The Steeple Times

Tag: house

  • A Borderline Bonfire Bargain

    A Borderline Bonfire Bargain

    Manhattan mansion listed for 77% less than in 2014 as part of a “bankruptcy sale;” it is situated on a street featured in Billy Joel’s ‘Close to the Borderline’ that was once termed: “Bloody, Bloody Beekman Place: Where the Wealthy Wind Up Dead”

    On 10th April 1936, Good Friday, a writer named Nancy Titterton was found dead in her bathtub at the home she shared with her husband at 22 Beekman Place in Manhattan. She had been raped and strangled by an upholsterer’s assistant, John Fiorenza, who had ironically repaired a loveseat for the couple. The case of the ‘Beauty in the Bathtub’ ended with Fiorenza’s conviction and execution at Sing Sing on 22nd January 1937, but for Beekman Place this was not the first nor last murder.

     

    Aside from the killing of Dr Fritz Gebhardt, an industrialist and associate of Hermann Göring, by his lover Vera Stretz in a hotel in the street on 12th November 1935, on 4th January 2015, a Princeton graduate named Tommy Gilbert, Jr. shot his financier father in the head at his apartment at 20 Beekman Place. Prior to committing the murder, after a row about his monthly allowance, the 30-year old had sent his mother out to buy him a can of Coca Cola and a sandwich. As a result of these series of slayings, in January 2015, the Daily Beast ran an article about the street with the headline: “Bloody, Bloody Beekman Place: Where the Wealthy Wind Up Dead.”

     

    A Borderline Bonfire Bargain – 77% off 29 Beekman Place, NYC – Manhattan mansion listed for 77% less than in 2014 in “bankruptcy sale;” £9.22 million ($11.45 million) for 29 Beekman Place, Midtown East, Manhattan, New York, NY 10022, United States of America through Compass in 2020 down from £40.2 million ($49.9 million) in 2014. Built in 1934 for CBS chief executive William S. Paley. Home to Albert and Mary Lasker and Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. Murders of Nancy Titterton, Dr Fritz Gebhardt and Thomas Gilbert, Sr.
    The naked body of 33-year-old Nancy Titterton was discovered in her bathtub at 22 Beekman Place on 10th April 1936; “Pampered Ivy-leaguer” Tommy Gilbert, Jr. was sentenced to 30 years to life in jail in September 2019 for murdering his father, Thomas Gilbert, Sr. in his apartment at 20 Beekman Place in January 2015.
    A Borderline Bonfire Bargain – 77% off 29 Beekman Place, NYC – Manhattan mansion listed for 77% less than in 2014 in “bankruptcy sale;” £9.22 million ($11.45 million) for 29 Beekman Place, Midtown East, Manhattan, New York, NY 10022, United States of America through Compass in 2020 down from £40.2 million ($49.9 million) in 2014. Built in 1934 for CBS chief executive William S. Paley. Home to Albert and Mary Lasker and Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. Murders of Nancy Titterton, Dr Fritz Gebhardt and Thomas Gilbert, Sr.
    Owners of 29 Beekman Place – Mary Lasker, William S. Paley and Princess Ashraf Pahlavi.

    Now, for altogether different reasons, the street – whose more ‘happy’ residents have included variously not just the Second Lady of the United States, Happy Rockefeller, but also Prince Aly Khan and A&P supermarket heir Huntington Hartford – Beekman Place is making headlines once again.

     

    Whilst the asking prices of properties are often reduced, the case of 22 Beekman Place is an extreme one. Built in 1934 for William S. Paley, the man who “turned CBS from a small radio network into the foremost radio and television network in the United States,” and owned subsequently by a philanthropist and then the twin sister of the Shah of Iran, the house was placed for sale for the plainly extremely over-ambitious sum of £40.2 million in February 2014.

     

    In the period since, the nine floor, 12,260 square foot “trophy mansion| has yo-yoed on and off the market and now after being listed as a “BANKRUPTCY SALE!! Excellent Value – Price Reduced to Sell!!” has just reappeared for ‘just’ £9.2 million.

     

    Described by Curbed New York as having “truly lovely architectural details” and an oval-shaped dining room that has been frequented by “heads of states and foreign dignitaries from all over the world,” the red brick and limestone property has 10 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms. Additionally, it includes 1,500 square foot of outdoor space in the form of two private terraces, a chef’s kitchen, a wine cellar, a lift and a banquet hall.

     

    Agents Compass laud 29 Beekman Place as being “designed with grand scale entertaining in mind” and suggest it “appropriate for a private mansion, live/work, a foundation, or an ideal consulate or diplomat residence.” They add: “Do not miss this opportunity to purchase a piece of New York history,” (but unsurprisingly don’t mention any of the infamous murders in the neighbouring buildings).

     

    The Names & Numbers – 29 Beekman Place, Midtown East, Manhattan, New York, NY 10022, United States of America

     

    April 2020 – Relisted for £9.22 million ($11.45 million, €10.58 million or درهم42.05 million) through Compass as a “bankruptcy sale.”

     

    September 2019 – Relisted for £11.7 million ($14.5 million, €13.4 million or درهم53.3 million) through Compass.

     

    October 2017 – Relisted for £22.5 million ($28 million, €25.9 million or درهم102.8 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty.

     

    January 2016 – Relisted for £27.4 million ($34 million, €31.4 million or درهم124.9 million).

     

    May 2015 – Relisted for £30.2 million ($37.5 million, €34.7 million or درهم137.7 million) through Douglas Elliman.

     

    February 2014 – Listed for £40.2 million ($49.9 million, €46.2 million or درهم183.3 million) through Brown Harris Stevens.

     

    Mid 1970s – Sold to Princess Ashraf Pahlavi (1919 – 2016), the twin sister of the Shah of Iran.

     

    1940s – After Mr and Mrs Paley divorced, the house was first rented to and then bought by the philanthropist Mary Woodward Lasker (1900 – 1994). She lived there with her second husband, advertising executive Albert Lasker (1940 – 1952), and remained there after his death until circa 1975.

     

    1934 – Built for the “notorious womaniser” and first CEO of Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), William S. Paley (1901 – 1990) and his first wife Dorothy Hart Hearst (ex-wife of John Randolph Hearst).

