If you’ve ever wondered how the other half live, you don’t have to look very far in London before spotting a celebrity mansion or weekend pied-a-terre. But it’s not very often that we get to look through the keyhole – until, that is, they come up for sale. From Belgravia to Shoreditch, Marylebone to Chelsea, with former owners including stars from Fleetwood Mac and The Libertines, as well as Winston Churchill’s daughter, many also have historical links to literature and the silver screen. Step inside these gorgeous celebrity homes for sale in London.

Christine McVie: Eaton Place Penthouse, Belgravia, SW1X

Once the London home of music legend Christine McVie, the keyboardist, singer and songwriter of British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, this stunning Belgravia penthouse is being sold by McVie’s estate and managed by Martin Wyatt, her manager for many years. A stunning 2,674 square foot duplex penthouse, the three-bedroom property is air conditioned throughout and boasts a substantial roof garden. The 9.5ft-high ceilings create a grand, airy ambience to the lower floor, while the entrance hall, two spacious reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room and a study are sure to impress.

With vaulted ceilings and skylights on the upper level, the gorgeous bedrooms have been beautifully appointed, while a walk-in dressing area is lined with built-in wardrobes and leads to a magnificent principal bedroom suite. The grand living spaces boast sophisticated marble fireplaces, sash windows and tall doors, in keeping with the classical period grandeur of the imposing Eaton Place property.

Listed for £6.95 million, visit beauchamp.com

Michael Flatley: Park Place Villas, Little Venice, W2

Proof that fast feet can propel you seriously high up the property ladder, this incredible detached home overlooking Regent’s Canal in Little Venice was most recently the home of Riverdance star Michael Flatley. The dancer wasn’t the first famous famous to be attracted to this palatial eight-bedroom home, however. Built in 1840 as part of John Nash’s grand plan for Regent’s Canal, it also served as the residence of British actress and socialite Lillie Langtry, who frequently hosted the future King Edward VII here.

Tucked away behind imposing double gates for privacy and set out across four floors, a stuccoed exterior with Roman arches and a wraparound garden gives a taste of the grandeur within. Vast entertaining spaces include a reception and dining room with French stone fireplaces, a south-facing orangery and games room, alongside an indoor pool, sauna, wine cellar, office and self-contained staff/guest area with its own kitchen, bedroom and shower room.

Listed for £25 miliion, visit sothebysrealty.co.uk

Pete Doherty: Teesdale Street, Bethnal Green, E2

A charming and superbly located two-bedroom maisonette, this great property was once the bolt hole of Libertines frontmen Pete Doherty and Carl Barat. Set on leafy Teesdale Street in Bethnal Green, East London, the immaculately renovated 834 square foot home boasts open-plan living spaces, as well as classic period features, a private roof terrace and a share of the freehold.

With its own private street entrance, it is split over the first and second floors of a period building just a short walk from Hackney Road, Cambridge Heath Overground and Bethnal Green Underground station. And, while it may once have been the site where English rock music history was made, modern buyers will be bowled over by its pristine interiors with stripped wooden flooring, a newly refurbished bathroom and stunning heritage colour palette.

Listed for £800,000, visit dexters.co.uk

Winston Churchill: Bickenhall Mansions, Marylebone, W1U

At one point a basecamp for Winston Churchill’s WWII secret weapon, Bickenhall Mansions was the Baker Street hub of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), an arm of the British intelligence services that was established in 1940. The famed team took over much of the mansion block, its members instructed by the Prime Minister to “set Europe ablaze” and were known as Churchill’s Secret Army and The Baker Street Irregulars.

Set in the heart of charming Marylebone, this stunning 785 square foot apartment maximises the light and airy ambience through a neutral, calming interior palette and boasts two double bedrooms and two beautiful bathrooms, as well as an ultra-contemporary reception room. Located on the lower ground floor of the handsome, historic red brick Victorian mansion block, it is in perfect turnkey condition.

Listed for £1.1 million, visit dexters.co.uk

James Blunt: 4 Billing Road, Chelsea, SW10

Set on a private gated road, this truly gorgeous family home is nestled within a charming, village-style enclave, which is also home to its very own gastropub, The Fox and Pheasant, owned by musician James Blunt – former resident of the Billings. With its adorably colourful cottage feel, the intimate home has a great double reception room which runs the length of the house, with a Juliet balcony overlooking the terrace at the rear, followed by a study and guest cloakroom.

