The Steeple Times

Category: OPULENCE & SPLENDOUR

Luxury and the arts From houses to cars and from Hockney to van Dyck, a profile of the best and the worst

  • One Owner From 1840

    One Owner From 1840

    Small country house in Derbyshire that has been in the same family since it was built for sale for £2.5 million

     

    Owned by the same family since it was built in 1840 and occupied by them since the 1930s, Nether Hall at Hathersage in Derbyshire is to be sold for the first time ever with a guide price of £2.5 million ($3.2 million, €2.8 million or درهم11.9 million) through agents Savills.

     

    The 9,301 square foot “small country house” on offer has been Grade II listed since 1985 and comes with 54.99 acres of land. It is currently home to businessman Michael Shuttleworth and his artist wife Lizzie and is built of coursed gritstone with ashlar dressings, coped gables and a slate roof. It includes 5 reception rooms, 7 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms as presently configured and comes with a gate lodge let on a protected tenancy and a 2-bedroom barn conversion.

     

    Aside from additional outbuildings, the estate also includes 605 metres of fishing rights on Hood Brook, a walled kitchen garden, a grass tennis court and let farmland. A clause is being applied on the uplift in value in the event of any planning permission being granted within 25 years of the date of the completion of any sale.

     One Owner From 1840 – Nether Hall, Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire, S32 1BG, United Kingdom – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.2 million, €2.8 million or درهم11.9 million) with Savills – Home of Michael and Lizzie ShuttleworthOne Owner From 1840 – Nether Hall, Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire, S32 1BG, United Kingdom – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.2 million, €2.8 million or درهم11.9 million) with Savills – Home of Michael and Lizzie Shuttleworth One Owner From 1840 – Nether Hall, Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire, S32 1BG, United Kingdom – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.2 million, €2.8 million or درهم11.9 million) with Savills – Home of Michael and Lizzie Shuttleworth One Owner From 1840 – Nether Hall, Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire, S32 1BG, United Kingdom – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.2 million, €2.8 million or درهم11.9 million) with Savills – Home of Michael and Lizzie ShuttleworthOne Owner From 1840 – Nether Hall, Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire, S32 1BG, United Kingdom – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.2 million, €2.8 million or درهم11.9 million) with Savills – Home of Michael and Lizzie Shuttleworth One Owner From 1840 – Nether Hall, Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire, S32 1BG, United Kingdom – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.2 million, €2.8 million or درهم11.9 million) with Savills – Home of Michael and Lizzie ShuttleworthOne Owner From 1840 – Nether Hall, Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire, S32 1BG, United Kingdom – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.2 million, €2.8 million or درهم11.9 million) with Savills – Home of Michael and Lizzie ShuttleworthOne Owner From 1840 – Nether Hall, Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire, S32 1BG, United Kingdom – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.2 million, €2.8 million or درهم11.9 million) with Savills – Home of Michael and Lizzie ShuttleworthOne Owner From 1840 – Nether Hall, Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire, S32 1BG, United Kingdom – For sale for £2.5 million ($3.2 million, €2.8 million or درهم11.9 million) with Savills – Home of Michael and Lizzie Shuttleworth

  • Anything But Liberal

    Anything But Liberal

    Former Liberal Democrats headquarters for sale for somewhat reduced but still anything but liberal sum of £36 million (to include a Rodin)

     

    A building that was originally the London office of the North Eastern Railway Company and the headquarters of the Social Democratic Party and then their successors, the Liberal Democrats, between 1982 and 2011 has gone on sale for £36 million ($46.9 million, €41 million or درهم172.1 million) – with all furnishings and a bronze sculpture by Rodin said to be amongst the luxury items included in the price.

     

    Anything But Liberal – Mansion House, 4 Cowley Street, London, SW1P 3NB, United Kingdom – Former Liberal Democrats headquarters for sale for the somewhat reduced but still anything but liberal sum of £36 million ($46.9 million, €41 million or درهم172.1 million). Developed by Saigol DDC and price includes a Rodin bronze sculpture.
    Then Liberal Democratic Party leader Nick Clegg outside 4 Cowley Street in 2010
    Anything But Liberal – Mansion House, 4 Cowley Street, London, SW1P 3NB, United Kingdom – Former Liberal Democrats headquarters for sale for the somewhat reduced but still anything but liberal sum of £36 million ($46.9 million, €41 million or درهم172.1 million). Developed by Saigol DDC and price includes a Rodin bronze sculpture.
    A protest outside 4 Cowley Street during the Liberal Democrats’ tenure of occupation

     

    Offered to rent in 2011 for £225,000 per annum ($291,000, €256,000 or درهم1.1 million per annum) and then sold for around £10.8 million ($14 million, €12.3 million or درهم51.4 million), Mansion House – as it has now been rather grandly named – is situated in Cowley Street, Westminster. Constructed in 1905 and Grade II listed, this dark red brick terraced town house was designed by Horace Field and is described as being of “lavish late 17th century style, rather out of scale with its neighbours but with fine Arts and Crafts detailing.”

