A 24 bedroom mansion is set to become the most expensive country estate ever sold publicly after is was put on the market with a guide price for more then 65 million pounds.
The Hackwood Park estate, near Basingstoke in Hampshire, is so exclusive, potential buyers will have to prove their financial status and sign a confidentiality agreement before viewing.
Built in 1680, the main house has 24 bedrooms and 20 bathrooms and is more than 50 times the size of the average family home
Hackwood House was previously owned by publishing ycon Vicount Camrore, William Berry, who loaned it to the Royal Canadian Army to usee it as a hospital during World War II. More than 16.500 troops were treated on the estate and, when the war was over, it was returned to Viscount Camrose, who died in 1954.
Steeped in history, Hackwood Park is a grand aristocratic residence that can also easily cater to family life.
The second Viscount Camrose, John Seymour Berry, owned the home until his death in 1995 when it was passed into the hands of his wife, Lady Camrose, Princess Tajuddawlah Aly Khan, formerly the Hon. Joan Barbara Yarde-Buller, the eldest daughter of the 3rd Baron Churston, mother of the present Aga Khan.
Lady Camrose, also known as Princess Joan and Princess Tajudaullah, and the mother of Prince Karim Aga Khan,
According to the electoral role, Lady Camrose was the last tenant at the mansion until her death in 1997.
Land Registry documents state that the house was last sld between 1999 and 2003 for around 14.5 million pounds. It’s current owner, rumoured to be a foreign billionaire, bought the house through a British Virgin Island-registered company. Over the past decade the estate has been impeccably maintained by its owner, who has carried out a substantial restoration of the main home.
Complete with original detailing and craftsmanship, Hackwood Park has been painstakingly restored to a state of 19th-century grandeur.
The botanical gardens and grounds hold as much historic interest as the house and have a rich botanical and architectural story to tell. The layout of the gardens dates back to the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries and their design is attributed to Charles Bridgeman and James Gibbs.
Hackwood Park, with medieval origins forms part of an impressive and natural landscape fit for a house of this stature. Today the grounds are a perfect balance of manicured lawns, avenues, walks and terraces, interspersed with specimen trees. Beyond the formal design are large expanses of pasture which join woodland and farmland in the far distance, as well as Hackwood’s own deer park and an ornamental eighteenth century woodland garden.
The main entrance is flanked by two substantial gatehouses and the 260 acres of grounds that includes a beautiful botanical garden, a stable yard and coach house, two detached guesthouses and two entrance lodges.
Spring Wood, thought to be the sole surviving example of a garden wood that is laid out in the French style has eight sectors divided by walkways, many of which hide historic wonders including a temple, a fountain and an amphitheatre. In the spring, the woodland is a picture of colour filled with bulbs and wild flowers. Hackwood Park enjoys stunning, uninterrupted views of the surrounding countryside.
It is now on the market with a strict ‘price on appliaion’ (if you have to ask for the price, you can’t afford it), with both Sotheby’s and Savills refusing to reveal what it can be bought for.
If you are interested in purchasing this property or to request more information, UK Sotheby’s International Realty, or please contact John Fisher at Sotheby’s International Realty on +44 (0)1932 860537 or email john.fisher@sothebysrealty.co.uk.
Please note that due to the sensitive nature of this property, prospective purchasers may be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to further information being released and provide references and evidence of their financial standing prior to a viewing being arranged.
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