There’s something undeniably poetic about a house that has inspired artists across generations. Frognal, a Georgian-era home hidden behind a walled garden in Hampstead, isn’t just a beautifully preserved piece of London architecture—it’s a quiet cornerstone of creative history.
Most famously, it was the early-1980s home of Sting (born Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner), purchased at the peak of the Police’s fame. But long before the rock star moved in, it belonged to one of ballet’s greatest pioneers: Tamara Karsavina, a founding star of the Ballets Russes and a defining figure in British dance. Now, for the first time in over 35 years, Frognal is on the market for £11.95 million ($16.4 million) with Savills.
Sting bought the house with his then-wife, actress Frances Tomelty, nearly 50 years ago, when his band was topping global charts with tracks like ‘Every Breath You Take’ and ‘Message in a Bottle.’ While many rock stars of the era went big—mansions, flash, spectacle—Sting went in the opposite direction. Frognal is private and grounded, and he filled it with shag carpets, moody lighting, and his own sense of bohemian style.
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Classic interior details include arched windows, original fireplaces, and working shutters throughout.
Darryl Snow Photography; Savills
The garden, in particular, left a mark on the 17-time Grammy winner. Sting later said that the idea for his first solo album,The Dream of the Blue Turtles, came to him in a dream about this very garden, a charming, quiet patch of greenery that unlocked a new creative chapter.
Architecturally, the house is a beauty. Believed to date back to the early 1700s, it started life as a pub—the Three Pigeons, later the Duke of Cumberland—before being converted into three separate dwellings. Eventually, the Georgian structure was unified into a single, ivy-covered home. Inside, there’s over 4,300 square feet of living space, full of classic details: arched windows, original fireplaces, working shutters, and an elegant two-story gabled porch. The layout includes a formal drawing room, a dining room, a kitchen with an adjoining conservatory, and even a separate coach house with a kitchen and reception room—ideal for guests, staff, or perhaps a studio space.
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Sting said the idea for The Dream of the Blue Turtles came to him in a dream about this garden.
Darryl Snow Photography; Savills
The principal bedroom suite comes with its own dressing room, bathroom, and study—separated just enough to imagine lyrics or verses being scribbled in quiet moments. Upstairs are four more bedrooms and three additional baths, while below, a basement area houses lots of storage and the mechanicals. The unexpected showstopper of this vintage beauty, however, is the roof terrace, a wide-open space with panoramic views across the London skyline.
Click here to see more photos of Sting’s former Hampstead home.
Darryl Snow Photography; Savills