     

    Consisting of 7,000 square foot of accommodation whilst in use as offices, developers Saigol DDC have expanded the space provided to create an 11,075 square foot residence of mammoth proportions. Aside from 5 reception rooms, 7 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms, the 5-storey mansion has an 8-person lift, a wine room, an indoor swimming pool, a gym and a roof terrace.

     

    Mansion House, which is for sale through Knight Frank, was previously listed earlier this year for the higher price of £42.28 million ($54.77 million, €48.22 million or درهم201.21 million). The effects of Stamp Duty hikes, Brexit uncertainties plainly might cause it to fall yet further.

     

    Anything But Liberal – Mansion House, 4 Cowley Street, London, SW1P 3NB, United Kingdom – Former Liberal Democrats headquarters for sale for the somewhat reduced but still anything but liberal sum of £36 million ($46.9 million, €41 million or درهم172.1 million). Developed by Saigol DDC and price includes a Rodin bronze sculpture.Anything But Liberal – Mansion House, 4 Cowley Street, London, SW1P 3NB, United Kingdom – Former Liberal Democrats headquarters for sale for the somewhat reduced but still anything but liberal sum of £36 million ($46.9 million, €41 million or درهم172.1 million). Developed by Saigol DDC and price includes a Rodin bronze sculpture.Anything But Liberal – Mansion House, 4 Cowley Street, London, SW1P 3NB, United Kingdom – Former Liberal Democrats headquarters for sale for the somewhat reduced but still anything but liberal sum of £36 million ($46.9 million, €41 million or درهم172.1 million). Developed by Saigol DDC and price includes a Rodin bronze sculpture.Anything But Liberal – Mansion House, 4 Cowley Street, London, SW1P 3NB, United Kingdom – Former Liberal Democrats headquarters for sale for the somewhat reduced but still anything but liberal sum of £36 million ($46.9 million, €41 million or درهم172.1 million). Developed by Saigol DDC and price includes a Rodin bronze sculpture.Anything But Liberal – Mansion House, 4 Cowley Street, London, SW1P 3NB, United Kingdom – Former Liberal Democrats headquarters for sale for the somewhat reduced but still anything but liberal sum of £36 million ($46.9 million, €41 million or درهم172.1 million). Developed by Saigol DDC and price includes a Rodin bronze sculpture.Anything But Liberal – Mansion House, 4 Cowley Street, London, SW1P 3NB, United Kingdom – Former Liberal Democrats headquarters for sale for the somewhat reduced but still anything but liberal sum of £36 million ($46.9 million, €41 million or درهم172.1 million). Developed by Saigol DDC and price includes a Rodin bronze sculpture. Anything But Liberal – Mansion House, 4 Cowley Street, London, SW1P 3NB, United Kingdom – Former Liberal Democrats headquarters for sale for the somewhat reduced but still anything but liberal sum of £36 million ($46.9 million, €41 million or درهم172.1 million). Developed by Saigol DDC and price includes a Rodin bronze sculpture. Anything But Liberal – Mansion House, 4 Cowley Street, London, SW1P 3NB, United Kingdom – Former Liberal Democrats headquarters for sale for the somewhat reduced but still anything but liberal sum of £36 million ($46.9 million, €41 million or درهم172.1 million). Developed by Saigol DDC and price includes a Rodin bronze sculpture.

  • A Poet and A Player

    A Poet and A Player

    Highlights of Masterpiece London 2017; open until 5th July and a ‘must visit’ for both the collectors and the curious

     

    Masterpiece London is now in its eighth year and well established as a fixture on the city’s social calendar. Yesterday’s preview brought together a mixture of everyone from David Dickinson to Jay Rutland and Tania Bryer to Princess Michael of Kent and with everything from Eygyptian bronze cats on David Aaron’s stand to a Riva yacht, this is an art and antiques fair that has something for everyone – be it, we hasten to add, just everyone with many thousands if not many millions to spare.

