The historic 9 Orme Court building in London's Bayswater has been acquired for £6.5 million by The Embassy of Kosovo.

Beauchamp Estates, who were instructed to sell the building by the family of Eric Sykes, introduced the buyer and negotiated the successful sale. The building will be transformed into the new London Embassy for the Republic of Kosovo.

9 Orme Court, a twin Blue Plaque property built in the 1890s, was where Spike Milligan, Eric Sykes, Peter Sellers, Terry Nation, Dennis Spooner, and other scriptwriters ran Associated London Scripts (ALS) from 1962 to 1979, creating iconic TV, radio, and theatre scripts such as The Goon Show, Hancock’s Half Hour, Dr. Who and the Daleks, Genesis of the Daleks, Steptoe, and Son, Thunderbirds, and Stingray.

The mansion is just 100 yards from Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, featuring large rooms with high ceilings and tall windows on the ground and first floors, making it suitable for diplomatic meetings and receptions. The upper floors, which once housed Milligan's bedroom and the offices where Nation and Spooner wrote scripts for Dr. Who and The Daleks, Thunderbirds, and Stingray, will be converted into private accommodation and offices for embassy staff.

The property's Heritage Foundation Blue Plaques, installed in 2003 and 2013, commemorates the lives of Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes at 9 Orme Court.

The Embassy of Kosovo in London is led by Ambassador Ilir Kapiti, who arrived in the UK on 31st December 2021.

The purchase of 9 Orme Court signifies the importance of the UK-Kosovo bilateral relationship, which was formalized in a Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the two countries in December 2019.

Bayswater, known for its proximity to Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, and London's West End, is home to several other embassies, including those of Gambia, Guyana, Laos, and Sri Lanka. With the addition of the Kosovo Embassy, Bayswater will house five diplomatic missions.

According to Beauchamp Estates, the top five London addresses for embassies are Kensington (37 Embassies), Belgravia (23), Marylebone (23), Westminster (18), and Mayfair (15). There are a total of 163 embassies and other diplomatic buildings in Central London.

Gary Hersham, Founding Director of Beauchamp Estates says: “Beauchamp Estates is delighted to have introduced the Embassy of Kosovo to 9 Orme Court and negotiated the successful purchase. This grand townhouse has the benefit of a long history of being used as both offices and living accommodation making a transformation into an Embassy a logical step. The spacious interiors and prime location, on the doorstep of Hyde Park and just a short drive to Buckingham Place, makes it a perfect venue for a diplomatic mission.”

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Photo: His Excellency Mr IIir Kapiti, Ambassador & Stuart Bennett, Head of Sales Mayfair, Beauchamp Estates at 9 Orme Court in Spring 2023.