     

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    A Borderline Bonfire Bargain – 77% off 29 Beekman Place, NYC – Manhattan mansion listed for 77% less than in 2014 in “bankruptcy sale;” £9.22 million ($11.45 million) for 29 Beekman Place, Midtown East, Manhattan, New York, NY 10022, United States of America through Compass in 2020 down from £40.2 million ($49.9 million) in 2014. Built in 1934 for CBS chief executive William S. Paley. Home to Albert and Mary Lasker and Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. Murders of Nancy Titterton, Dr Fritz Gebhardt and Thomas Gilbert, Sr.
    A Borderline Bonfire Bargain – 77% off 29 Beekman Place, NYC – Manhattan mansion listed for 77% less than in 2014 in “bankruptcy sale;” £9.22 million ($11.45 million) for 29 Beekman Place, Midtown East, Manhattan, New York, NY 10022, United States of America through Compass in 2020 down from £40.2 million ($49.9 million) in 2014. Built in 1934 for CBS chief executive William S. Paley. Home to Albert and Mary Lasker and Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. Murders of Nancy Titterton, Dr Fritz Gebhardt and Thomas Gilbert, Sr.
    A Borderline Bonfire Bargain – 77% off 29 Beekman Place, NYC – Manhattan mansion listed for 77% less than in 2014 in “bankruptcy sale;” £9.22 million ($11.45 million) for 29 Beekman Place, Midtown East, Manhattan, New York, NY 10022, United States of America through Compass in 2020 down from £40.2 million ($49.9 million) in 2014. Built in 1934 for CBS chief executive William S. Paley. Home to Albert and Mary Lasker and Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. Murders of Nancy Titterton, Dr Fritz Gebhardt and Thomas Gilbert, Sr.
    A Borderline Bonfire Bargain – 77% off 29 Beekman Place, NYC – Manhattan mansion listed for 77% less than in 2014 in “bankruptcy sale;” £9.22 million ($11.45 million) for 29 Beekman Place, Midtown East, Manhattan, New York, NY 10022, United States of America through Compass in 2020 down from £40.2 million ($49.9 million) in 2014. Built in 1934 for CBS chief executive William S. Paley. Home to Albert and Mary Lasker and Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. Murders of Nancy Titterton, Dr Fritz Gebhardt and Thomas Gilbert, Sr.
    A Borderline Bonfire Bargain – 77% off 29 Beekman Place, NYC – Manhattan mansion listed for 77% less than in 2014 in “bankruptcy sale;” £9.22 million ($11.45 million) for 29 Beekman Place, Midtown East, Manhattan, New York, NY 10022, United States of America through Compass in 2020 down from £40.2 million ($49.9 million) in 2014. Built in 1934 for CBS chief executive William S. Paley. Home to Albert and Mary Lasker and Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. Murders of Nancy Titterton, Dr Fritz Gebhardt and Thomas Gilbert, Sr.
    A Borderline Bonfire Bargain – 77% off 29 Beekman Place, NYC – Manhattan mansion listed for 77% less than in 2014 in “bankruptcy sale;” £9.22 million ($11.45 million) for 29 Beekman Place, Midtown East, Manhattan, New York, NY 10022, United States of America through Compass in 2020 down from £40.2 million ($49.9 million) in 2014. Built in 1934 for CBS chief executive William S. Paley. Home to Albert and Mary Lasker and Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. Murders of Nancy Titterton, Dr Fritz Gebhardt and Thomas Gilbert, Sr.
    A Borderline Bonfire Bargain – 77% off 29 Beekman Place, NYC – Manhattan mansion listed for 77% less than in 2014 in “bankruptcy sale;” £9.22 million ($11.45 million) for 29 Beekman Place, Midtown East, Manhattan, New York, NY 10022, United States of America through Compass in 2020 down from £40.2 million ($49.9 million) in 2014. Built in 1934 for CBS chief executive William S. Paley. Home to Albert and Mary Lasker and Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. Murders of Nancy Titterton, Dr Fritz Gebhardt and Thomas Gilbert, Sr.
    A Borderline Bonfire Bargain – 77% off 29 Beekman Place, NYC – Manhattan mansion listed for 77% less than in 2014 in “bankruptcy sale;” £9.22 million ($11.45 million) for 29 Beekman Place, Midtown East, Manhattan, New York, NY 10022, United States of America through Compass in 2020 down from £40.2 million ($49.9 million) in 2014. Built in 1934 for CBS chief executive William S. Paley. Home to Albert and Mary Lasker and Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. Murders of Nancy Titterton, Dr Fritz Gebhardt and Thomas Gilbert, Sr.
    A Borderline Bonfire Bargain – 77% off 29 Beekman Place, NYC – Manhattan mansion listed for 77% less than in 2014 in “bankruptcy sale;” £9.22 million ($11.45 million) for 29 Beekman Place, Midtown East, Manhattan, New York, NY 10022, United States of America through Compass in 2020 down from £40.2 million ($49.9 million) in 2014. Built in 1934 for CBS chief executive William S. Paley. Home to Albert and Mary Lasker and Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. Murders of Nancy Titterton, Dr Fritz Gebhardt and Thomas Gilbert, Sr.
    A Borderline Bonfire Bargain – 77% off 29 Beekman Place, NYC – Manhattan mansion listed for 77% less than in 2014 in “bankruptcy sale;” £9.22 million ($11.45 million) for 29 Beekman Place, Midtown East, Manhattan, New York, NY 10022, United States of America through Compass in 2020 down from £40.2 million ($49.9 million) in 2014. Built in 1934 for CBS chief executive William S. Paley. Home to Albert and Mary Lasker and Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. Murders of Nancy Titterton, Dr Fritz Gebhardt and Thomas Gilbert, Sr.
    A Borderline Bonfire Bargain – 77% off 29 Beekman Place, NYC – Manhattan mansion listed for 77% less than in 2014 in “bankruptcy sale;” £9.22 million ($11.45 million) for 29 Beekman Place, Midtown East, Manhattan, New York, NY 10022, United States of America through Compass in 2020 down from £40.2 million ($49.9 million) in 2014. Built in 1934 for CBS chief executive William S. Paley. Home to Albert and Mary Lasker and Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. Murders of Nancy Titterton, Dr Fritz Gebhardt and Thomas Gilbert, Sr.
    A Borderline Bonfire Bargain – 77% off 29 Beekman Place, NYC – Manhattan mansion listed for 77% less than in 2014 in “bankruptcy sale;” £9.22 million ($11.45 million) for 29 Beekman Place, Midtown East, Manhattan, New York, NY 10022, United States of America through Compass in 2020 down from £40.2 million ($49.9 million) in 2014. Built in 1934 for CBS chief executive William S. Paley. Home to Albert and Mary Lasker and Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. Murders of Nancy Titterton, Dr Fritz Gebhardt and Thomas Gilbert, Sr.
    A Borderline Bonfire Bargain – 77% off 29 Beekman Place, NYC – Manhattan mansion listed for 77% less than in 2014 in “bankruptcy sale;” £9.22 million ($11.45 million) for 29 Beekman Place, Midtown East, Manhattan, New York, NY 10022, United States of America through Compass in 2020 down from £40.2 million ($49.9 million) in 2014. Built in 1934 for CBS chief executive William S. Paley. Home to Albert and Mary Lasker and Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. Murders of Nancy Titterton, Dr Fritz Gebhardt and Thomas Gilbert, Sr.
  • Slashed Seven Sisters

    Slashed Seven Sisters

    Famous  ‘Seven Sisters’ cottage in Montauk for sale for 30% less than in 2016; the ‘Gilded Age cottage’ was designed by Stanford White, an architect whose murder famously led to the ‘Trial of the Century’ from 1907 onwards

    Montauk has variously been associated with part-time residents such as the playwright Edward Albee, the world’s largest Ponzi scheme operator Bernie Madoff and the artist Andy Warhol. It was a place that the Algonquian speaking Montaukett Native American tribe called home until one Arthur W. Benson (circa 1798 – 1889), the president of the Brooklyn Gas Light company, came along in 1879 and purchased 10,000 acres there for just $151,000 from the American government.