     

    Masterpiece London 2017
    A glum looking Jay Rutland inspects a Riva yacht on display at the fair

     

    Collisart, LLC of New York – run by the delightful duo Frederick D. Hill and his daughter Daisy Hill Sanders – returns with amongst other things, a work by the New Jersey born urban realist painter Everett Shinn. Depicting several of his contemporaries playing pool in New York, this pastel on brown paper is priced at £366,000 ($475,000, €416,000 or درهم1.7 million) and is described as “presenting a typical ‘downtown’ working man’s scene.”

     

    Masterpiece London 2017
    ‘Pool Room’ – Pastel on brown paper, 1903, by Everett Shinn (1876 – 1953)
    Masterpiece London 2017
    ‘Woman Reclining – Inspired by Anna Akhmatova’ – Black crayon, by Amedeo Modigliani (1884 – 1920)

     

    On Trinity House’s stand, aside from a Munnings and a Stubbs, a particular highlight is a black crayon drawing of the Russian poet Anna Akhmatova by Amedeo Modigliani. Priced at £550,000 ($714,000, €626,000 or درهم2.6 million), the work is to be exhibited at the Tate Modern from November 2017 to April 2018 and is one of sixteen images of this “raven haired and ravishingly beautiful” woman by the artist.

     

    Masterpiece London, South Grounds, The Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, SW3 4LW is open until 5th July.

     

  • Marples Must Go

    Marples Must Go

    1964 Mini Cooper S hatchback designed to carry the golf clubs of the much-loathed Postmaster General, Minister of Transport and alleged tax fraudster Ernest Marples for sale

     

    Twice married and born in Levenshulme, Manchester, Ernest Marples – later Lord Marples – makes the very worst of modern politicians look like relative babes in arms. He can, however, be credited with commissioning a rare thing – the first ever Mini hatchback. Two were made in total and one, which was eventually transferred to the ownership of the politician in 1968, is to be auctioned in July.

     

    Marples Must Go – 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S 1071 originally owned by much-loathed Postmaster General, Minister of Transport and alleged tax fraudster The Rt. Hon. The Lord Marples, PC – Alfred Ernest Marples (1907 – 1978) to be auctioned by H&H Classics on 26th July 2017 – Estimate of £70,000 to £80,000 ($89,500 to $102,300, €79,100 to €90,400 or درهم328,800 to درهم375,900)
    Pictured left: (Alfred) Ernest Marples (1907 – 1978) with his secretary turned second wife, Ruth Dobson. They married in 1956 and he became The Rt. Hon. The Lord Marples, PC in 1974. Pictured right: Lord Marples in his ‘Marples Mini’ (date unknown).

     

    Marples, whose upbringing was within the Labour Party and whose love of eccentric orange-brown shoes and blue suits was well known, worked as a miner, postman, chef and accountant before a stint in the Royal Artillery between 1941 and 1944. He then joined the Conservative Party, was elected Member of Parliament for Wallasey in 1945 and took his first ministerial post in 1951. Promoted by Churchill, Macmillan and Douglas-Home, he rose to become Postmaster General and Minister of Transport and introduced the STD telephone code, the Premium Bond scheme, the first postcodes, the MOT test, roadside single yellow and double yellow lines and possibly, in his most unpopular move of all, traffic wardens.

     

    Aside from his public appointments, controversially, Marples became a director of various companies in the 1940s. Without considering any potential conflicts of interest, he involved himself in firms that built the first motorways and several power stations also and attracted much attention after protestors spray painted a motorway bridge near Luton that his firm, Marples Ridgway and Partners, constructed with the caption: “Marples Must Go!”

     

    Subsequently, Marples brought the government into disrepute through his part in a prostitution scandal and after this was covered up in 1963, he later “cut and run” to Monaco in 1975 to avoid “a substantial tax bill” after being discovered having parked most of his assets in Monaco and Liechtenstein. He spent his final years on his 45-acre vineyard estate in Fleurie, France and died in a Monte Carlo hospital in 1978.

     

    The ex-Ernest Marples 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S 1071 will be sold by H&H Classics at their Imperial War Museum Duxford sale in Cambridgeshire on the 26th July. It has an estimate of £70,000 to £80,000 ($89,500 to $102,300, €79,100 to €90,400 or درهم328,800 to درهم375,900) – a sum that would no doubt, if he were still alive, have money obsessed Marples smiling with glee.

     

    Of the almond green car, which supposedly the hatchback boot was fitted to on the orders of Marples on the basis he wanted to be easily able to fill it with cases of wine and golf clubs, Damian Jones of H&H Classics commented:

     

    “This is not just another Mini. It is history on four wheels. Its former owner, Transport Minister Ernest Marples changed the face of Britain with housing, bridges, motorways. He was a very ‘colourful character’ to say the least. It is fascinating that he chose to buy and use this relatively modest car when going golfing or going to France on holiday. If this car could speak what tales might it tell? It is truly one of a kind.”

