The Steeple Times

Tag: 1982

  • The Best Gastrowagon By Far

    The Best Gastrowagon By Far

    Land Rover converted into a ‘gastrowagon’ for television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s first television series heads to auction

    Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall headed “for open country to spend some time eating off the fat of the land in a trawl through Britain’s wild larder” in his debut 1997 series for Channel 4, A Cook on the Wild Side.

     

    During his quest for wild ingredients without a penny in his pocket other than for fuel, he found fame and also drove a 1965 Land Rover Series II 109” wheelbase that was converted into what is endearingly known as a ‘gastrowagon’ circa 1982.

     

    Built specifically for the series, the vehicle was not only where the television chef and Eton contemporary of David Cameron cooked and ate, but also where he slept – in an upturned boat with a mattress perilously perched on the roof.

     

    In the series, Fearnley-Whitingstall – whom is also widely known by the nickname ‘Hugh Fearlessly-Eatsitall – took his ‘Gastrowagon’ everywhere from the New Forest and Scotland to Trafalgar Square in London. It subsequently sadly got left to rot, but has more recently been “fully restored by Land Rover specialists John Brown 4×4 to ‘like new’ condition” according to auctioneers Bonhams.

     

    Of this travelling cook’s paradise, they declare: “The roof-mounted boat is the sleeping quarters, while the back of the Landie features a full kitchen with a two-burner hob, oven, and fridge, all in very good working order and covered by a wind/waterproof canopy. Ancillaries include running water for the shower and wash basin as well as a ‘vintage’ ice cream maker. The bulkhead has been signed by Hugh since the restoration was completed and the vehicle is said to run and drive like new.”

     

    Bonhams have set an estimate of £25,000 to £35,000 ($33,200 to $46,500, €28,000 to €39,200 or درهم121,900 to درهم170,700) for the 2.25-litre Land Rover ‘Gastrowagon’ and will sell it at their Bicester Heritage sale on 11th December.

     

    A socially distanced Christmas lunch on the road anyone?

     

    Pictured top: The ‘gastrowagon’ and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall – whose ‘Hugh’s Fish Fight’ campaign we featured back in August 2013.

     

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    The Best Gastrowagon By Far – Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall Land Rover – Land Rover converted into a ‘gastrowagon’ for television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall’s first television series heads to auction – Bonhams to sell with an estimate of £25,000 to £35,000 ($33,200 to $46,500, €28,000 to €39,200 or درهم121,900 to درهم170,700) for the 1965 / 1982 2.25-litre Land Rover ‘Gastrowagon’ at their Bicester Heritage sale on 11th December 2020.
    The Best Gastrowagon By Far – Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall Land Rover – Land Rover converted into a ‘gastrowagon’ for television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall’s first television series heads to auction – Bonhams to sell with an estimate of £25,000 to £35,000 ($33,200 to $46,500, €28,000 to €39,200 or درهم121,900 to درهم170,700) for the 1965 / 1982 2.25-litre Land Rover ‘Gastrowagon’ at their Bicester Heritage sale on 11th December 2020.
    The Best Gastrowagon By Far – Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall Land Rover – Land Rover converted into a ‘gastrowagon’ for television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall’s first television series heads to auction – Bonhams to sell with an estimate of £25,000 to £35,000 ($33,200 to $46,500, €28,000 to €39,200 or درهم121,900 to درهم170,700) for the 1965 / 1982 2.25-litre Land Rover ‘Gastrowagon’ at their Bicester Heritage sale on 11th December 2020.
    The Best Gastrowagon By Far – Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall Land Rover – Land Rover converted into a ‘gastrowagon’ for television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall’s first television series heads to auction – Bonhams to sell with an estimate of £25,000 to £35,000 ($33,200 to $46,500, €28,000 to €39,200 or درهم121,900 to درهم170,700) for the 1965 / 1982 2.25-litre Land Rover ‘Gastrowagon’ at their Bicester Heritage sale on 11th December 2020.
    The Best Gastrowagon By Far – Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall Land Rover – Land Rover converted into a ‘gastrowagon’ for television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall’s first television series heads to auction – Bonhams to sell with an estimate of £25,000 to £35,000 ($33,200 to $46,500, €28,000 to €39,200 or درهم121,900 to درهم170,700) for the 1965 / 1982 2.25-litre Land Rover ‘Gastrowagon’ at their Bicester Heritage sale on 11th December 2020.
    The Best Gastrowagon By Far – Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall Land Rover – Land Rover converted into a ‘gastrowagon’ for television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall’s first television series heads to auction – Bonhams to sell with an estimate of £25,000 to £35,000 ($33,200 to $46,500, €28,000 to €39,200 or درهم121,900 to درهم170,700) for the 1965 / 1982 2.25-litre Land Rover ‘Gastrowagon’ at their Bicester Heritage sale on 11th December 2020.
    The Best Gastrowagon By Far – Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall Land Rover – Land Rover converted into a ‘gastrowagon’ for television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall’s first television series heads to auction – Bonhams to sell with an estimate of £25,000 to £35,000 ($33,200 to $46,500, €28,000 to €39,200 or درهم121,900 to درهم170,700) for the 1965 / 1982 2.25-litre Land Rover ‘Gastrowagon’ at their Bicester Heritage sale on 11th December 2020.
    The Best Gastrowagon By Far – Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall Land Rover – Land Rover converted into a ‘gastrowagon’ for television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall’s first television series heads to auction – Bonhams to sell with an estimate of £25,000 to £35,000 ($33,200 to $46,500, €28,000 to €39,200 or درهم121,900 to درهم170,700) for the 1965 / 1982 2.25-litre Land Rover ‘Gastrowagon’ at their Bicester Heritage sale on 11th December 2020.
    The Best Gastrowagon By Far – Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall Land Rover – Land Rover converted into a ‘gastrowagon’ for television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall’s first television series heads to auction – Bonhams to sell with an estimate of £25,000 to £35,000 ($33,200 to $46,500, €28,000 to €39,200 or درهم121,900 to درهم170,700) for the 1965 / 1982 2.25-litre Land Rover ‘Gastrowagon’ at their Bicester Heritage sale on 11th December 2020.
    The Best Gastrowagon By Far – Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall Land Rover – Land Rover converted into a ‘gastrowagon’ for television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall’s first television series heads to auction – Bonhams to sell with an estimate of £25,000 to £35,000 ($33,200 to $46,500, €28,000 to €39,200 or درهم121,900 to درهم170,700) for the 1965 / 1982 2.25-litre Land Rover ‘Gastrowagon’ at their Bicester Heritage sale on 11th December 2020.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9SvfXfYzGg
  • Jessica Jackson Sloan (born Jessica Hurst)

