One neighbour said: 'There was a big crew here but everybody was given notice about it and they weren't any trouble. There was quite a lot of them over the road in the park where I think they were shooting some scenes. Some of them had high visibility jackets and they set up some equipment there. There are some big period homes in this street and the surrounding area so you do see filming going on from time to time - everyone's used to it.'