     

    Marples Must Go – 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S 1071 originally owned by much-loathed Postmaster General, Minister of Transport and alleged tax fraudster The Rt. Hon. The Lord Marples, PC – Alfred Ernest Marples (1907 – 1978) to be auctioned by H&H Classics on 26th July 2017 – Estimate of £70,000 to £80,000 ($89,500 to $102,300, €79,100 to €90,400 or درهم328,800 to درهم375,900)Marples Must Go – 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S 1071 originally owned by much-loathed Postmaster General, Minister of Transport and alleged tax fraudster The Rt. Hon. The Lord Marples, PC – Alfred Ernest Marples (1907 – 1978) to be auctioned by H&H Classics on 26th July 2017 – Estimate of £70,000 to £80,000 ($89,500 to $102,300, €79,100 to €90,400 or درهم328,800 to درهم375,900) Marples Must Go – 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S 1071 originally owned by much-loathed Postmaster General, Minister of Transport and alleged tax fraudster The Rt. Hon. The Lord Marples, PC – Alfred Ernest Marples (1907 – 1978) to be auctioned by H&H Classics on 26th July 2017 – Estimate of £70,000 to £80,000 ($89,500 to $102,300, €79,100 to €90,400 or درهم328,800 to درهم375,900)Marples Must Go – 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S 1071 originally owned by much-loathed Postmaster General, Minister of Transport and alleged tax fraudster The Rt. Hon. The Lord Marples, PC – Alfred Ernest Marples (1907 – 1978) to be auctioned by H&H Classics on 26th July 2017 – Estimate of £70,000 to £80,000 ($89,500 to $102,300, €79,100 to €90,400 or درهم328,800 to درهم375,900)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWymCebAl6g

  • Virgin Virginia

    Virgin Virginia

    Unrestored Virginia estate owned by the same family since 1740 for sale for the first time ever

     

    A 410.18-acre estate in Virginia that has been owned by the same family since 1740 has gone on sale for £1.53 million ($1.95 million, €1.75 million or درهم7.16 million).

     

    Completely unaltered and on the National Register of Historic Places, Spring Grove in Milford, Caroline County is listed as a “fine example of Italianate architecture”. It centres around a residence that dates to 1856, extends to around 12,000 square foot and includes 26 rooms. There are said to be 8 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms and though the building is currently “not livable, with the exception of a small basement apartment”, selling agents Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International Realty describe it as “an architectural treasure ideal for a buyer seeking an authentic restoration project”.

     

    Owned by the DeJarnette family, Huguenot emigrants to Virginia, the current house is the third property to stand on the site. It was built by Daniel Coleman DeJarnette (1822 – 1881), a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, and is now being sold by his descendants.

     

    Virgin Virginia – Spring Grove, 19370 Mattaponi Trl, Oak Corner, Milford, Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia, VA 22514 – For sale for £1.53 million ($1.95 million, €1.75 million or درهم7.16 million) through Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International Realty Virgin Virginia – Spring Grove, 19370 Mattaponi Trl, Oak Corner, Milford, Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia, VA 22514 – For sale for £1.53 million ($1.95 million, €1.75 million or درهم7.16 million) through Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International RealtyVirgin Virginia – Spring Grove, 19370 Mattaponi Trl, Oak Corner, Milford, Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia, VA 22514 – For sale for £1.53 million ($1.95 million, €1.75 million or درهم7.16 million) through Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International RealtyVirgin Virginia – Spring Grove, 19370 Mattaponi Trl, Oak Corner, Milford, Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia, VA 22514 – For sale for £1.53 million ($1.95 million, €1.75 million or درهم7.16 million) through Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International RealtyVirgin Virginia – Spring Grove, 19370 Mattaponi Trl, Oak Corner, Milford, Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia, VA 22514 – For sale for £1.53 million ($1.95 million, €1.75 million or درهم7.16 million) through Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International Realty Virgin Virginia – Spring Grove, 19370 Mattaponi Trl, Oak Corner, Milford, Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia, VA 22514 – For sale for £1.53 million ($1.95 million, €1.75 million or درهم7.16 million) through Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International RealtyVirgin Virginia – Spring Grove, 19370 Mattaponi Trl, Oak Corner, Milford, Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia, VA 22514 – For sale for £1.53 million ($1.95 million, €1.75 million or درهم7.16 million) through Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International Realty Virgin Virginia – Spring Grove, 19370 Mattaponi Trl, Oak Corner, Milford, Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia, VA 22514 – For sale for £1.53 million ($1.95 million, €1.75 million or درهم7.16 million) through Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International RealtyVirgin Virginia – Spring Grove, 19370 Mattaponi Trl, Oak Corner, Milford, Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia, VA 22514 – For sale for £1.53 million ($1.95 million, €1.75 million or درهم7.16 million) through Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International RealtyVirgin Virginia – Spring Grove, 19370 Mattaponi Trl, Oak Corner, Milford, Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia, VA 22514 – For sale for £1.53 million ($1.95 million, €1.75 million or درهم7.16 million) through Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International Realty Virgin Virginia – Spring Grove, 19370 Mattaponi Trl, Oak Corner, Milford, Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia, VA 22514 – For sale for £1.53 million ($1.95 million, €1.75 million or درهم7.16 million) through Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International RealtyVirgin Virginia – Spring Grove, 19370 Mattaponi Trl, Oak Corner, Milford, Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia, VA 22514 – For sale for £1.53 million ($1.95 million, €1.75 million or درهم7.16 million) through Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International Realty Virgin Virginia – Spring Grove, 19370 Mattaponi Trl, Oak Corner, Milford, Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia, VA 22514 – For sale for £1.53 million ($1.95 million, €1.75 million or درهم7.16 million) through Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International Realty Virgin Virginia – Spring Grove, 19370 Mattaponi Trl, Oak Corner, Milford, Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia, VA 22514 – For sale for £1.53 million ($1.95 million, €1.75 million or درهم7.16 million) through Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International Realty