     

    “Land baron” Benson soon after sold half his acreage to the Long Island Rail Road for $600,000 and then set about turfing out the natives and creating a “playground for the rich.” As part of his plan, he ordered the construction of seven “shingle-style” homes that came to form a 100-acre compound for use as a “private hunting and fishing retreat for him and his friends.” They became known as the ‘Seven Sisters’ and one of them is currently for sale through Sotheby’s International Realty.

     

    Designed by Stanford White (1853 – 1906) – a “lauded architect” whom became more famous for being shot and killed by the deranged railroad heir Harry Thaw (1871 – 1947) – the property offered is said to be known as ‘Andrews House.’ It is more commonly listed, however, as 153 Deforest Road and its date of construction has been put at as early as 1879 and as late as 1888. The ‘cottage’ reportedly first belonged to Benson’s friend, a writer and one of the founders of both the bibliographic Grolier Club in Manhattan and the Society of Iconophiles, William Loring Andrews (1837 – 1920).

     

    Slashed Seven Sisters – £10.4 million or $12.995 million for Andrews House, 153 Deforest Road, Montauk, New York, NY 11954, United States of America through Sotheby’s International Realty, down from £14.8 million or $18.5 million in 2016 – Famous ‘Seven Sisters’ cottage in Montauk for sale for 30% less than in 2016; the ‘Gilded Age cottage’ was designed by Stanford White, an architect whose murder famously led to the ‘Trial of the Century’ from 1907 onwards. William Loring Andrews, architect and murder victim Stanford White and Harry Thaw in a ‘gilded’ jail cell.
    William Loring Andrews, architect and murder victim Stanford White and Harry Thaw in a ‘gilded’ jail cell.
    Slashed Seven Sisters – £10.4 million or $12.995 million for Andrews House, 153 Deforest Road, Montauk, New York, NY 11954, United States of America through Sotheby’s International Realty, down from £14.8 million or $18.5 million in 2016 – Famous ‘Seven Sisters’ cottage in Montauk for sale for 30% less than in 2016; the ‘Gilded Age cottage’ was designed by Stanford White, an architect whose murder famously led to the ‘Trial of the Century’ from 1907 onwards.
    The Andrews House, 153 Deforest Road, Montauk, New York, NY 11954, United States of America – a ‘Seven Sisters’ cottage that has seen its asking price reduced from £14.8 million in 2016 to £10.4 million in 2020.

    Remodeled and expanded in 1992 by the well-known Hamptons architect Francis Fleetwood (1946 – 2015) and updated yet again in the 2010s, 153 Deforest Road today extends to some 3,800 square foot in total. The house stands on a plot of 2.3 acres and accommodation includes a sunken living room, dining room, library, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and a second floor veranda “with mesmerising views that always inspire.”

     

    In 2016, when priced at £14.8 million, Mansion Global remarked: “The property comes with plans for a future expansion by [the renowned classical] architect Allan Greenberg,” but plainly such has made little difference to attracting interest. Four years later, 153 Deforest Road’s asking price has been slashed to ‘just’ £10.4 million and rather strangely its interior colour scheme is entirely in a depressing shade of grey.

     

    The artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel, comedian and talk show host Dick Cavett are amongst others to have lived in ‘Seven Sisters’ houses. One, Tick Hall, was destroyed by a fire in 1997 and then completely rebuilt; what happens to the ‘Andrews House’ remains to be seen.

     

    The Names & Numbers – The Andrews House, 153 Deforest Road, Montauk, New York, NY 11954

     

    July 2019 – It is further reduced to £10.4 million ($12.995 million, €11.9 million or درهمX47.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty.

     

    June 2018 – It is reduced to £12 million ($14.995 million, €13.7 million or درهم55.1 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty.

     

    February 2018 – It is relisted for £13 million ($16.25 million, €14.9 million or درهم60 million) with Sotheby’s International Realty.

     

    August 2016 – The house is listed for sale for £14.8 million ($18.5 million, €17 million or درهم67.9 million) with Douglas Elliman.

     

    2012 – 153 Deforest Road is sold to a limited liability company for £5.6 million ($6.995 million, €6.4 million or درهم25.7 million).

     

    1992 – 153 Deforest Road is renovated and remodeled by the Chilean born architect Francis Fleetwood (1946 – 2015) – a man described as a “popular East Hampton, New York–based architect [of] romantic country houses” by Architectural Digest in April 2015. Fleetwood’s well-known clients numbered Lauren Bacall, Calvin Klein and Paul McCartney and of them, he once told The New York Times: “They’d all love to be born into a grand old house that had been handed down through the generations… [And, he added, surely with a grin]… So would I.”

     

    1976 – The ‘Seven Sisters’ – including 153 Deforest Road – and two other neighbouring properties are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

     

    Between 1879 and 1888 – 153 Deforest Road was built as a home for the writer and librarian William L. Andrews (1837 – 1920). It formed part of a group of houses known as the ‘Seven Sisters’ and was known as ‘Andrews House.’

     

    1879 – Arthur W. Benson (circa 1798 – 1889) successfully bids $151,000 or the equivalent of £3.2 million today ($4 million, €3.7 million or درهم14.7 million today) for 11,000 acres of land around Montauk in an auction. He then cleverly sold half the land for $600,000 or the equivalent of £12.8 million today ($16 million, €14.7 million or درهم58.8 million today) to the Long Island Rail Road and kept the remainder as his “private playground.” The legitimacy of the ownership of Benson and others of Montauk remains the subject of legal actions by the Montaukett Native Americans to this date.

     