    Jessica Jackson Sloan (born Jessica Hurst)

    Born in Alabama in 1982, Jessica Jackson Sloan has morphed from a high-school dropout with a baby and a drug addict, jailbird husband in 2004 to, most bizarrely, one half of a “criminal justice reform dream team” with Kim Kardashian in 2020. “Steely-eyed blonde,” divorced and the co-founder of #Cut50 – a bipartisan effort aimed at reducing America’s incarceration rate – this Santa Clara University of Law graduate became Mayor of Mill Valley City Council in Marin County, California in 2015 and got herself involved with her “famous reality star legal apprentice” thanks to Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Jackson Sloan claims to want to “craft better policies that help, not hurt,” yet the choice of the somewhat shady company she keeps will continue to leave many questioning this plainly fame and power hungry woman’s true motivations.

  • Falling Down Flass

    Falling Down Flass

    Grade II* listed Cumbrian mansion built by opium dealer and once marketed for £1.5 million for sale for just £460,000; it was also the scene of the UK’s biggest ever cannabis raid in 2012

     

    A 23,000 square foot, 52 room, mid-19th century Palladian mansion in the Westmorland Dales National Park is to be sold at auction – by order of the mortgagees not in possession – for £1 million less than it was marketed for in 2014. It is sadly now described as being in an utterly wrecked, vandalised condition.

     

    Falling Down Flass – Flass, Maulds Meaburn, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 3HN, United Kingdom – To be offered at auction with a guide price of just £460,000 ($596,000, €525,000 or درهم2.2 million) by auctioneers Harman Healy – Grade II* listed Cumbrian mansion once marketed for £1.5m for sale for just £460,000; scene of UK’s biggest ever cannabis raid in 2012.
    The entrance elevation of the mansion then and now

    Falling Down Flass – Flass, Maulds Meaburn, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 3HN, United Kingdom – To be offered at auction with a guide price of just £460,000 ($596,000, €525,000 or درهم2.2 million) by auctioneers Harman Healy – Grade II* listed Cumbrian mansion once marketed for £1.5m for sale for just £460,000; scene of UK’s biggest ever cannabis raid in 2012.
    The strikingly grand interiors of Flass (prior to visits from the ‘Urban Explorers’)