  • In For A Penny…

    In For A Penny…

    Poundland founders slash asking price for their gaudy Shropshire mansion by 39%

     

    As with many classic rags to riches tale, good taste doesn’t necessarily follow. Proof of such is provided in the somewhat over-the-top home bought by two of the founders of discount chainstore Poundland in the wake of their sale of that business for £50 million in 2002.

     

    Steve and Tracy Smith built up Poundland from a market stall in the West Midlands to an empire employing 6,000 staff and with their fortune, they indulged in a Lamborghini – of which Mrs Smith later remarked: “That car! It used to drive me mad, that big silly thing sitting out there. I was always on at him to get rid of it. In the end, he sold it for less than he paid for it… I think he just wanted to shut me up. – and amongst other things purchased a Shropshire mansion originally designed by the acclaimed Portmeirion architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, CBE MC (1883 – 1973).

     

    In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently.
    Steve and Tracy Smith “at home”

     

    Standing on a plot of 28.23 acres and featuring 14,690 square foot in its main house, “deluxe” Hammer Hill House currently provides 5 reception rooms, a full-scale bar, 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms and an indoor swimming pool. In addition, there are two 3-bedroom gate lodges and a large garage and office block.

     

    Decorated in a style that plainly reflects Mr and Mrs Smith’s exuberant personalities, there are, naturally, oversized wrought iron gates at the entrance and immodesty continues within. There is a BOSE surround system, an Adapt control system operating doors and specialist lighting and 60 “blinging horror” crystal chandeliers. A ‘HHH’ (meaning: “Hammer Hill House”) logo is emblazoned on many details and a Smith family crest hangs on the stairs; there’s a sprung dance floor and a full-size snooker table and a helipad and a 5-foot tall dancing hippo.

     

    Previously marketed privately, as Mr Smith believed estate agents to be a waste of money, Hammer Hill House is now for sale for £3.95 million through Knight Frank. Of the estate, though Country Life magazine concluded: “It might be a bit ritzy for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge”, the selling agents remark: “It’s impressive and well equipped”.

     

    Hammer Hill House, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire – The numbers

     

    Steve and Tracy Smith sell their shares in Poundland for £50 million in 2002 (the equivalent of £74.6 million, $94.8 million, €84.7 million or درهم348.4 million today). They give half of that sum to Mr Smith’s parents.

     

    The couple then paid £2.2 million for Hammer Hill House in 2004 (the equivalent of £3.3 million, $4.2 million, €3.7 million or درهم15.3 million today) and spent vast sums expanding and personalising the property.

     

    They put the estate up for sale for £6.5 million in 2014 privately ($8.3 million, €7.4 million or درهم30.6 million).

     

    In June 2017, they relist the property for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank.

     

    In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently.In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently.In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently. In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently.In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently.In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently. In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently.In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently.In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently. In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently.In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently. In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently. In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently. In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently. In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently.In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently.In For A Penny… Hammer Hill House, Romsley Lane, Romsley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6HW, United Kingdom – For sale for £3.95 million ($5 million, €4.5 million or درهم18.4 million) with agents Knight Frank. Owned by Poundland founders Steve and Tracy Smith currently.

