There is one question that even the geekiest James Bond aficionado can’t answer. Where does the secret agent live?
We do know that Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond novels lived at number 24 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea. Named Carlyle Mansions, the beautiful red brick building was built in 1886 and named after Scottish philosopher, Thomas Carlyle. The building was home to numerous other writers including T.S. Eliot and Henry James, earning it the nickname ‘The Writer’s Block’.
It has been suggested that James Bond lived off the King’s Road and while no specific address has been given, it’s worth noting that Cheyne Walk is a short hop, skip and a jump from this notable road. This coupled with the fact Fleming found much inspiration for Bond from his time serving in the Royal Navy suggests that Fleming’s own home could be a suitable place for Bond to live.
In the more recent Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig movies, his passports, officially made in conjunction with the British Government, all have the address 61 Horsen Ferry Road, London, S1. But if we delve a bit deeper we find that Horsen Ferry Road doesn’t actually exist. These films, which range from Goldeneye to Spectre, weren’t actually written by Fleming – except Casino Royale of course.
So is it likely that the fictional agent behind over 50 books and movies, if he was a real person, would have chosen to live at 24 Carlisle Mansions?
With the help of Property Detective, we assess whether Bond would be well suited to the apartment and locale.
The house is approximately two and a half miles walking distance from MI6. A man of his fitness and stamina could easily breeze that. Bond is a man of the world so the scenic route along Chelsea Embankment would have probably been right up his street. Running late, then his car of choice, the Aston Martin DB9, would get him there in 11 minutes flat. Congestion is not a problem when he has built-in missile launchers to remove traffic.
Over the past 50 years James Bond has borrowed an array of vehicles which are generally returned wrecked. But if Bond runs out of cars and Q refuses to let him wreck another one, there is a Mercedesdealership right next door to 24 Cheyne Walk; useful if he needs to grab a suitable car to outmanoeuvre Franscisco Scaramanga, the Man with the Golden Gun. He is seen again in Skyfall following Patrice from the Shanghai Airport in a Mercedes-Benz S300.
And if you’re a proper English gentleman then you’re probably going to own a tailored suit or two. Maybe three. Bond has an Emmett London right on his doorstep which is probably why his wardrobe is full of three piece ensembles. He also has Haks Oscar on standby to give him his gentleman’s pompadour.
Bond’s love of alcohol is no secret. We all know his penchant for Martinis- shaken not stirred of course. In the novels, Bond enjoys a Martini made from gin and vodka but due to the rise of product placement in the 60s, Smirnoff paid to have their vodka used in the 1962 movie Dr. No and thereafter. Across the books the spy has worked his way through 1,150 units of alcohol in 88 days: around 92 units a week. This is around four times the recommended maximum intake for men in the UK and, according to a recent study in the British Medical Journal, the spy drinks so much he is at risk of impotence, liver damage and early death.
Choosing to live at 24 Carlyle Mansions gives him access to a whole array of bars, which despite doctor’s orders, Bond would be relieved to know.We’ve compiled this short list of swanky venues that you’d most likely see Bond spending his Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays… Mondays…Tuesdays…Wedne…you get the idea.
All in all it sounds like 24 Carlisle Mansions, Cheyne Walk would be the perfect place for Bond to live. But what if he moved in and a few years later it all goes wrong? His fast living and heavy drinking catches up with him. He crashes too many cars; he upsets too many employees at MI6 and M decides enough is enough. Bond decides it’s time to sell up and move to the country for a tranquil retirement.
Now traditionally, Bond would have gone to a typical estate agents to get an estimate on the cost of moving house. Foxtons would have quoted around £72,200 based on the value of his property. However, in today’s world, a quick search using his Sony Z5, the new official Bond phone, he would have found that Sellmyhome.co.uk would only charge him £800 as a flat fee, saving him £71,400 to spend on one something more important like an ‘I’m sorry’ present for those 52 girls he’s ditched.
