When Sir Ernest Shackleton returned home from the Nimrod Expedition in 1909, he got a hero’s welcome — and a knighthood.
But money was tight, so the Antarctic explorer embarked on a punishing schedule of lectures and appearances, writing a memoir of his last adventure, all the while drumming up support and financial backing for his next expedition.
Between 1911 and 1913 Shackleton lived in this large house at Heathview Gardens, Putney Heath.
The eight-bedroom home, currently on the market with Knight Frank for £6.5 million, is understood to be where Shackleton penned ‘The Heart of the Antarctic’.
“This wonderful property has a fascinating history, being the former residence of the legendary Antarctic explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton,” said Sam Sproston head of south west London prime sales at Knight Frank.
“The house has come to market at a most opportune moment, coinciding with the recent discovery of Shackleton's last ship “Quest” off the coast of Newfoundland.”
With its extensive rooms, lush gardens and luxurious swimming pool, it’s a far cry from the icy cold and depravation that Shackleton endured on his adventures to the South Pole.
Born in County Kildare, Ireland, Shackleton had moved with his family to Sydenham in London when he was 10. He had joined the merchant navy at 16 and in 1901, aged 27, he accepted the post of third officer on Captain Scott’s Discovery Expedition.
Shackleton joined Scott on a three-man sled trip to break the record for the Farthest Latitude south, but by all accounts it was not a fun trip. Their sled dogs all died while the men suffered from snow blindness and scurvy, and Shackleton was invalided home.
Nimrod was more successful as an expedition, aside from a close call with starvation, and Shackleton set more records.
With the South Pole claimed by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and Scott’s doomed Terra Nova Expedition still missing, Shackleton set his sights on being the first to travel across the Antarctic.
By 1914 Shackleton was leaving Putney far behind, setting sail as the leader of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. But by 1915 his ship Endurance had become trapped and ultimately crushed by the ice. Shackleton the rescue expedition, sailing 830 miles in an lifeboat in storm-tossed seas to reach a whaling station.
Shackleton died in 1921 in deep debt, and would very much not be able to afford his one-time Putney residence today.
Set over four floors the house at Heathview Gardens boasts its own wine cellar, three separate entrances with three sets of staircases, and staff quarters. The principal suite has its own dressing room and outdoor terrace, while the large eat-in kitchen includes a glazed orangery that makes an ideal sunny spot for breakfast.
“Set on an unusually large plot, the property offers exceptional privacy and outdoor amenities, including a beautifully landscaped garden, swimming pool with pool house, and ample off-street parking,” added Sproston.