  • Look – It’s a Lagonda

    Look – It’s a Lagonda

    Lagonda originally owned by actor Sir Peter Ustinov to be sold; he was photographed in it by Norman Parkinson

     

    A Lagonda originally owned by the actor Sir Peter Ustinov, CBE FRSA (1921 – 2004) is to be auctioned with a guide of £70,000 to £90,000 ($89,000 to $114,000, €80,000 to €102,000 or درهم327,000 to درهم420,000).

     

    Supplied new to Oscar winning Sir Peter in 1953 and owned by him for 12 years, the 3-litre car has been owned by the same family for 49 years. It had an engine overhaul in 1997, is described as a “veteran of numerous continental trips” and will be sold by H&H Classics at their Imperial War Museum Duxford sale on 26th July.

     

    Of the drophead coupé, which Norman Parkinson, CBE (1913 – 1990) photographed Ustinov in for an amusing sketch where he appears four times, Damian Jones of H&H Classics remarked:

     

    “Last year we sold Prince Philip’s Lagonda for a world record price of £340,000 ($432,000, €386,000 or درهم1.6 million). So the bar is set high. But the Ustinov car is a much-loved example that has never failed a MOT during the current 49-year custodianship. With its provenance, its history with Peter Ustinov, it will doubtless attract much international interest.”

     

    Pictured above: Sir Peter Ustinov in the car, photograph © Norman Parkinson archive.

     

     Look – It’s a Lagonda – 1953 Lagonda 3-litre drophead coupé – Originally owned by Sir Peter Ustinov, CBE FRSA – To be sold at auction for £70,000 to £90,000 ($89,000 to $114,000, €80,000 to €102,000 or درهم327,000 to درهم420,000) by H&H Classics on 26th July 2017Look – It’s a Lagonda – 1953 Lagonda 3-litre drophead coupé – Originally owned by Sir Peter Ustinov, CBE FRSA – To be sold at auction for £70,000 to £90,000 ($89,000 to $114,000, €80,000 to €102,000 or درهم327,000 to درهم420,000) by H&H Classics on 26th July 2017 Look – It’s a Lagonda – 1953 Lagonda 3-litre drophead coupé – Originally owned by Sir Peter Ustinov, CBE FRSA – To be sold at auction for £70,000 to £90,000 ($89,000 to $114,000, €80,000 to €102,000 or درهم327,000 to درهم420,000) by H&H Classics on 26th July 2017 Look – It’s a Lagonda – 1953 Lagonda 3-litre drophead coupé – Originally owned by Sir Peter Ustinov, CBE FRSA – To be sold at auction for £70,000 to £90,000 ($89,000 to $114,000, €80,000 to €102,000 or درهم327,000 to درهم420,000) by H&H Classics on 26th July 2017Look – It’s a Lagonda – 1953 Lagonda 3-litre drophead coupé – Originally owned by Sir Peter Ustinov, CBE FRSA – To be sold at auction for £70,000 to £90,000 ($89,000 to $114,000, €80,000 to €102,000 or درهم327,000 to درهم420,000) by H&H Classics on 26th July 2017

  • Pricey Pickhurst

    Pricey Pickhurst

    130 acre Surrey estate with gardens by Arabella Lennox Boyd for sale for £28 million (or £13 million more than it was marketed for in 2013)

     

    A Surrey estate has gone on sale for 87% more than in was offered for four years ago.

     

    Featured in Country Life in 2013 whilst for sale for £15 million ($19.1 million, €17.1 million or درهم70 million) and on the market now for the much higher sum of £28 million ($35.6 million, €31.9 million or درهم130.7 million), Pickhurst at Chiddingfold, near Goldalming centres around a 15,430 square foot Grade II* listed mansion.

     

    Built by the Scottish born architect J. M. Brydon for himself in 1885 in the style of Norman Shaw and most recently refurbished by developers Royalton, the main half-timbered house was originally much larger. Reduced in size in the 1950s, after a fire devastated its service wing, it now includes not only 6 reception rooms and 6 bedroom suites, but also a vast wine cellar, a belvedere tower and a home cinema.

     

    A further 3 bedrooms and a “hot relaxation suite” can be found in an adjoining coach house and in addition to two further 3 bedroom cottages and a Grade II listed gate lodge, there is also a stable block, machinery barn and garage. In total, internal space extends to some 30,000 square foot.

