Behind tall brick walls near the River Thames in Deptford, southeast London, stands a historic ten-bedroom mansion that has become an unexpected sanctuary for theater artists. The Master Shipwrights House, constructed in 1708 as the official residence for the Master Shipwright of the Royal Naval Dockyard, currently serves as both a private home and a vibrant creative hub. As the property searches for new owners, the artistic community it has nurtured faces an uncertain future. The Grade II-listed building represents one of the few remaining links to Deptford's maritime heritage and its crucial role in British naval history.
Willi Richards and his partner Chris Mazeika discovered the property in 1998 when they spotted it from over a fence. At that time, the building was derelict, flooded, and missing entire floors, earning it a place on the at-risk register. Over the past twenty-seven years, the couple has meticulously restored the structure while preserving its weathered character and historical integrity. Their efforts transformed a wreck into what Richards describes as a stable, viable, water-free, and nearly wind-free home. The restoration process revealed centuries of naval history embedded in the building's fabric, including original shipbuilding plans and carpentry marks.
The mansion's distressed walls, mid-century furnishings, and sweeping river views have attracted numerous creative professionals including photographers, filmmakers, and designers. The property has served as a location for television dramas such as the BBC's Luther and hosted a Vogue photoshoot by Mario Testino featuring Kate Moss. However, Richards notes that the space itself has dictated its primary function as a performance venue. The combination of sky, water, and historical resonance seems to attract artists who want to respond to the environment and share that response with audiences in intimate settings.
In 2020, residents founded The Shipwright theater production company, partly in response to pandemic-related work losses. Led by Joe Winters and Emma Halstead, the company now produces several annual shows including a summer festival and winter pantomime. Olivier Award-winning actor Hiran Abeysekera currently lives at the house, having first met Richards in Sri Lanka during a Tamil-language production of Romeo and Juliet. Abeysekera credits the house with shaping his artistic identity, noting the irony that ships designed here once sailed to conquer his homeland, while he now creates art within its walls.
The property has been on the market for several months with an asking price of £8 million, a figure that dominates discussions about its future. While acknowledging the substantial cost, Winters argues that the creative output punches above its weight in quality and impact. The theater company hopes potential buyers will continue its role as a creative incubator rather than converting it to purely residential use. The space has developed numerous artists who later achieved major success, making it an important node in London's cultural ecosystem. For now, performances continue while the community awaits a new chapter that preserves its unique artistic legacy.
