300-year-old London house believed to have inspired Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley goes on sale for £1.595 million after £2 million asking price is cut by £405,000, with original Georgian features preserved

A historic London house on a street believed to have inspired Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley has gone on the market for £1.595 million. The two-bedroom property, located on Goodwin’s Court in Covent Garden, dates back to around 1700 and is said to have inspired the magical shopping street from the popular wizarding franchise.The property, which has retained several of its original features, is also believed to have inspired Ollivanders wand shop and the darker Knockturn Alley. However, these connections remain unconfirmed.

Harry Potter-inspired house gets £405,000 price cut

The house, which originally went on the market for £2 million, was withdrawn before being relisted last month for £1.595 million. According to the Unique Property Company, the property has attracted considerable interest since being relisted, particularly from buyers in the US.Built shortly after the Great Fire of London, the historic home sits on a narrow, cobbled passage that has become a popular destination for Harry Potter fans, often referred to as Potterheads. The street is visited by themed walking tours every day, with its old-world charm adding to its association with the wizarding world.One of the features that adds to the atmosphere is a gas lamp above the steps leading to the house’s black front door.In its listing, the estate agency described the property as “a rare survivor of a building type reflecting the conditions of London’s Georgian working-classes and a living piece of London’s rich history”. It also highlighted the house’s more recent association with Ollivanders Wand Shop in the Harry Potter film franchise.

Historic house features stone steps that could date back to medieval times

The property, which originally served as a haberdashery, has several distinctive features that reflect its long history. Four worn stone steps sit beneath the front door, and their condition has led to speculation that they may have been reused from an older building.According to the property listing, the wear on the steps is unlikely to have resulted solely from customers visiting the former shop. They may have been salvaged from an ancient building demolished around the time Goodwin’s Court was constructed, potentially dating them to the medieval period or even earlier. Their exact origins, however, remain uncertain.

Simon Stone, managing partner at the Unique Property Company, said the house was a rare find in London.“Number 1 Goodwin’s Court is such a rare find in London these days,” he said, according to SWNS.“It’s a home that’s been conserved rather than have the history erased. It’s so atmospheric.”Stone added that the property offers a sense of stepping back in time, despite being just moments away from the bustle of central London.“It’s a property that takes you to another time entirely and it’s so quiet, you forget that just five seconds away, you’re in the thick of one of the world’s busiest capital cities,” he said.

Original Georgian features survive inside the £1.6 million home

Inside, the house retains several period details, including an intricate bow window on the raised ground-floor reception room. Dating back to the early 18th century, the window remains largely in its original state.The kitchen connects to a Georgian-style tiled shower room with an antique toilet and washbasin. The space occupies an area associated with the former “Night Soil Alley”, a passage used for transporting human waste in earlier times.The property also offers a glimpse into its former life as a shop. Two softly worn patches on the floorboards are believed to mark where a shopkeeper once stood.With its historic architecture, unusual period details and reported connection to the Harry Potter films, the house offers a distinctive piece of London history for buyers willing to pay £1.595 million.