     

    Unusually for a property just 42 miles from central London, Pickhurst comes with 130 acres of land. Divided into formal gardens partly designed by Lady Lennox-Boyd and Chelsea gold medalist Fiona Lawrenson, woodland and pasture, there is also a 1.23 acre lake, a clay tennis court and an outdoor swimming pool. A family shoot on the estate is described as “regularly having 250 bird days”.

     

    Selling agent, Trevor Kearney of Savills, is far from modest in talking about Pickhurst. In marketing material for the property, he gushes:

     

    “This is the very best country estate that I have ever seen. Pickhurst is a best in class offering of unquestionable style and quality”.

     

    Of the renovation works he carried out to the house, in 2013, West Sussex based architect Ian Adam Smith, commented:

     

    “At the outset, the house looked as if it had been more or less chainsawed in half, yet, in spite of the fact that, before the fire, it was almost twice its size, local planning regulations would only allow us to extend the footprint by 40%”.

     

    “And, with no plans and no service wing to work with, we had to more or less create an entire new country house within a Grade II* listed building bearing in mind all the restrictions that that implies. Luckily, I was given a free hand by my very fastidious client, and we were able to build a new entrance, incorporate a modern-kitchen/family-living complex, upgrade the bedrooms and bathrooms, install acres of walnut panelling and replace the existing cherry-wood flooring with oak parquetry”.

     

    “With more than a nod to Lutyens, Webb and, in the gardens, to Gertrude Jekyll, we also reintroduced some interesting original features, such as the belvedere from where you can look out across the roofs of the many and varied Arts-and-Crafts houses that are a distinctive feature of Chiddingfold and the other villages in this wonderful part of Surrey”.

     

    Current pictures of the property removed at request of Claire Basing Lawson of Savills, 23rd August 2017.

  • Laid Out To Lawn

    Laid Out To Lawn

    Vast Georgian mansion in Gloucestershire for sale for just £111 per square foot; it seems incredibly cheap compared to One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, London, where flats once sold for £7,000 per square foot

     

    A substantial 7,895 square five-storey house in North Woodchester, Gloucestershire has gone on sale for £875,000 ($1.1 million, €992,000 or درهم4.1 million).

     

    Offered in 2015 for the lower sum of £795,000 ($1 million, €901,000 or درهم3.7 million), the sub-divided property currently provides a 6 bedroom main house, a staff flat, a bedsit and a 3 bedroom annexe

     

    Known as ‘The Lawn’, the Grade II listed Cotswold stone building stands in an acre of gardens and is close to both Stroud and Nailsworth. The main wing has been lived in by the same family for the last 60 years and whilst the secondary accommodation, ‘Lawnside’, was refurbished 15 years ago, the building is in need of renovation.

     

    Compared to an apartment in One Hyde Park, where prices achieved have been as high as £7,000 per square foot ($8,900, €7,900 or درهم32,500 per square foot), the mansion seems cheap. It is offered at just £111 per square foot ($141, €126 or درهم516 per square foot) through agents Knight Frank.

     

    Laid Out to Lawn – The Lawn and Lawnside, Selsey Road, North Woodchester, Gloucestershire, GL5 5NG, United Kingdom – For sale for £875,000 ($1.1 million, €992,000 or درهم4.1 million) through Knight Frank – Vast Georgian mansion in Gloucestershire for sale for just £111 per square foot; it seems incredibly cheap compared to One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, London, where flats once sold for £7,000 per square footLaid Out to Lawn – The Lawn and Lawnside, Selsey Road, North Woodchester, Gloucestershire, GL5 5NG, United Kingdom – For sale for £875,000 ($1.1 million, €992,000 or درهم4.1 million) through Knight Frank – Vast Georgian mansion in Gloucestershire for sale for just £111 per square foot; it seems incredibly cheap compared to One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, London, where flats once sold for £7,000 per square foot Laid Out to Lawn – The Lawn and Lawnside, Selsey Road, North Woodchester, Gloucestershire, GL5 5NG, United Kingdom – For sale for £875,000 ($1.1 million, €992,000 or درهم4.1 million) through Knight Frank – Vast Georgian mansion in Gloucestershire for sale for just £111 per square foot; it seems incredibly cheap compared to One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, London, where flats once sold for £7,000 per square footLaid Out to Lawn – The Lawn and Lawnside, Selsey Road, North Woodchester, Gloucestershire, GL5 5NG, United Kingdom – For sale for £875,000 ($1.1 million, €992,000 or درهم4.1 million) through Knight Frank – Vast Georgian mansion in Gloucestershire for sale for just £111 per square foot; it seems incredibly cheap compared to One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, London, where flats once sold for £7,000 per square footLaid Out to Lawn – The Lawn and Lawnside, Selsey Road, North Woodchester, Gloucestershire, GL5 5NG, United Kingdom – For sale for £875,000 ($1.1 million, €992,000 or درهم4.1 million) through Knight Frank – Vast Georgian mansion in Gloucestershire for sale for just £111 per square foot; it seems incredibly cheap compared to One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, London, where flats once sold for £7,000 per square footLaid Out to Lawn – The Lawn and Lawnside, Selsey Road, North Woodchester, Gloucestershire, GL5 5NG, United Kingdom – For sale for £875,000 ($1.1 million, €992,000 or درهم4.1 million) through Knight Frank – Vast Georgian mansion in Gloucestershire for sale for just £111 per square foot; it seems incredibly cheap compared to One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, London, where flats once sold for £7,000 per square footLaid Out to Lawn – The Lawn and Lawnside, Selsey Road, North Woodchester, Gloucestershire, GL5 5NG, United Kingdom – For sale for £875,000 ($1.1 million, €992,000 or درهم4.1 million) through Knight Frank – Vast Georgian mansion in Gloucestershire for sale for just £111 per square foot; it seems incredibly cheap compared to One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, London, where flats once sold for £7,000 per square foot