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    Slashed Seven Sisters – £10.4 million or $12.995 million for Andrews House, 153 Deforest Road, Montauk, New York, NY 11954, United States of America through Sotheby’s International Realty, down from £14.8 million or $18.5 million in 2016 – Famous ‘Seven Sisters’ cottage in Montauk for sale for 30% less than in 2016; the ‘Gilded Age cottage’ was designed by Stanford White, an architect whose murder famously led to the ‘Trial of the Century’ from 1907 onwards.
    Slashed Seven Sisters – £10.4 million or $12.995 million for Andrews House, 153 Deforest Road, Montauk, New York, NY 11954, United States of America through Sotheby’s International Realty, down from £14.8 million or $18.5 million in 2016 – Famous ‘Seven Sisters’ cottage in Montauk for sale for 30% less than in 2016; the ‘Gilded Age cottage’ was designed by Stanford White, an architect whose murder famously led to the ‘Trial of the Century’ from 1907 onwards.
    Slashed Seven Sisters – £10.4 million or $12.995 million for Andrews House, 153 Deforest Road, Montauk, New York, NY 11954, United States of America through Sotheby’s International Realty, down from £14.8 million or $18.5 million in 2016 – Famous ‘Seven Sisters’ cottage in Montauk for sale for 30% less than in 2016; the ‘Gilded Age cottage’ was designed by Stanford White, an architect whose murder famously led to the ‘Trial of the Century’ from 1907 onwards.
    Slashed Seven Sisters – £10.4 million or $12.995 million for Andrews House, 153 Deforest Road, Montauk, New York, NY 11954, United States of America through Sotheby’s International Realty, down from £14.8 million or $18.5 million in 2016 – Famous ‘Seven Sisters’ cottage in Montauk for sale for 30% less than in 2016; the ‘Gilded Age cottage’ was designed by Stanford White, an architect whose murder famously led to the ‘Trial of the Century’ from 1907 onwards.
    Slashed Seven Sisters – £10.4 million or $12.995 million for Andrews House, 153 Deforest Road, Montauk, New York, NY 11954, United States of America through Sotheby’s International Realty, down from £14.8 million or $18.5 million in 2016 – Famous ‘Seven Sisters’ cottage in Montauk for sale for 30% less than in 2016; the ‘Gilded Age cottage’ was designed by Stanford White, an architect whose murder famously led to the ‘Trial of the Century’ from 1907 onwards.
    Slashed Seven Sisters – £10.4 million or $12.995 million for Andrews House, 153 Deforest Road, Montauk, New York, NY 11954, United States of America through Sotheby’s International Realty, down from £14.8 million or $18.5 million in 2016 – Famous ‘Seven Sisters’ cottage in Montauk for sale for 30% less than in 2016; the ‘Gilded Age cottage’ was designed by Stanford White, an architect whose murder famously led to the ‘Trial of the Century’ from 1907 onwards.
    Slashed Seven Sisters – £10.4 million or $12.995 million for Andrews House, 153 Deforest Road, Montauk, New York, NY 11954, United States of America through Sotheby’s International Realty, down from £14.8 million or $18.5 million in 2016 – Famous ‘Seven Sisters’ cottage in Montauk for sale for 30% less than in 2016; the ‘Gilded Age cottage’ was designed by Stanford White, an architect whose murder famously led to the ‘Trial of the Century’ from 1907 onwards.
    Slashed Seven Sisters – £10.4 million or $12.995 million for Andrews House, 153 Deforest Road, Montauk, New York, NY 11954, United States of America through Sotheby’s International Realty, down from £14.8 million or $18.5 million in 2016 – Famous ‘Seven Sisters’ cottage in Montauk for sale for 30% less than in 2016; the ‘Gilded Age cottage’ was designed by Stanford White, an architect whose murder famously led to the ‘Trial of the Century’ from 1907 onwards.
    Slashed Seven Sisters – £10.4 million or $12.995 million for Andrews House, 153 Deforest Road, Montauk, New York, NY 11954, United States of America through Sotheby’s International Realty, down from £14.8 million or $18.5 million in 2016 – Famous ‘Seven Sisters’ cottage in Montauk for sale for 30% less than in 2016; the ‘Gilded Age cottage’ was designed by Stanford White, an architect whose murder famously led to the ‘Trial of the Century’ from 1907 onwards.
    Slashed Seven Sisters – £10.4 million or $12.995 million for Andrews House, 153 Deforest Road, Montauk, New York, NY 11954, United States of America through Sotheby’s International Realty, down from £14.8 million or $18.5 million in 2016 – Famous ‘Seven Sisters’ cottage in Montauk for sale for 30% less than in 2016; the ‘Gilded Age cottage’ was designed by Stanford White, an architect whose murder famously led to the ‘Trial of the Century’ from 1907 onwards.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OofTAtdlGzw
  • A Corona Cut Church

    A Corona Cut Church

    Converted church in Knightsbridge has its asking price cut by £11 million during the coronavirus lockdown; its price is still 340% higher than it sold for in 2003

    In December, we featured the launch to the market of a £55 million property in Walton Street, Knightsbridge. Now, in the midst of London’s coronavirus lockdown, just three months later, that price has been cut by the staggering sum of £11 million.

     

    A Corona Cut Church – Knightsbridge church price cut by £11 million – Converted church in Knightsbridge has its asking price cut by £11 million during the coronavirus lockdown; its price is still 340% higher than it sold for in 2003 – St Saviour’s House, Walton Street, Knightsbridge, London, SW3 1SA is for sale for £44 million down from £55 million through Knight Frank.
    Yours for £11 million less than in December 2019 – St Saviour’s House, Walton Street, Knightsbridge, London, SW3 1SA.

    St Saviour’s House, as it is now known, forms one thirds of a church and its conversion to a 12,102 square foot house did not delight everyone. Of it, back in 2001, The Telegraph’s Anne Atkins went as far to say: “[It is a] ghastly temple to Mammon… It is so awful I hardly know where to begin… Not my idea of a cosy home… Hideous and tacky… I tried to imagine living with this… The monstrosity of it… Vile.”

     

    Knight Frank, who remain the selling agents, plainly still think otherwise and now market what they describe as an “extraordinary seven bedroom home” for £44 million. Referencing the pandemic directly, they add: “Owing to our commitment to keep both our colleagues and clients safe during this period of recommended isolation, we have many self-serve viewing options available to you. These include video walkthroughs, 360 virtual reality viewings and enhanced comprehensive photography.”

     

    To see more pictures of this most curious conversion, click here.

     

    The Numbers – St Saviour’s House, Walton Street, Knightsbridge, London, SW3 1SA

     

    April 2020 – Reduced in price to £44 million ($54 million, €50 million or درهم198 million).

     

    December 2019 – For sale for £55 million ($73 million, €66 million or درهم269 million).

     

    April 2014 – Sold to a Saudi businessman for £41 million ($55 million, €49 million or درهم201 million).

     

    2009 – Sold to a Thai businessman for £13.5 million ($18 million, €16 million or درهم66 million). An additional £10 million ($13.3 million, €12 million or درهم49 million) was spent on redevelopment.

     

    2003 – Bought by lyricist Alain Boublil for £10 million ($13.3 million, €12 million or درهم49 million).

     

    1998 – Half the church and the church hall sold by the Diocese of London for about £1.2 million ($1.6 million, €1.4 million or درهم5.9 million) for conversion into two dwellings. The central portion of the building retained as a place of worship.

     

    1837 – Plot on which entirety of St Saviour’s Church now sits sold for £300 or the equivalent of £33,000 today ($44,000, €40,000 or درهم162,000 today) to the Metropolitan Church Fund.

     

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  • A Bowled Down Price

    A Bowled Down Price

    Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum

    In March 2015, The Steeple Times featured a Texan mansion described by some as “more iconic than Southfork.” Back then this “replica of George Washington’s Virginia estate” had been for sale for four years already and now, in March 2020, it’s still on the market.

     

    Offered at prices as high as £26.1 million and as low as £12 million, Mount Vernon overlooks White Rock Lake in Dallas and was built between 1928 and 1930. It was sold in 1938 to one of the world’s largest oil baron’s, H. L. Hunt (1889 – 1974) – a man “reputed to have the highest net worth of any individual in the world” at the time of his death.

     

    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    John Amend with Laura Bush at the bowling alley at Mount Vernon and with his wife Teresa.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    One of the entrances to Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America.

