#arthurs current one is a perfectly preserved victorian home on a direct line to westminster

[margraviate-of-headcanonburg]

I’m somewhat of a ‘location scout’ in another fandom of mine and I loved this post so much it made me search through Pinterest for an hour and a half, finally declaring Mapperton House as the IRL doppelgänger of the British fam countryside estate

(along with the ‘work house’ in London and the ‘family/friends house’ outside but nearby, I can see Arthur also having a real cottage-cottage up north in yorkshire for just him and Fran relaxation)

Hey I have this headcanon about where Arthur would probably live.

I can imagine that Arthur probably has 2 homes back in England. The first is a cottage out in the English countryside, probably in Berkshire or Surrey, someplace that’s removed from the urban sprawl of London but not too far out from civilization. This may have been an estate a long time ago but now it’s just a quaint cottage that houses some relics and memorabilia that he owns throughout the centuries. He usually prefers to stay out here to get away from the hussle of his job, and is a pretty private place of his. No one outside of his immediate circle, which I think includes Francis, his brothers, Alfred, Matthew, and other close friends like Port, have ever been to this place. It’s very special to him.

The second place he owns is actually based on the neighborhood I stayed in when I was visiting my cousin in London last year! He also owns a flat in North London that he uses when he has to report in for work for the both the Prime Minister and the King when he’s needed. I can imagine him living in this area of North London called Hampstead (my cousin who lives in London lives here and it’s this very pretty and charming little neighborhood), which has these Victorian flats with nice gardens in the back. I took a ton of pictures when I was in London last year and they’re below. But I can imagine him staying out in his garden, sitting at a table, drinking tea and reading the morning papers. Hampstead also has this massive park called Hampstead Heath that I imagine he likes to go on walks whenever he’s there. I can see him and Francis going on many walks through the neighborhood and through the Heath when they are in London.

And honestly Francis loves both places! He thinks the London flat is charming and exciting to be at. Although he teases London in front of Arthur, deep down he loves the city’s vibe and culture. But he also loves going to Arthur’s cottage. There’s something so relaxing about being away from work out in the countryside - especially for Francis since he only owns an apartment in Paris.

Sorry for the rambling, I just had a lot of thought on this, I hope you don’t mind! But here are some pictures I took while I was in Hampstead last year!

Ahhh I LOVE THIS 💖 I can definitely see him having a home in the city and one in the country because there are two Arthur's in my head: the stuffy London gentleman and the grumpy countryside grandpa. Like it’s so easy to imagine him dashing down the steps of his town house to catch the tube to work wearing his tweed suit and a bristling scowl, briefcase in hand, leather satchel over his shoulder.

But at the same time, city life definitely overwhelms him sometimes and it is just as easy to picture him in his plaid pyjamas, dressing gown, and slippers; night cap set to a jaunty 30 degree angle; and a woolly blanket over his lap as he falls asleep in his William Morris armchair in front of the TV at 8pm (although lets be honest this would happen regardless of his geographical location, but there is something so peaceful and idyllic about the countryside that makes this hit different. And actually, if he were in the city, he would be falling asleep at his desk on top of a pile of paperwork…)

Sometimes I imagine his only residence to be a cute little cottage but I can’t quite let go of the image of him squashed into a tube carriage, headphones in - probably listening to Queen - and, despite the grotesque glower, he is in his element. It also makes a lot of sense for him to live somewhere closer when going to work (low-key shuddered at the word king but hey ho) but he is a quaint little cottage guy at heart.

<3

As for Franny, of course he has his Paris appartement with an unparalleled view of the Eiffel Tower, and he spends a lot of time there (work, meetings, dates with Arthur/Alasdair) but I also imagine him having a beautiful Provençal country house in which he spends most of his time. Just like Arthur, I think Fran has two sides: the chic, sophisticated fashionista of Paris, and the equally chic and sophisticated fashionista of the countryside asdfgsfghj. I just like to imagine him in his moderately sized bastide, sipping wine on a deck chair in the sun, working on his tan, and falling asleep with a book on his lap.

And of course he is always inviting his close friends around for dinner, including Arthur and his brothers as well as Al and Matt, among a few others! And when he is not living there, I think he would let friends/family/people he trusted stay there gratis. And tbh it is a big house and I don’t imagine he would enjoy rattling around in it alone very often so he always has someone round to keep him company be that platonic or romantic...

Like just imagine all the summers he and Arthur would spend there. Fran is in his element here, but Arthur? Well, he gets uncomfortable when the temperature breaches a modest 25 degrees. He will burn as red as a tomato even with factor 50 and Francis will laugh and poke fun at his sun-dried boyfriend but will ultimately look after him very well ❤️‍🩹

Also since we are here, this is the car he drives.