By Ali Lyon
An eight-bedroom mansion located on the site of King Henry VIII’s Chelsea orchard has been listed on the property market for £15.95m.
The palatial home, which dates back to 1886, has five reception rooms, seven bathrooms, and a 55-foot-long garden dominated by a protected lime tree flanked by magnolias and camellias.
It has over 5,400 sq.ft. of living space, a caretaker’s flat, and over 2,000 sq.ft. of private outdoor gardens and terraces.
Located on Cheyne Gardens, in the heart of so-called “old Chelsea”, the new owner would be neighbours with famous faces like Mick Jagger and former England defender Sol Campbell, whose Cheyne Walk home is currently on the market.
Gary Hersham, founding director of Beauchamp Estates, the estate agent appointed on the sale, said: “With its lovely interiors and private garden this very special Victorian house on Cheyne Gardens offers idyllic country house living in the heart of ‘Old Chelsea’.”
The house stands on the orchards and gardens of Henry VIII’s Thameside palace, Chelsea Manor. Queen Elizabeth was believed to have grown up in the palace, which was knocked down in the 16th century to be converted into residential properties, one of which is Cheyne Gardens.
The Cheyne Gardens home was built in the late 18000s in Queen Anne revival style and has since been newly refurbished and interior designed.
The decision to put the property on the market could indicate that London’s super-prime market is coming back to life after a challenging few years.
The category of properties, which tends to include homes worth £10m or more, was rocked by the Brexit vote eight years ago, given the large number of international buyers interested in homes of that value.
Then, the higher rate environment of the past two years decelerated the market, with sellers reluctant to offload their homes at a loss, leading to a major fall in transactions.
However, Knight Frank’s head of super prime Stuart Bailey says the Cheyne Gardens home should prove popular among prospective super rich buyers, who increasingly prioritise high-spec turnkey mansions over penthouses in big developments.