    Passing on to a commercial real estate tycoon and fellow supporter of the Bush political dynasty named John Amend in 1999, the 10,511 square foot house was subsequently renovated and aside from creating spaces including a prayer room, a 10,000 bottle wine cellar, a 1950s style diner and a car museum, what is considered to be the finest private bowling centre in America was added. It comes complete with a digital jukebox that has over 500,000 songs on its concert hall quality sound system

     

    Whilst Mr Amend and his wife Teresa hosted guests including Glenn Close and President George W. Bush at Mount Vernon, in 2011 they decided to “simplify their lives” and placed it for sale. In the time since, its yoyo-ed on and off the market but speaking about the property to the Dallas News in February this year, realtor Allie Beth Allman claimed the Amends have now “made it a goal to sell the property this year.” She went further and stated:

     

    “Many interested buyers have made offers, but the family has been reluctant to sell… The kids are just now at the age that they really enjoy it, and they spend a lot of time over there. It’s hard to give that up when your grandkids are saying, ‘Oh, don’t sell.’”

     

    Allie Beth Allman & Associates now seek £14.9 million for Mount Vernon and the 10 acres that surround it.

     

    The Names & Numbers – Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America

     

    March 2020 – Relisted at £14.9 million ($18.5 million, €16.6 million or درهم67.9 million) and still for sale through Allie Beth Allman & Associates.

     

    May 2019 – Relisted at a price of £12 million ($14.9 million, €13.4 million or درهم54.7 million).

     

    May 2016 – Relisted at a price of £14.1 million ($17.5 million, €15.7 million or درهم64.3 million).

     

    March 2015 – Featured in The Steeple Times whilst listed with Allie Beth Allman & Associates and Christie’s Real Estate at a price of £15.3 million ($19 million, €17 million or درهم68 million).

     

    September 2013 – Reduced in price to £15.3 million ($19 million, €17 million or درهم68 million).

     

    November 2012 – Reduced in price to £23.7 million ($29.5 million, €26.5 million or درهم108.3 million).

     

    2011 – Placed for sale for £26.1 million ($32.5 million, €29.2 million or درهم119.4 million).

     

    2004 – Hosted its first event as “the nation’s finest professionally equipped bowling centre.” The alley reportedly cost £1.16 million ($1.45 million, €1.3 million or درهم5.33 million) to construct.

     

    2002 – Renovated and expanded.

     

    1999 – Sold to the self-declared real estate “pioneer and innovator” John T. Amend and his wife Teresa for an undisclosed sum.

     

    1938 – Sold by Thomas Y. Pickett to Harold Lafayette Hunt, Jr. for $69,000 or the equivalent of £740,000 today ($922,000, €826,000 or درهم3.4 million today).

     

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    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
    A Bowled Down Price – £14.9 million for Mount Vernon, 4009 West Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas, TX 75214, United States of America down from £26.1 million through Allie Beth Allman & Associates – Texan estate for sale for sum 43% less than in 2011; it comes with the “finest private bowling alley in America” and a car museum.
  • Going Thin – Two Into One?

    Going Thin – Two Into One?

    Second apartment in South Kensington’s famous ‘Thin House’ comes to the market after another has languished for sale for four years; the two could potentially be merged to make a truly spectacular artist’s studio in the sky

    In May 2016, The Steeple Times featured a 603 square foot third floor artist’s studio flat in a building known as ‘The Thin House’ (or ‘The Skinny House’) in Thurloe Square, South Kensington. Priced then at £895,000 ($1.1 million, €1 million or درهم4.1 million), this apartment is surprisingly still for sale for the same sum and complete with the same furniture four years later. Now, however, it is no longer offered by the defunct agents W. A. Ellis and is instead available through agents Rokstone.

     

    Going Thin – Two Into One? The Thin House, 5 Thurloe Square, South Kensington, London, SW7 2TA, United Kingdom. Second apartment in South Kensington’s famous ‘Thin House’ comes to the market in March 2020 after another has languished for sale for four years since 2016. Second floor for sale through Winkworth for £875,000. Third floor for sale through Rokstone for £895,000.
    The third floor space for sale through Rokstone for £895,000 has been on the market since 2016, yet has never been reduced in price.

    A reason this flat may not have ‘moved’ in the period is not only that the building in which it is situated is not only of an “architecturally weird shape,” but also because it directly backs onto the District and Circle line. With trains running from around 5.30am to 12.30am each day, it is undoubtedly noise affected.

     

    Constructed on the remaining land of five neo-classical houses demolished to make way for the underground in the 1860s, red brick 5 Thurloe Square – just six foot wide at its narrowest point – was the brainchild of a local builder named William Douglas. Fitting into a “meagre” triangle, he designed and built seven artists’ studios between 1885 and 1887 and some of them are still in use by creatives to this day.

     

    As well as the aforementioned share of freehold third floor property, a studio on the second floor of the building is also on the market. Offered by Winkworth for £875,000 ($1.1 million, €980,000 or درهم4 million), the 676 square foot space features a 21-foot by 16-foot studio with a small kitchen and bathroom off and a 13-foot by 7-foot mezzanine bedroom over. The agents describe the property as offering “exceptional space” and “the most magnificent view over the treetops of Thurloe Square towards the Victoria and Albert Museum.”

     

    Subject to planning, imagination and deep pockets, an inspired individual could perhaps purchase and merge both apartments into one. The resulting 1,279 square foot creation would not only be thin, it could potentially be spectacular.

     

    Images and floor plans of the third floor artist’s studio follow.

     

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    Going Thin – Two Into One? The Thin House, 5 Thurloe Square, South Kensington, London, SW7 2TA, United Kingdom. Second apartment in South Kensington’s famous ‘Thin House’ comes to the market in March 2020 after another has languished for sale for four years since 2016. Second floor for sale through Winkworth for £875,000. Third floor for sale through Rokstone for £895,000.
    Going Thin – Two Into One? The Thin House, 5 Thurloe Square, South Kensington, London, SW7 2TA, United Kingdom. Second apartment in South Kensington’s famous ‘Thin House’ comes to the market in March 2020 after another has languished for sale for four years since 2016. Second floor for sale through Winkworth for £875,000. Third floor for sale through Rokstone for £895,000.
    Going Thin – Two Into One? The Thin House, 5 Thurloe Square, South Kensington, London, SW7 2TA, United Kingdom. Second apartment in South Kensington’s famous ‘Thin House’ comes to the market in March 2020 after another has languished for sale for four years since 2016. Second floor for sale through Winkworth for £875,000. Third floor for sale through Rokstone for £895,000.
    Going Thin – Two Into One? The Thin House, 5 Thurloe Square, South Kensington, London, SW7 2TA, United Kingdom. Second apartment in South Kensington’s famous ‘Thin House’ comes to the market in March 2020 after another has languished for sale for four years since 2016. Second floor for sale through Winkworth for £875,000. Third floor for sale through Rokstone for £895,000.
    Going Thin – Two Into One? The Thin House, 5 Thurloe Square, South Kensington, London, SW7 2TA, United Kingdom. Second apartment in South Kensington’s famous ‘Thin House’ comes to the market in March 2020 after another has languished for sale for four years since 2016. Second floor for sale through Winkworth for £875,000. Third floor for sale through Rokstone for £895,000.
    Going Thin – Two Into One? The Thin House, 5 Thurloe Square, South Kensington, London, SW7 2TA, United Kingdom. Second apartment in South Kensington’s famous ‘Thin House’ comes to the market in March 2020 after another has languished for sale for four years since 2016. Second floor for sale through Winkworth for £875,000. Third floor for sale through Rokstone for £895,000.
    Going Thin – Two Into One? The Thin House, 5 Thurloe Square, South Kensington, London, SW7 2TA, United Kingdom. Second apartment in South Kensington’s famous ‘Thin House’ comes to the market in March 2020 after another has languished for sale for four years since 2016. Second floor for sale through Winkworth for £875,000. Third floor for sale through Rokstone for £895,000.
    Going Thin – Two Into One? The Thin House, 5 Thurloe Square, South Kensington, London, SW7 2TA, United Kingdom. Second apartment in South Kensington’s famous ‘Thin House’ comes to the market in March 2020 after another has languished for sale for four years since 2016. Second floor for sale through Winkworth for £875,000. Third floor for sale through Rokstone for £895,000.
  • A Belgravian Yo-Yo