    Falling Down Flass – Flass, Maulds Meaburn, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 3HN, United Kingdom – To be offered at auction with a guide price of just £460,000 ($596,000, €525,000 or درهم2.2 million) by auctioneers Harman Healy – Grade II* listed Cumbrian mansion once marketed for £1.5m for sale for just £460,000; scene of UK’s biggest ever cannabis raid in 2012.
    The completely trashed interiors of the mansion (after visits from the ‘Urban Explorers’)

     

    Built in 1851 for wealthy merchant brothers and tea and opium magnets Lancelot and Wilkinson Dent, 8-bedroomed Flass at Maulds Meaburn, near Penrith in Cumbria was designed by architects Grey and Mair and includes furnishings by the renowned firm Gillows of Lancaster and London.

     

    Opulent to its core and said to have featured marble fireplaces, ivory door handles and friezes with pearls, Flass remained in the Dent family until 1973. Just prior to being sold for £17,000 (the equivalent of £202,000 today) that year to a historian named Frank Walsh, the then owner Sir Robert Dent opened up an attic of the house and discovered items from the Mughal Empire that he then auctioned for the astounding sum of £220,000 (the equivalent of £2.6 million today).

     

    Subsequently this vast stucco finished, limestone built house – complete with a Doric porte-cochère and a three-storey tower – became a care home and was then after sold in 2000 to a singer-songwriter best known for co-writing the creepy Christian crooner Sir Cliff Richard’s Devil Woman named Christine Holmes (also known as Kristine Sparkle) and her husband Paul Davies. The pair turned the property into a performing arts school.

     

    After the couple divorced, Davies took control of the mansion but due to spiraling maintenance costs, he eventually got himself involved with a gang of drug dealers in 2011. Due to what rental agents at the time described as the house being “totally private and hidden away, with an unmatched seclusion and charm,” Davies and his five cohorts were able to grow cannabis with a street value of £5.26 million undetected until a neighbour became suspicious. He was jailed for his role in the crime for three years and eight months in September 2015.

     

    Falling Down Flass – Flass, Maulds Meaburn, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 3HN, United Kingdom – To be offered at auction with a guide price of just £460,000 ($596,000, €525,000 or درهم2.2 million) by auctioneers Harman Healy – Grade II* listed Cumbrian mansion once marketed for £1.5m for sale for just £460,000; scene of UK’s biggest ever cannabis raid in 2012.
    Singer-songwriter Christine Holmes outside Flass in September 2017 (after visits from the ‘Urban Explorers’ and their having trashed her home)

    Falling Down Flass – Flass, Maulds Meaburn, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 3HN, United Kingdom – To be offered at auction with a guide price of just £460,000 ($596,000, €525,000 or درهم2.2 million) by auctioneers Harman Healy – Grade II* listed Cumbrian mansion once marketed for £1.5m for sale for just £460,000; scene of UK’s biggest ever cannabis raid in 2012.
    Paul Davies turned Flass into Britain’s biggest cannabis farm (and got himself three years and eight months in jail for his efforts; on his conviction his representative said: “He blames nobody but himself for getting involved in this criminal business”)

    Falling Down Flass – Flass, Maulds Meaburn, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 3HN, United Kingdom – To be offered at auction with a guide price of just £460,000 ($596,000, €525,000 or درهم2.2 million) by auctioneers Harman Healy – Grade II* listed Cumbrian mansion once marketed for £1.5m for sale for just £460,000; scene of UK’s biggest ever cannabis raid in 2012.
    The “massive scale” £5 million cannabis farm operated at Flass was described in court as “a professional setup” and having the “real hallmarks of organised crime”

     

    Christine Holmes subsequently took back control of Flass and after trying and failing to sell the house for £1.5 million spent £200,000 on renovations to put right the damage done by the drug operation. Her bad luck, however, was not to end there. In September 2017, the Cumberland & Westmorland Herald reported that a gang of ‘Urban Explorers’ had raided the somewhat derelict building and filmed their exploits. In the weeks that followed, trespassers returned at least twelve further times and “ransacked and trashed” the once glorious residence. She told the paper:

     

    “I was absolutely horrified when I saw [videos of the house] online. I couldn’t believe how anyone could come into my home and believe it was an abandoned building.”

     

    “I think since then people have been staying in the building and have even been there hiding while I’ve been there. I’m petrified. These are evil people who are breaking into my home. I think it’s becoming a game to them. They are breaking in every day.”