  • The Pumpkin House

    The Pumpkin House

    Eccentric Hudson Heights, New York cliffside residence for sale for £3.33 million; at certain times of day it resembles a pumpkin

     

    16 Chittenden Avenue, Hudson Heights, New York certainly doesn’t sound like an inspirational place to live. Though mention of this address won’t set pulses racing and despite one previous owner joking: “It’s not the White House”, whoever buys it will actually get something quite breathtaking situated on the highest natural point in Manhattan.

     

    Offered for £3.33 million – a figure 202% higher than it sold for 17 years ago in 2000 – ‘The Pumpkin House’, as the residence is more famously known, is a freestanding cliffside structure that is described by selling agents Sotheby’s International Realty as having a “seemingly jack-o’-lantern face that glows across the Hudson [River] reflecting the light of the setting sun”.

     

    The Pumpkin House – 16 Chittenden Avenue, Hudson Heights, New York, NY 10033, United States of America – For sale for $4.25 million (£3.33 million, €3.79 million or درهم15.61 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty
    The Pumpkin House – 16 Chittenden Avenue, Hudson Heights, New York, NY 10033, United States of America
    The Pumpkin House – 16 Chittenden Avenue, Hudson Heights, New York, NY 10033, United States of America – For sale for $4.25 million (£3.33 million, €3.79 million or درهم15.61 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty
    The building in the 1930s

     

    It is spread over 4 floors, extends to 3,144 square foot and includes 2 reception rooms, a library, a home office, a “French country style” kitchen, 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. A basement flat provides 1 reception room, a kitchen, 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom and in addition to a 2-car garage, there is a small garden, a balcony and a vast, part covered 66-foot long roof terrace.

     

    Built on a steel foundation in 1925 by an engineer and “sort of a dreamer” named Cleveland Walcutt and referenced by The New York Times in 2008 as “a face in the crowd”, ‘The Pumpkin House’ was owned by an interior designer named William Spink from 2000 to 2011. During the renovations he orchestrated, a construction worker fell off the building and was seriously injured but what potential buyers will either love or loathe about this architectural miracle suspended over a 265-foot drop is that it truly is utterly eccentric.

     

    The Numbers – The Pumpkin House

     

    2000 – Sold for $1.10 million (the equivalent of $1.56 million, £1.22 million, €1.39 million or درهم5.73 million today).

     

    2005 – Listed for $3.45 million (the equivalent of $4.32 million, £3.38 million, €3.86 million or درهم15.87 million today). Failed to sell.

     

    2010 – Relisted for increased price of $3.90 million (the equivalent of $4.38 million, £3.43 million, €3.91 million or درهم16.09 million today).

     

    2011 – Sold for an undisclosed sum.

     

    August 2016 – For sale for $5.25 million (£4.11 million, €4.69 million or درهم19.28 million).

     

    June 2017 – For sale for $4.25 million (£3.33 million, €3.79 million or درهم15.61 million).

     

    The Pumpkin House – 16 Chittenden Avenue, Hudson Heights, New York, NY 10033, United States of America – For sale for $4.25 million (£3.33 million, €3.79 million or درهم15.61 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty The Pumpkin House – 16 Chittenden Avenue, Hudson Heights, New York, NY 10033, United States of America – For sale for $4.25 million (£3.33 million, €3.79 million or درهم15.61 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty