A piece of literary history is for sale in southwest London – Oscar Wilde penned his iconic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray at this two-bedroom apartment, now listed for £1.6m.

The playwright spent 10 years in the Tite Street house, moving in with his wife, children’s author Constance Lloyd in 1885 when it was still a newly built home.

As well as welcoming a parade of well-known guests, including Sarah Bernhardt and Henry Irving, the London property was the backdrop to Wilde’s writing career. Here he completed his first novel plus several of his best-loved plays, including The Importance of Being Earnest.

The building was divided into apartments some years ago, with the two-bedroom ground floor flat now for sale. And while the eccentric decorative choices of Lloyd and Wilde are long gone, a blue plaque pays testament to his presence.

It features an open-plan kitchen dining room set inside a glass-encased extension that opens straight onto the garden patio, while two bedrooms are situated upstairs. It’s listed with Hamptons International.

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