A gentleman's resort
Alfred Dunhill's Bourdon House is a one-of-a-kind custom-made oasis
- Published: 24 Nov 2012 at 00.00
- Newspaper section: Muse
There it was, the famous London plane tree aged hundreds of years, stretching its branches to offer shade to visitors and familiar faces relaxing in a small courtyard of a house once owned by the Duke of Westminster.
Like all the old trees in London, the famous plane tree of The Bourdon House is preserved by law. If the tree happens to die, the owners of all windows facing it will have to pay a huge sum - yes, it's charged by the numbers of windows - and right opposite this little courtyard is a likely office building with hundreds of them. It's predictable that whoever is running that building prays every night before going to bed that no such misfortune should befall this plane tree.
Age-old and historical, ever-expanding its new branches while giving shelter and relaxing space for those who seek it, the plane tree signifies what is housed inside the iconic residence - The Home of Alfred Dunhill.
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