     

    Auctioneers Harman Healy will now offer Grade II* listed Flass along with 17.5 acres of overgrown grounds with a guide price of just £460,000+ on 30th January. Christine Holmes no doubt will be glad if she finally gets shot of what she likely ended up considering to be the worst kind of white elephant.

     

    Flass – The Numbers

     

    January 2019 – To be offered at auction with a guide price of just £460,000 ($596,000, €525,000 or درهم2.2 million).

     

    July 2014 – Offered for sale for £1.5 million ($1.9 million, €1.7 million or درهم7.1 million).

     

    2000 – Sold for £490,000 ($635,000, €559,000 or درهم2.3 million) to the currently jailed drug dealer Paul Davies and his then wife songwriter Christine Holmes.

     

    1998 – Reduced to £650,000 ($842,000, €741,000 or درهم3.1 million).

     

    1997 – For sale for £750,000 ($972,000, €855,000 or درهم3.6 million).

     

    1982 – Sold for £115,000 ($149,000, €131,000 or درهم547,000) to a retired solicitor named Malcolm Whiteside. He turned Flass into a care home which he ran with his wife Mary.

     

    1973 – Sold by Sir Robert Dent, a descendant of the family who built the house, for £17,000 ($22,000, €19,000 or درهم81,000) to a historian named Frank Welsh.

     

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    Falling Down Flass – Flass, Maulds Meaburn, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 3HN, United Kingdom – To be offered at auction with a guide price of just £460,000 ($596,000, €525,000 or درهم2.2 million) by auctioneers Harman Healy – Grade II* listed Cumbrian mansion once marketed for £1.5m for sale for just £460,000; scene of UK’s biggest ever cannabis raid in 2012.
    The garden elevation of the mansion then and now

    Falling Down Flass – Flass, Maulds Meaburn, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 3HN, United Kingdom – To be offered at auction with a guide price of just £460,000 ($596,000, €525,000 or درهم2.2 million) by auctioneers Harman Healy – Grade II* listed Cumbrian mansion once marketed for £1.5m for sale for just £460,000; scene of UK’s biggest ever cannabis raid in 2012.
    The no doubt once glorious gardens of Flass have now gone to wrack and ruin

    Falling Down Flass – Flass, Maulds Meaburn, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 3HN, United Kingdom – To be offered at auction with a guide price of just £460,000 ($596,000, €525,000 or درهم2.2 million) by auctioneers Harman Healy – Grade II* listed Cumbrian mansion once marketed for £1.5m for sale for just £460,000; scene of UK’s biggest ever cannabis raid in 2012.
    The entrance gates to the estate (in better days)

    Falling Down Flass – Flass, Maulds Meaburn, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 3HN, United Kingdom – To be offered at auction with a guide price of just £460,000 ($596,000, €525,000 or درهم2.2 million) by auctioneers Harman Healy – Grade II* listed Cumbrian mansion once marketed for £1.5m for sale for just £460,000; scene of UK’s biggest ever cannabis raid in 2012.
    A plan of Flass and its surrounding land

  • A Modern Beauty

    A Modern Beauty

    “One of Britain’s finest 20th-century country houses” has been placed for sale for £20 million; it comes with 530 acres and was built by the late businessman Sebastian de Ferranti in the 1980s

     

    One could imagine being in the early 18th century or in Italy even on first taking a look at the Palladian style Henbury Hall, near Macclesfield in Cheshire. However, as Moliere said: “One is easily fooled by that one loves” and in reality this 12,496 square foot beauty was actually constructed between 1980 and 1986.

     

    The vision of the buccaneer businessman and patron of the arts Sebastian de Ferranti (1927 – 2015) and based upon Palladio’s Villa Rotunda at Vizenza, the 6-bedroomed main residence stands on the site of an earlier mansion demolished in the 1950s. It was designed by the architect Julian Bicknell in conjunction with Felix Kelly and David Mlinaric, was constructed by Tarmac Construction and is faced with warm-toned limestone from north east France. The estate also includes a Grade II listed dower house, five further houses and cottages, a Grade II listed and stable block and courtyard.

     

    A Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de Ferranti
    The late Sebastian de Ferranti

    A Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de Ferranti
    Henbury Hall during construction

    A Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de Ferranti
    A depiction of the original Henbury Hall in 1707

    A Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de Ferranti
    The front elevation of the current Henbury Hall with parkland beyond

     

    Aside from 12 acres of immaculate gardens with a series of lakes, there is a 200 year old landscaped park, woodland, agricultural land, a beautifully designed swimming pool, a tennis court and a polo field.