    A Belgravian Yo-Yo

    Nicky Haslam designed Belgravia house for sale for 33% less than in 2010 in spite of yoyo-ing up and down in price for ten years

    Estate agents like to make things sound grander generally and often give a house a name rather than a number. In the case of ‘Orpheo House’ in Belgravia, they’ve done the opposite and even though technically it stands in Elizabeth Street, its listed address is the rather grander sounding ‘50a Eaton Square.’

     

    Grosvenor Estate owned Eaton Square, developed from 1827 onwards, has variously been home to actors, politicians and statesmen. Amongst them have been Stanley Baldwin, Sean Connery, Rex Harrison, Vivien Leigh, Joachim von Ribbentrop, George Soros and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and most recently in 2019, the square was used as a location in the hit BBC drama series The Capture.

     

    50a Eaton Square has had a curious history. In 1992, it was listed as the final address of the fourth and last Baron of Southborough on his death and subsequently, in 2009, it was sold to a “British music executive” according to Financial News. In 2010, he commissioned the renowned interior designer Nicky Haslam to turn it into a “trophy home” and the “epitome of comfortable luxury.” It now includes not only air conditioning and underfloor heating, but also has “secret drawers for DVDs” and “display cabinets for watches and sunglasses.”

     

    “Super-stylish… [and] whimsical… with a Parisienne theme” according to the Evening Standard in 2016, the three-storey property fronts Elizabeth Street, but can also be accessed from a side door into Eaton Mews West – a cobbled street that has been home to Belgravia Garage since 1930.

     

    Plainly, being next to the busy garage and car wash has put off buyers given that the property has yoyo-ed on and off the market at prices as high as £4.5 million since 2010. The real problem, however, is that the remaining 26-year lease is not enfranchisable.

     

    Extending to 2,253 square feet, 50a Eaton Square features a double reception room, an Italian black lacquer kitchen and a small bedroom suite on its ground floor, a 25-foot by 24-foot reception on its first floor whilst a “generous” bedroom suite with dressing room, bathroom and west facing roof terrace takes up the entire second floor. A spiral wine cellar is located on the lower ground floor and a parking space within the mews is also included.

     

    Agents Rokstone now seek the very much reduced sum of £3 million for the property.

     

    The Names & Numbers – Orpheo House, 50a Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BE

     

    March 2020 – Reduced in price to £3 million ($3.5 million, €3.3 million or درهم12.9 million) and still available through agents Rokstone.

     

    November 2019 – Listed for sale on Zoopla.com for £3.45 million ($4 million, €3.7 million or درهم14.8 million).

     

    June 2018 – Listed for sale in Square Mile magazine for £4.25 million ($5 million, €4.6 million or درهم18.3 million).

     

    October 2016 – Featured in the Evening Standard’s ‘Homes & Property’ section at a price of £4.25 million ($5 million, €4.6 million or درهم18.3 million) with agents Rokstone.

     

    July 2011 – Listed as the ‘House of the Day’ on the Financial News website at a price of £3.95 million ($4.6 million, €4.3 million or درهم17 million) through agents Savills.

     

    January 2010 – Listed for sale in Square Mile magazine for £4.5 million ($5.3 million, €4.9 million or درهم19.4 million) with agents Aylesford.

     

    2009 – Sold to a “British music executive” according to Financial News. They state: “He moved out last year while [Nicky] Haslam completely gutted the house, taking it back to bare brick and changing the ceiling heights.”

     

    June 1992 – Described as the last address of Francis Michael Hopwood, Lord Southborough, whom died on 15th June 1992 (born 1922). Given the fourth Baron of Southborough had no offspring, the title (which was created in 1917 by King George V) then became extinct.

     

    June 1955 – Featured in The Gazette as the address of Ambrose Dasent, an engineer and relative of the Sir George Webbe Dasent (1817 – 1896), the renowned translator of Scandinavian literature and mythology.

     

    February 1936 – Featured in The Times as having “been sold by Messrs.’ George Trollope and Sons before auction.

     

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    A Belgravian Yo-Yo – £3m for Orpheo House, 50a Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BE, United Kingdom down from £4.5m through agents Rokstone– Nicky Haslam designed Belgravia house for sale for 33% less than in 2010 in spite of yoyo-ing up and down in price for ten years.
    The designer of the interior of 50a Eaton Square, Nicky Haslam (pictured with fellow socialite Paris Hilton).
    A Belgravian Yo-Yo – £3m for Orpheo House, 50a Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BE, United Kingdom down from £4.5m through agents Rokstone– Nicky Haslam designed Belgravia house for sale for 33% less than in 2010 in spite of yoyo-ing up and down in price for ten years.
    The entrance hall and staircase.
    A Belgravian Yo-Yo – £3m for Orpheo House, 50a Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BE, United Kingdom down from £4.5m through agents Rokstone– Nicky Haslam designed Belgravia house for sale for 33% less than in 2010 in spite of yoyo-ing up and down in price for ten years.
    The main reception room.
    A Belgravian Yo-Yo – £3m for Orpheo House, 50a Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BE, United Kingdom down from £4.5m through agents Rokstone– Nicky Haslam designed Belgravia house for sale for 33% less than in 2010 in spite of yoyo-ing up and down in price for ten years.
    Viewed from another angle.
    A Belgravian Yo-Yo – £3m for Orpheo House, 50a Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BE, United Kingdom down from £4.5m through agents Rokstone– Nicky Haslam designed Belgravia house for sale for 33% less than in 2010 in spite of yoyo-ing up and down in price for ten years.
    The room includes a bar and is opulent in its styling.
    A Belgravian Yo-Yo – £3m for Orpheo House, 50a Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BE, United Kingdom down from £4.5m through agents Rokstone– Nicky Haslam designed Belgravia house for sale for 33% less than in 2010 in spite of yoyo-ing up and down in price for ten years.
    A second reception room, on the ground floor, features a sitting area within a bay window.
    A Belgravian Yo-Yo – £3m for Orpheo House, 50a Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BE, United Kingdom down from £4.5m through agents Rokstone– Nicky Haslam designed Belgravia house for sale for 33% less than in 2010 in spite of yoyo-ing up and down in price for ten years.
    It is has a division.
    A Belgravian Yo-Yo – £3m for Orpheo House, 50a Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BE, United Kingdom down from £4.5m through agents Rokstone– Nicky Haslam designed Belgravia house for sale for 33% less than in 2010 in spite of yoyo-ing up and down in price for ten years.
    With a dining area beyond.
    A Belgravian Yo-Yo – £3m for Orpheo House, 50a Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BE, United Kingdom down from £4.5m through agents Rokstone– Nicky Haslam designed Belgravia house for sale for 33% less than in 2010 in spite of yoyo-ing up and down in price for ten years.
    The kitchen features a central island.
    A Belgravian Yo-Yo – £3m for Orpheo House, 50a Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BE, United Kingdom down from £4.5m through agents Rokstone– Nicky Haslam designed Belgravia house for sale for 33% less than in 2010 in spite of yoyo-ing up and down in price for ten years.
    The main bedroom suite.
    A Belgravian Yo-Yo – £3m for Orpheo House, 50a Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BE, United Kingdom down from £4.5m through agents Rokstone– Nicky Haslam designed Belgravia house for sale for 33% less than in 2010 in spite of yoyo-ing up and down in price for ten years.
    Another view of that suite’s bathroom.
    A Belgravian Yo-Yo – £3m for Orpheo House, 50a Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BE, United Kingdom down from £4.5m through agents Rokstone– Nicky Haslam designed Belgravia house for sale for 33% less than in 2010 in spite of yoyo-ing up and down in price for ten years.
    The suite comes with its own roof terrace.
    A Belgravian Yo-Yo – £3m for Orpheo House, 50a Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BE, United Kingdom down from £4.5m through agents Rokstone– Nicky Haslam designed Belgravia house for sale for 33% less than in 2010 in spite of yoyo-ing up and down in price for ten years.
    The second bedroom is situated on the ground floor.
    A Belgravian Yo-Yo – £3m for Orpheo House, 50a Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BE, United Kingdom down from £4.5m through agents Rokstone– Nicky Haslam designed Belgravia house for sale for 33% less than in 2010 in spite of yoyo-ing up and down in price for ten years.
    A floor plan of the property.
  • A Poirot Curve

