Merton Place: Lord Nelson's Villa at Merton

Area	Merton
Picture Reference	MerMor_Houses_Buildings_Merton_Place_16-2
Original Format	Engraving
Notes / History	Merton Place. Initially the house was described as a one-wing property, with an annexe. It had a rather cramped ground floor hall, kitchen and dining room, with a drawing room and library on one side. Upstairs there were eight bedrooms, with rather limited toilet and washing facilitates. Following the death of her husband and Nelson’s recall to the fleet in May 1805, Lady Hamilton devoted her energies to redeveloping the property. Assisted by architect Thomas Chawner she altered the layout of Merton Place, turning it into a fine double-fronted house, with a grand entrance. A new drawing room was installed in addition to bedrooms water-closets and kitchen annexe. The dining room was enlarged and an external walkway was created, leading to a white summer-house christened "the Poop”, designed so that Nelson “might feel himself on his own quarter deck.”