     

    Selling agents Savills offer the Henbury Hall Estate as a whole for a guide price of £20 million – a world away from the £9,000 sum the estate sold for in 1872 (the equivalent of £934,000 today).

     

    A Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de Ferranti A Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de FerrantiA Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de Ferranti A Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de FerrantiA Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de FerrantiA Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de Ferranti A Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de FerrantiA Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de FerrantiA Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de Ferranti A Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de FerrantiA Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de FerrantiA Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de Ferranti A Modern Beauty – Henbury Hall Estate, Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9PJ, United Kingdom – For sale through Savills – Built by and former home of Sebastian de Ferranti

  • A Derelict Doer-Upper

    A Derelict Doer-Upper

    Derelict 18th century Oxfordshire mansion with 125 acres of land for sale for £10 million

     

    A 125-acre Oxfordshire estate with Humphrey Repton landscaped grounds has gone on sale for £10 million ($13.2 million, €11.3 million or درهم48.7 million) in spite of being described as being “in poor order.”

     

    The Coombe Park Estate at Whitchurch-on-Thames is situated at the end of a ¾ of a mile long private drive just 49 miles from Central London. Constructed in 1865, the original mansion was later demolished and what now remains consists of a 13,368 square foot house created from the original servants’ quarters, a coach house and an extension built in 1982.

     

    Featuring 4 main reception rooms, an indoor swimming pool, 6 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms, Coombe Park itself “has been unoccupied a number of years” but now presents an opportunity for a buyer to unleash its “enormous potential” according to selling agents Strutt & Parker.

     

    In addition to the main residence, there are three additional houses, an orangery, a coach house, offices, a sports pavilion, an indoor tennis court, stabling and a boat house included in the sale.

     

    According to a blog from 2008, the estate – which was used by the American military as a rest and recuperation ‘flak house’ during the Second World War – has been in the ownership of an individual from Rotterdam since 1982. He is described as having now “sadly lost his fortune.”

     

    A Derelict Doer-Upper – The Coombe Park Estate, Whitchurch-on-Thames, Reading, Oxfordshire, RG8 7QT, United Kingdom – Derelict 18th century Oxfordshire mansion Coombe Park at Whitchurch-on-Thames with 125 acres of land for sale for £10 million ($13.2 million, €11.3 million or درهم48.7 million) in spite of being described as being “in poor order” through agents Strutt & ParkerA Derelict Doer-Upper – The Coombe Park Estate, Whitchurch-on-Thames, Reading, Oxfordshire, RG8 7QT, United Kingdom – Derelict 18th century Oxfordshire mansion Coombe Park at Whitchurch-on-Thames with 125 acres of land for sale for £10 million ($13.2 million, €11.3 million or درهم48.7 million) in spite of being described as being “in poor order” through agents Strutt & ParkerA Derelict Doer-Upper – The Coombe Park Estate, Whitchurch-on-Thames, Reading, Oxfordshire, RG8 7QT, United Kingdom – Derelict 18th century Oxfordshire mansion Coombe Park at Whitchurch-on-Thames with 125 acres of land for sale for £10 million ($13.2 million, €11.3 million or درهم48.7 million) in spite of being described as being “in poor order” through agents Strutt & ParkerA Derelict Doer-Upper – The Coombe Park Estate, Whitchurch-on-Thames, Reading, Oxfordshire, RG8 7QT, United Kingdom – Derelict 18th century Oxfordshire mansion Coombe Park at Whitchurch-on-Thames with 125 acres of land for sale for £10 million ($13.2 million, €11.3 million or درهم48.7 million) in spite of being described as being “in poor order” through agents Strutt & Parker A Derelict Doer-Upper – The Coombe Park Estate, Whitchurch-on-Thames, Reading, Oxfordshire, RG8 7QT, United Kingdom – Derelict 18th century Oxfordshire mansion Coombe Park at Whitchurch-on-Thames with 125 acres of land for sale for £10 million ($13.2 million, €11.3 million or درهم48.7 million) in spite of being described as being “in poor order” through agents Strutt & Parker A Derelict Doer-Upper – The Coombe Park Estate, Whitchurch-on-Thames, Reading, Oxfordshire, RG8 7QT, United Kingdom – Derelict 18th century Oxfordshire mansion Coombe Park at Whitchurch-on-Thames with 125 acres of land for sale for £10 million ($13.2 million, €11.3 million or درهم48.7 million) in spite of being described as being “in poor order” through agents Strutt & ParkerA Derelict Doer-Upper – The Coombe Park Estate, Whitchurch-on-Thames, Reading, Oxfordshire, RG8 7QT, United Kingdom – Derelict 18th century Oxfordshire mansion Coombe Park at Whitchurch-on-Thames with 125 acres of land for sale for £10 million ($13.2 million, €11.3 million or درهم48.7 million) in spite of being described as being “in poor order” through agents Strutt & Parker A Derelict Doer-Upper – The Coombe Park Estate, Whitchurch-on-Thames, Reading, Oxfordshire, RG8 7QT, United Kingdom – Derelict 18th century Oxfordshire mansion Coombe Park at Whitchurch-on-Thames with 125 acres of land for sale for £10 million ($13.2 million, €11.3 million or درهم48.7 million) in spite of being described as being “in poor order” through agents Strutt & ParkerA Derelict Doer-Upper – The Coombe Park Estate, Whitchurch-on-Thames, Reading, Oxfordshire, RG8 7QT, United Kingdom – Derelict 18th century Oxfordshire mansion Coombe Park at Whitchurch-on-Thames with 125 acres of land for sale for £10 million ($13.2 million, €11.3 million or درهم48.7 million) in spite of being described as being “in poor order” through agents Strutt & Parker A Derelict Doer-Upper – The Coombe Park Estate, Whitchurch-on-Thames, Reading, Oxfordshire, RG8 7QT, United Kingdom – Derelict 18th century Oxfordshire mansion Coombe Park at Whitchurch-on-Thames with 125 acres of land for sale for £10 million ($13.2 million, €11.3 million or درهم48.7 million) in spite of being described as being “in poor order” through agents Strutt & Parker