    A Poirot Curve

    Curve shaped neo-Georgian house that wouldn’t look out of place in an Agatha Christie Poirot novel on the St. George’s Hill estate in Surrey for sale for an extraordinary sum

    Featured as the main article in Country Life just 15 days after the start of the Second World War on 16th September 1939, Hamstone House on the 946-acre St. George’s Hill estate in Weybridge, Surrey was constructed between 1937 and 1938 for Herman Peter Thygesen Lind (1890 – 1956), the founder of a firm that later constructed both Waterloo Bridge and the BT Tower in London.

     

    Now offered for £16 million ($18.4 million, €17.2million or درهم67.6 million) by agents Beauchamp Estates, this Grade II listed “classical” house is described on British Listed Buildings as being “in Georgian tradition” and of “brown ham stone ashlar,” but has a look that is more akin to something out of Agatha Christie’s Poirot novels. In 1987, Christopher Warman of The Times, lauded it as “the most important architectural centrepiece of St George’s Hill” and “[looking] like the bridge of a huge ocean going liner.”

     

    Accessed via a Grade II listed double gatehouse, Hamstone House is curved in shape and was somewhat mockingly featured in Punch magazine as “[standing] out like the Duchess of Windsor’s flamingo brooch in a local jewellers window.” Its 8 acres of gardens and grounds were listed as “not [looking] out of place in the grandest of crematoria.”

     

    Refurbished most recently in 2006, the 23,546 square foot freehold property now includes amongst other things 5 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms and an indoor swimming pool. The second floor is dominated by a large roof terrace accessed via an office, from where no doubt Mr Lind no doubt planned many a business manoeuvre as he looked out across what is listed as “rural grandeur.”

     

    Sold to a company connected to Oleg Deripaska, the somewhat controversial oligarch and associate of Peter (now Lord) Mandleson in 2001, Hamstone House was previously marketed for £5 million ($5.7 million, €5.4 million or درهم21.2 million) in 1987 according to Wikipedia.

     

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    A Poirot Curve – Curve shaped neo-Georgian house that wouldn’t look out of place in an Agatha Christie Poirot novel on the St. George’s Hill estate in Surrey for sale for an extraordinary sum. Hamstone House, South Ridge, St. Georges Hill, Weybridge KT13 0NF, United Kingdom is offered for £16 million ($18.4 million, €17.2million or درهم67.6 million) by agents Beauchamp Estates.
    A Poirot Curve – Curve shaped neo-Georgian house that wouldn’t look out of place in an Agatha Christie Poirot novel on the St. George’s Hill estate in Surrey for sale for an extraordinary sum. Hamstone House, South Ridge, St. Georges Hill, Weybridge KT13 0NF, United Kingdom is offered for £16 million ($18.4 million, €17.2million or درهم67.6 million) by agents Beauchamp Estates.
    A Poirot Curve – Curve shaped neo-Georgian house that wouldn’t look out of place in an Agatha Christie Poirot novel on the St. George’s Hill estate in Surrey for sale for an extraordinary sum. Hamstone House, South Ridge, St. Georges Hill, Weybridge KT13 0NF, United Kingdom is offered for £16 million ($18.4 million, €17.2million or درهم67.6 million) by agents Beauchamp Estates.
    A Poirot Curve – Curve shaped neo-Georgian house that wouldn’t look out of place in an Agatha Christie Poirot novel on the St. George’s Hill estate in Surrey for sale for an extraordinary sum. Hamstone House, South Ridge, St. Georges Hill, Weybridge KT13 0NF, United Kingdom is offered for £16 million ($18.4 million, €17.2million or درهم67.6 million) by agents Beauchamp Estates.
    A Poirot Curve – Curve shaped neo-Georgian house that wouldn’t look out of place in an Agatha Christie Poirot novel on the St. George’s Hill estate in Surrey for sale for an extraordinary sum. Hamstone House, South Ridge, St. Georges Hill, Weybridge KT13 0NF, United Kingdom is offered for £16 million ($18.4 million, €17.2million or درهم67.6 million) by agents Beauchamp Estates.
    A Poirot Curve – Curve shaped neo-Georgian house that wouldn’t look out of place in an Agatha Christie Poirot novel on the St. George’s Hill estate in Surrey for sale for an extraordinary sum. Hamstone House, South Ridge, St. Georges Hill, Weybridge KT13 0NF, United Kingdom is offered for £16 million ($18.4 million, €17.2million or درهم67.6 million) by agents Beauchamp Estates.
    A Poirot Curve – Curve shaped neo-Georgian house that wouldn’t look out of place in an Agatha Christie Poirot novel on the St. George’s Hill estate in Surrey for sale for an extraordinary sum. Hamstone House, South Ridge, St. Georges Hill, Weybridge KT13 0NF, United Kingdom is offered for £16 million ($18.4 million, €17.2million or درهم67.6 million) by agents Beauchamp Estates.
    A Poirot Curve – Curve shaped neo-Georgian house that wouldn’t look out of place in an Agatha Christie Poirot novel on the St. George’s Hill estate in Surrey for sale for an extraordinary sum. Hamstone House, South Ridge, St. Georges Hill, Weybridge KT13 0NF, United Kingdom is offered for £16 million ($18.4 million, €17.2million or درهم67.6 million) by agents Beauchamp Estates.
  • A Cottage or a Cage?

    A Cottage or a Cage?