The lower ground floor possesses a beautiful Harvey Jones kitchen with underfloor heating, a central island, dining area and French doors out to a private patio garden. With regards the rest of the house, the three bedrooms, a family bathroom and en-suite bathroom can be found on the first and second floors.

Listed for £2.5 million, visit struttandparker.com

Gary Shoefield: Heathcroft, Hampstead, NW3

A leafy and alluring suburb of north London, this enviable Hampstead address is currently the home of Gary Shoefield, co-producer of the famed interstellar documentary Alien Autopsy, which became a global craze in the Nineties, with one episode reaching 11.7 million viewers.

Set within a handsome red brick mansion block, this lovely three-bedroom first floor apartment is set over 826 square feet and has recently been refurbished to a high standard. Illuminated with natural light throughout, with gorgeous views onto the private internal garden square, the well-proportioned home comprises a large reception/dining room, separate eat-in kitchen with modern integrated appliances, principal bedroom with large built-in wardrobes, as well as two further guest bedrooms and a family bathroom.

Listed for £775,000, visit andersonrose.co.uk

Lady Mary Soames: Eaton Place, Belgravia, SW1X

There are few London addresses more illustrious than Eaton Place – as its presence on this list twice demonstrates. The former home of Lady Mary Soames, Winston Churchill’s daughter, this gorgeous home spans 1,980 square feet, with a private 325.1 square foot roof terrace. Airy and spacious, this triple aspect duplex is located on the uppermost third and fourth floors of a grand end-of-terrace Cubitt town house, accessed via a passenger lift. Boasting all the layout benefits of a house with the reception and entertaining rooms on the lower floor and the bedroom suites and roof terrace on the upper level, there is also a fully fitted family kitchen with space for a breakfast table, plus a separate utility room and guest cloakroom/WC.
 
Listed for £4.3 million, visit wetherell.co.uk

George Meredith OM: Gertrude Street, Chelsea, SW10

Situated on a beautiful street with strong historic links to Britain’s impressive literary community, poet and novelist George Meredith OM’s presence at this home is commemorated with a blue plaque, while novelist and dramatist Samuel Beckett lived next door in the 1930s. In fact, Beckett’s novel Murphy, published in 1938, is partly set in the area. Located in a prominent position, the imposing, double-fronted home is the first new-build to be completed on the street in over 170 years. Striking the perfect blend of contemporary and traditional, it has all the grand proportions of a period home with state-of-the-art modern flourishes.

A central doorway takes you through to the centre of the home, while to the right of the entrance hall is a fabulous double aspect Poliform kitchen and reception room, which can be separated with sliding Crittal style doors. An elegant dining room leads through to a cosy drawing room, with views over a south-facing private garden, while a Chesneys fireplace forms a grand focal point. The first floor offers a sumptuous principal bedroom suite while stairs leading to the second floor, benefitting from a skylight above, open out onto two further bedrooms, both with built-in storage and en suite shower rooms.
 
Listed for £5.35 million, visit maskells.com

Oliver!: New Concordia Wharf, Mill Street, SE1

A sensational two-bedroom penthouse with silver screen-worthy wow factor, this converted Victorian grain mill and warehouse set the stage for Fagin’s lair in the revered 1968 film Oliver! - an Oscar winning adaptation of Oliver Twist, one of Charles Dickens’ most celebrated novels. Now crowning New Concordia Wharf, the unique 1,700 square foot waterfront property dates back to 1882, and sits opposite the former site of Foley’s ditch, a famous slum that inspired the famed novel.

Set over New Concordia Wharf’s fifth and sixth floors, with an impressive roof terrace that offers sensational views over the River Thames and Canary Wharf, its bare brick walls, exposed wooden beams, arched windows and iconic vaulted ceiling scream character and legacy. Boasting two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an impressive reception room, with on-site facilities encompassing a swimming pool and concierge, you’ll certainly be asking to know “more… more!”

Listed for £1.75 million, visit andersonrose.co.uk

Read more: The best family homes for sale in London