  • 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.

  • Best in Britain

    Best in Britain

    EXCLUSIVE – “Nationally important” Grade II* listed Berkshire mansion in 130 acres for sale for £26 million; its interior is yet to be renovated

     

    A Grade II* listed building capable of being reinstated as one of Britain’s finest country houses has just been placed on the market for £26 million.

     

    Benham Park – formerly known as Benham Vallence – at Marsh Benham, near Newbury comes with around 130 acres of Grade II listed Capability Brown (1716 – 1783) designed parkland and currently extends to 27,620 square foot. It has planning permission in place to either revert to a truly epic single family mansion or to convert into a 100 bedroom ‘wellness centre’ to rival Champneys in Hertfordshire and Clinique La Prairie in Switzerland. The schemes proposed would provide between 50,000 and 140,000 square foot of accommodation and, already, businessmen Harry Marriott and Michael Fresson, owners since 2011, have restored the exterior of the building along with its gardens and park.

     

    Built at the behest of the nobleman William Craven (1738 – 1791) to designs of the Fulham born architect Henry Holland (1745 – 1806) in 1774 – 1775, this fine neoclassical house was constructed from Bath stone and later altered by the extremely wealthy Sutton baronets during their tenure in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The estate was sold for £1 million to the innovative computer manufacturers Norsk Data in 1983 and remained in the firm’s ownership until it was dissolved in 1992. It then became the offices of other technology companies until again being placed for sale for £6 million in 2010.

     

    Best in Britain – Benham Park (formerly Benham Valence), Marsh Benham, Speen, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG20 8EP, United Kingdom – For sale for £26 million ($33.4 million, €29.9 million or درهم123 million) with Savills.
    Benham Park in the era when it was used as offices; the modern buildings have now been demolished and the car park landscaped

    Best in Britain – Benham Park (formerly Benham Valence), Marsh Benham, Speen, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG20 8EP, United Kingdom – For sale for £26 million ($33.4 million, €29.9 million or درهم123 million) with Savills.
    The main mansion prior to renovation of its exterior

    Best in Britain – Benham Park (formerly Benham Valence), Marsh Benham, Speen, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG20 8EP, United Kingdom – For sale for £26 million ($33.4 million, €29.9 million or درهم123 million) with Savills.
    A view from another angle (after external renovation)

    Best in Britain – Benham Park (formerly Benham Valence), Marsh Benham, Speen, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG20 8EP, United Kingdom – For sale for £26 million ($33.4 million, €29.9 million or درهم123 million) with Savills.
    From the lake

    Best in Britain – Benham Park (formerly Benham Valence), Marsh Benham, Speen, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG20 8EP, United Kingdom – For sale for £26 million ($33.4 million, €29.9 million or درهم123 million) with Savills.
    And from its imposing entrance