    Knightsbridge ‘cage’ in an underground car park for sale for the same price as a 6 bedroom former farmhouse in 1 acre in Scotland

    In Kincardineshire, you’ll get a 4,090 square foot 19th century farmhouse that has most recently been used as a hotel for £375,000 ($484,000, €448,000 or درهم1.8 million). In Ennismore Gardens, Knightsbridge, you’ll simply get a 215 square foot underground ‘caged’ parking space.

     

    In Scotland, Savills offer stone-built and harled Old Sauchieburn at Luthermuir. It includes 4 en-suite bedrooms, 2 attic rooms, a 2-bedroom cottage, a brick-built barn and various other outbuildings. Externally, aside from gardens and ample parking there are also two paddocks.

     

    In Knightsbridge, Nicolas Van Patrick don’t say much about the single parking space they offer other than it is “well located [and] has the added benefits of a long leasehold, a daily garage porter and CCTV.”

     

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  • A Cottage With A Catch

    A Cottage With A Catch

    Victorian country cottage in picturesque rural setting in East Sussex for sale for less than a new BMW 3 series saloon

    A brand new BMW 3 series saloon will set you back approximately £35,000 ($45,000, €41,000 or درهم167,000), but for the same sum you could buy a Victorian cottage in 0.103 acres in a “pleasant rural location” in Uckfield, East Sussex.

     

    Set to be offered at auction by Savills, what sounds at first like an utter bargain had to come with a catch: 1 Jubilee Cottages has been unoccupied for over twenty years and now it has collapsed. Offered thus as having “potential for [the] reinstatement of a semi-detached house or a detached house subject to requisite consents,” this may not be quite what it seems.

     

    In August 2019, the cottage made the news after an attempt to gain planning permission to demolish it and its neighbour by Miss Astral De La Mare of the High Cross Estate was rejected by Wealden Council. The rejected plans had proposed for “an estate manor house [with] brick quoins, [the] estate crest in the gable and a reconstituted stone portico.” The submitted plans included relocating the property further away from the “fast and dangerous road where there have been recent fatalities” and turning the existing Jubilee Cottages site “to a native flower rich wild meadow.”

     

    The site of what remains of one half of the cottages will be sold on 12th February at The Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square in Mayfair, London.

     

    Pictured top: The cottage and its neighbour prior to one half collapsing.

     

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    A Cottage With A Catch - £35,000 for cottage in Uckfield, East Sussex – Victorian country cottage in picturesque rural setting in East Sussex for sale for less than a new BMW 3 series saloon – 1 Jubilee Cottages, Eastbourne Road, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 5QN, United Kingdom to be sold at auction by Savills on 12th February 2020 at The Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London, W1K 6JP.
    Another view of the cottage (prior to it falling down) illustrating what is on offer.
    A Cottage With A Catch - £35,000 for cottage in Uckfield, East Sussex – Victorian country cottage in picturesque rural setting in East Sussex for sale for less than a new BMW 3 series saloon – 1 Jubilee Cottages, Eastbourne Road, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 5QN, United Kingdom to be sold at auction by Savills on 12th February 2020 at The Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London, W1K 6JP.
    A view of the site as it is now.
    A Cottage With A Catch - £35,000 for cottage in Uckfield, East Sussex – Victorian country cottage in picturesque rural setting in East Sussex for sale for less than a new BMW 3 series saloon – 1 Jubilee Cottages, Eastbourne Road, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 5QN, United Kingdom to be sold at auction by Savills on 12th February 2020 at The Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London, W1K 6JP.
    A site plan of what is offered.
  • Superlative Stedcombe

    Superlative Stedcombe

    Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale; Stedcombe House for sale for £4.5 million

    An “outstanding” William and Mary country house built with the profits from the slave trade by one Richard Hallett (died 1747), whose “Black Negro servant called Ando” was accused of rioting in the streets of Lyme Regis in December 1702, has come to the market for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million).

     

    Standing on the site of a manor house destroyed in the Civil War in 1645, Grade I listed Stedcombe House was built in 1697 by the Hallett family on their return from Barbados. It was occupied by them until their bankruptcy in 1889 and passed to the Stephens family, whom remained resident until 1960.

     

    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    The house in 1961; note the 19th century porch (which was later removed). The house has the typical William and Mary look; we featured another example of such when we featured the sale of Oswaldkirk Hall in Yorkshire in October 2013.
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    The front elevation of Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom today (without the porch).
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    A painting of Richard Hallett at Stedcombe House with his black servant Ando by Julie Hine (painted 1992).
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    A birthday party with “exotic performers” at Stedcombe House in March 1907 (again, note the later removed 19th century porch).
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    This grand reception room in the house provides indication of the quality of the refurbishment carried out since 1988.

    Left vacant and rotting subsequently, the house became infected by “serious dry rot,” but upon purchase by the current owner it was subject to a “meticulous and sympathetic renovation” according to selling agents Savills.

     

    Described as a “large house overlooking the Axe valley” of “red brick in Flemish bond with Beer and Portland stone dressings” by Historic England, Stedcombe is a four storey symmetrical residence with a belvedere crowning its pinnacle. It is grand yet manageable and features 4 reception rooms, 9 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms and comes with a 3 bedroom gate lodge, a stable block and “numerous outbuildings” requiring renovation also.

     

    Standing on a plot of 20 acres that includes three walled gardens, pastureland and woodland, the only limitation of this home is that its once vast estate is now separate from it. Otherwise, here is probably the quintessential example of one of Britain’s most stunning homes.

     

    Of the 8,039 square foot main house, Savills note: “Several things about it are unusual, but its most significant characteristics are its easy flow of rooms and the quality of design. In keeping with its era, all the rooms benefit from high ceilings and excellent proportions.” Pevsner and Cherry (1988) add: “[Stedcombe House is] an exceptionally fine and complete example of this type of small late 17th Century country house, the compact and centralised plan being an early example.”

                                      

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    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    The house viewed from the garden elevation; the grounds are laid out formally, but plainly are ready for a new owner with deep pockets to lavish attention on them.
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    The decorative style of the current owner is simple, but tasteful.
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    A room for reflection.
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    The dining room.
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    A more informal sitting space is to be found at basement level.
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    One can imagine hosting similar kitchen table suppers in this room very easily.
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    One of the grand bedrooms of the house.
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    Guests would not fail to be impressed by this canopy.
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    Even the bathrooms at Stedcombe House are grand.
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    The outbuildings at Stedcombe provide potential for conversion to other uses; office space, staff or guest accommodation or for use to provide a cinema room, games room or gym perhaps.
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    The sale price includes this gate house. It was built at a much later date, but is of a reflective architectural design.
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    The setting is unspoilt and the gardens roll into the countryside beyond.
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    Stedcombe’s acreage is split into gardens, woodland and parkland.
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    The entrance to the property is simple, but could be improved by a new owner.
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    A site plan of Stedcombe indicates its proximity to a neighbouring farm and other properties.
    Superlative Stedcombe – Stedcombe House, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4BJ, United Kingdom – For sale for £4.5 million ($5.6 million, €5.1 million or درهم20.6 million) through Savills – Stunning Grade I listed symmetrical William and Mary country house in Devon with slave trade links for sale for £4.5 million.
    A glorious view of this stunning house from its gardens.