Dennis Wheatley's Homes

1904 - 1910: Wootton Lodge, Streatham Hill

Wootton Lodge (front and back) as it appeared in DW's day.

Provenance: 'The Young Man Said'

The house has since been demolished

Its probable site on the east side of Streatham Hill. Waverley Road lies between the large brown building and the large white building. In DW’s day, all the area south of the bus station was fronted by large houses set back from the road and approached by horseshoe shaped drives.

DW was of the opinion that his father must have been doing very well in the early years of the twentieth century, because he bought a much bigger house and spent a considerable amount of money in preparing it for occupation.

According to DW, the house faced the High Road, and had a central block roofed with a triangular pediment and two slightly lower wings. From two gates a semi-circular drive led up to the front porch, and it contained about sixteen rooms.

The house was redecorated for his parents and had electricity installed throughout; the bathroom and plumbing were brought up-to-date; a service lift was installed to carry food up from the basement kitchen to the dining and breakfast rooms, and speaking tubes were put into all the principal rooms so they could speak to the servants in the basement without ringing them.

It is clear that DW was very fond of this home with its large grounds and outbuildings, all presided over by a gardener called Mr Gunn.

Douglas Sharp’s family had moved too, and lived just round the corner in Wavertree Road.

References : ‘The Young Man Said’ pages 52-3,54,72,75,83,110,140,145,233.