Oscar-winning cameraman’s Saffron Walden home goes up for sale

THE Saffron Walden home of Jack Cardiff, the Oscar-winning cameraman of films including Black Narcissus, African Queen and The Red Shoes, is for sale.

Estate agents Mullucks Wells is selling the property; a grade II listed townhouse in the centre of the town.

Cardiff, who died in 2009, owned the house from 1993 until 2000. He was known as “the man who makes women look beautiful” and famously worked with Ava Gardner, Audrey Hepburn and Gina Lollobrigida.

During the making of The Prince and the Showgirl, one of his biggest fans, Marilyn Monroe, described him as “the best cameraman in the world, and I’ve got him”.

The current owner of the house, Simon Catterick, said: “When we first came to view the house I remember walking into the kitchen and it was literally full of awards, trophies and photographs of Jack with the top leading ladies of his time.

“In fact that last year he lived here he’d been given the lifetime achievement award by the Oscars, who called him the master of light and colour.

“Then earlier this year I heard from the Saffron Walden Initiative that they were interested in putting a blue plaque on the house to record Jack’s links with the town. It seemed a great idea to remember the skill and talent that once lived here.”

The four-bedroom house is laid out on three floors and also has cellar rooms. It was built in the late 18th Century for the Gibson family who were behind the development of the town, including today’s museum and town hall.

Mullucks Wells director, David Emberson, said: “This film connection brings a sparkle of celebrity to a home already filled with history. In Saffron Walden’s conservation area, this property is an important part of the town’s heritage as well as being a stunning family home.”

The house, in the High Street, is on the market for £595,000. For information, contact Mullucks Wells on 01799 520520.