    Best in Britain – Benham Park (formerly Benham Valence), Marsh Benham, Speen, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG20 8EP, United Kingdom – For sale for £26 million ($33.4 million, €29.9 million or درهم123 million) with Savills.
    One of several entrances to the estate

    Best in Britain – Benham Park (formerly Benham Valence), Marsh Benham, Speen, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG20 8EP, United Kingdom – For sale for £26 million ($33.4 million, €29.9 million or درهم123 million) with Savills.
    Another set of impressive gates

     

    Should a buyer use the existing designs for a residential scheme, they would find themselves owning a house that would not only come with 12 reception rooms and 29 bedroom suites, but also one with a sports complex, a sculpture gallery, a 40-seat cinema and garaging for 50 cars. Aside from an existing 5-bedroom mill house on the estate’s 10 acre lake and a gate lodge, the proposals would add a further 8 additional ancillary houses also.

     

    Of Benham Park, Crispin Holborow of selling agent Savills commented:

     

    “[This] is a nationally important stately home so its sale presents a very exciting proposition for a future owner to oversee its transformation. The prospect of restoring a property of such magnificent proportions with excellent access to London has not arisen for many years, and we expect interest from potential buyers for either its reinstatement as a significant country residence or its repurpose into a world leading wellness centre”.

     

    Those looking to extend the compound further have the option to purchase two separately owned properties that were formerly part of the estate. A house known as ‘Greenhouses’, for sale with Savills, is offered for £1.3 million and comes with 1.47 acres of land whilst Mill Bank House, which stands in 2 acres, is on the market through Strutt & Parker.

     

     

    The Numbers – Benham Park

     

    1771 – 1774

    William Craven, 6th Baron Craven paid Capability Brown £7,150 for works to the house and grounds. This sum is the equivalent of £989,000 today ($1.3 million, €1.1 million or درهم4.7 million).

     

    1982

    Sold to Norsk Data for £1 million (the equivalent of £3.2 million, $4.1 million, €3.7 million or درهم15.1 million today) by Sir Richard Sutton (born 1937).

     

    2010

    Placed on the market for £6 million ($7.7 million, €6.9 million or درهم28.3 million).

     

    2011

    Sold to Harry Marriott and Michael Fresson for £5 million ($6.4 million, €5.7 million or درهم23.6 million).

     

    2017

    Benham Park placed on the market for £26 million ($33.4 million, €29.9 million or درهم123 million).

     

    Separately owned estate houses

    Best in Britain – Benham Park (formerly Benham Valence), Marsh Benham, Speen, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG20 8EP, United Kingdom – For sale for £26 million ($33.4 million, €29.9 million or درهم123 million) with Savills.Mill Bank House – On the market for £1.4 million ($1.8 million, €1.6 million or درهم6.6 million).

     

    Best in Britain – Benham Park (formerly Benham Valence), Marsh Benham, Speen, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG20 8EP, United Kingdom – For sale for £26 million ($33.4 million, €29.9 million or درهم123 million) with Savills.Greenhouses – On the market for £1.3 million ($1.7 million, €1.5 million or درهم6.1 million).

     

  • Five of the Best – Auctions America Auburn Spring

    Five of the Best – Auctions America Auburn Spring

    Five of the best lots on offer at the Auctions America Auburn Spring, Indiana sale of classic and modern cars and military lots

     

    From 11th to 13th May at the Auburn Auction Park in Auburn Spring in Indiana, USA, Auctions America will sell a vast range of cars and military lots. Here, we choose our five favourite lots on offer:

     

    1920 Ford Model T Coupé – £6,500 to £8,100 ($8,000 to $10,000, €7,600 to €9,400 or درهم29,400 to درهم36,700)

    Auctions America Auburn Spring, Indiana sale – 11th to 13th May 2017 – Classic and modern cars and military lots – Five of the best lots on offer including a 1920 Ford Model T Coupé, a 1930 Cunningham V8 33286 Hearse, a 1941 Packard One-Eighty Convertible Victoria by Darrin, a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/390 Coupé and a 1992 AM General M998 HumveeWith over 16.5 million built between 1908 and 1927, the Ford Model T stands at the eighth most sold cars of all time. Undoubtedly the first affordable car produced, an example from 1920 provides an affordable way to start a classic car collection. The example offered also reflects the sentiments of Henry Ford (1863 – 1947), whom once said: “Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black”.

