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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Thomas Kingsley

Inside 'haunted' castle once owned by Harry Potter Dumbledore actor

A mini castle in London was once owned by the actor who played Harry Potter's Dumbledore - who claimed it was haunted by orphans.

The Tower House in Kensington was the property of British acting icon Richard Harris, who lived there in the late 1960s and early 70s.

Harris once said that the home was 'haunted' by the ghosts of children from an orphanage that previously occupied the site, and to appease the spirits he would buy them toys.

Harris bought the home in 1969 for £75,000 after it had been left vacant for years and suffered vandalism as a result.

He soon restored the home to its opulent former glory by employing the original decorators, Campbell Smith & Company Ltd to take on the restoration work, reports MyLondon.

The home was once owned by Harry Potter's Dumbledore who claimed it was haunted by orphans (PA)

They used drawings from the Victoria and Albert Museum depicting the original French Gothic Revival style by William Burges.

After a short stint living in the Tower House, founder and guitarist of Led Zeppelin purchased the home from Richard Harris for £350,000 in 1972, outbidding fellow musician David Bowie.

Harris bought the home in 1969 for £75,00 after it had been left vacant for years and suffered vandalism as a result (Reuters)
Plans for the house from 1880 (James Akerman)

Jimmy Page continues to occupy the house to this day and in 2015 successfully won a challenge against Robbie Williams who had purchased the Woodland House next door and was planning 'extensive' renovations.

Page argued that the extension would threaten the structure of the Tower House.

The late Victorian home was built between 1875 and 1881 and in it was listed as a Grade I building in 1949.

It sits a stones throw away from Holland Park on Melbury Road.

The miniature castle is hard to miss with its red-bricked tower, green roof slates and stained glass windows.

The ground floor of the home includes a front room, dining room and a library whilst the first floor includes two bedrooms and an armoury.

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