     

    1930 Cunningham V8 33286 Hearse – £64,600 to £80,700 ($80,000 to $100,000, €75,600 to €94,500 or درهم293,800 to درهم367,300)

    Auctions America Auburn Spring, Indiana sale – 11th to 13th May 2017 – Classic and modern cars and military lots – Five of the best lots on offer including a 1920 Ford Model T Coupé, a 1930 Cunningham V8 33286 Hearse, a 1941 Packard One-Eighty Convertible Victoria by Darrin, a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/390 Coupé and a 1992 AM General M998 Humvee Auctions America Auburn Spring, Indiana sale – 11th to 13th May 2017 – Classic and modern cars and military lots – Five of the best lots on offer including a 1920 Ford Model T Coupé, a 1930 Cunningham V8 33286 Hearse, a 1941 Packard One-Eighty Convertible Victoria by Darrin, a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/390 Coupé and a 1992 AM General M998 HumveeA perfect mode of conveyance for the Addams Family or Ozzy Osbourne, this hearse was built by the James Cunningham & Sons Company of Rochester, New York. It has a cathedral like coffin compartment featuring carved wood and has been owned by three generations of the Peterson family, owners of the Howe-Peterson Funeral Home business of Dearborn, Michigan. The firm was established in 1873 but is about to close down.

     

    1941 Packard One-Eighty Convertible Victoria by Darrin – £302,800 to £343,200 ($375,000 to $425,000, €354,300 to €401,500 or درهم1.4 million to درهم1.6 million)

    Auctions America Auburn Spring, Indiana sale – 11th to 13th May 2017 – Classic and modern cars and military lots – Five of the best lots on offer including a 1920 Ford Model T Coupé, a 1930 Cunningham V8 33286 Hearse, a 1941 Packard One-Eighty Convertible Victoria by Darrin, a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/390 Coupé and a 1992 AM General M998 Humvee Auctions America Auburn Spring, Indiana sale – 11th to 13th May 2017 – Classic and modern cars and military lots – Five of the best lots on offer including a 1920 Ford Model T Coupé, a 1930 Cunningham V8 33286 Hearse, a 1941 Packard One-Eighty Convertible Victoria by Darrin, a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/390 Coupé and a 1992 AM General M998 HumveeFinished in cream over saddle leather with a dark chocolate canvas top and period-appropriate wide whitewall tyres, this striking convertible is described as being in “excellent driving condition”. It was delivered new to Houston, Texas and was the creation of Howard ‘Dutch’ Darrin (1897 – 1982), a polo playing airline owner turned automotive designer.

     

    1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/390 Coupé – £80,700 to £100,900 ($100,000 to $125,000, €75,600 to €118,100 or درهم293,800 to درهم459,100)

    Auctions America Auburn Spring, Indiana sale – 11th to 13th May 2017 – Classic and modern cars and military lots – Five of the best lots on offer including a 1920 Ford Model T Coupé, a 1930 Cunningham V8 33286 Hearse, a 1941 Packard One-Eighty Convertible Victoria by Darrin, a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/390 Coupé and a 1992 AM General M998 HumveeAuctions America Auburn Spring, Indiana sale – 11th to 13th May 2017 – Classic and modern cars and military lots – Five of the best lots on offer including a 1920 Ford Model T Coupé, a 1930 Cunningham V8 33286 Hearse, a 1941 Packard One-Eighty Convertible Victoria by Darrin, a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/390 Coupé and a 1992 AM General M998 Humvee“One of the most special Corvettes ever made”, this Marlboro Red coupé is presented in original and unrestored condition. It has only had two owners from new and has covered just 27,000 miles in its fifty year life.

     

    1992 AM General M998 Humvee – £12,100 to £16,200 ($15,000 to $20,000, €14,200 to €18,900 or درهم55,100 to درهم73,500)

    Auctions America Auburn Spring, Indiana sale – 11th to 13th May 2017 – Classic and modern cars and military lots – Five of the best lots on offer including a 1920 Ford Model T Coupé, a 1930 Cunningham V8 33286 Hearse, a 1941 Packard One-Eighty Convertible Victoria by Darrin, a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/390 Coupé and a 1992 AM General M998 HumveeFeaturing a 6.5-litre engine and definitely something Arnold Schwarzenegger would love, this cargo-troop carrier has a gross vehicle weight rating of 3.9-tonnes. It certainly could go anywhere and requires “no further demilitarization”.

     

  • Minder mobiles

    Minder mobiles

    Daimler used in ‘Minder’ to be auctioned alongside a Ford Capri from the same series; rather appropriately it was once clocked (more…)

  • A contemporary castle

    A contemporary castle

    Welsh castle with a difference for sale for £3.9 million (more…)