Hidden among woodland in an abandoned Kent village lies a spectacularly unique gothic mansion, kitted out with a cinema, tennis courts and even a zip wire.
But what is perhaps most intriguing about one of the county’s most secret estates is its residents - former Russian banker Ilya Yurov and his wife Nataliya. With the home now on the market, reporter Millie Bowles met the couple to find out more…
The entrance to Oxney Court, near St Margaret’s at Cliffe, Dover, is an un-signposted sharp turn onto a gravel drive which takes me by surprise.
I am met by thick black gates and stop on a sharp incline, gripping the handbrake anxiously.
But I’m soon let in through the ominous entrance via intercom and am met with a winding, uneven road through thick woodland.
Finally, the Grade II-listed house - recently put on the market for £6 million - starts to come into view.
Part of its sandy-coloured exterior has been covered by crawling vines.
Palm trees also line the front of the building, and are dotted around the rest of the lawns.
Various walls are topped with castle-like turrets, and the grand entrance is guarded by two stone crown-wearing lions.
As I pull in, I’m greeted by handyman Richard, owner Nataliya Yurov and a huge fluffy mastiff named Odin who I am assured is “completely harmless”.
We start by walking around the gardens, dog in tow, past a glistening swimming pool and a double tennis court.
Nataliya explains she has gone for a green theme, with tall grasses, dainty flowers and small trees.
When the Yurovs moved into the secluded manor 12 years ago, they created a kids’ paradise for their six children in the garden.
There is an octagonal tree house, accessed by timber bridges, a slide, a hobbit house and a zip wire - albeit now all looking a bit tired.
Perhaps that’s no surprise as their youngest child, now aged 18, is soon to be leaving King’s School in Canterbury, with most of the brood having already flown the nest to other parts of the world.
As we head inside the manor itself, I’m struck by the extravagant and vibrant decor.
I’m informed that different rooms represent different eras, but much of the house is adorned in a Victorian style.
As we finish looking downstairs, Nataliya’s husband Ilya comes into the kitchen and shakes my hand.
We then sit down in the library, which holds a whole wall of books, Union Jacks and a Ukrainian flag.
Despite the warm welcome I have received so far, I know that my next question could turn the atmosphere somewhat frosty.
First, some background on Ilya and his time in Russia. He is the former chairman of the supervisory board of the National Bank Trust (NBT) in his home country and was its major shareholder.
At its height, the NBT used actor Bruce Willis on their advertisement boards. Here in the library, there is even a framed photo of Ilya and the Hollywood actor signed: “To Ilya, this is the classic ‘Die Hard’ look. Thanks for coming to Hollywood. Your pal, Bruce Willis.”
But things came crashing down for Ilya in 2015 when the Russian government accused him and his colleagues of using the bank to commit fraud.
In 2020, the High Court in the UK ordered him to pay $720 million back to Putin’s government, which now owns 99% of the NBT.
But following the outbreak of Russia’s war with Ukraine two years ago, Ilya told The Observer he feared that this money - including the potential proceeds from the sale of Oxney Court - would be used to fund “horrible atrocities”.
So why are Yurovs now happy to sell?
Somewhat intimidated by the tall ceilings, chandeliers and possibly the mastiff (who was in fact lovey and completely harmless), I inquire softly: “I noticed that it was on the market a few years ago, and you were worried that the money from that would fund Putin’s war efforts…”
Quickly, Ilya says: “We have sort of solved this issue.
“It was related to my previous, you know, kind of, from my kind of past life, you know, things. And now, actually Nataliya is the ultimate owner of the house.
“Zero money will go anywhere close to that [the Russian government].
“It was a moral problem, so because of that we solved it, you know, financially.”
Ilya tells me the new owner will only be funding “the economy of England, the Crown and Kentish real estate markets”, as he hopes to use most of the proceeds from the sale of Oxney Court to buy another house locally.
He seems uncomfortable talking about his “past life” so I decide it’s time to move onto something completely different - ghosts.
The tiny village of Oxney Bottom, where the house is located, was abandoned many years ago, with the population thought to have been killed by the plague.
Now, the mansion is the only house still in use, with all others reduced to ruins among the thick woodland.
There is also a church, which is a popular destination for ghost hunters.
People have called it the most haunted place in Kent, and the Grey Lady is a phantom figure rumoured to roam the area.
But neither Ilya nor Nataliya have seen her - not personally anyway.
Ilya recalls: “When we first moved to Oxney Bottom, I heard so many ghost stories in the pub, but I haven’t seen the Grey Lady.”
Nataliya laughs: “The kids’ grandfather told them, ‘Yes, I saw it.’
“We have a guest house in the woods and he was staying there and they always say, ‘Yes, we saw The Grey Lady.’”
The Yurovs have a statue of the famous ghost in the house, but just a few weeks ago it fell over and lost its head.
“That’s got to be bad luck,” I joke.
So, what led this Russian family to buy such a spectacular yet spooky Kentish mansion 12 years ago?
Ilya says they moved to the UK permanently in August 2011 and, attracted by the historic King’s School, decided to settle in Canterbury so their children didn’t have to board.
“King’s was our choice because it is internationally recognised, and plus we are Orthodox Christians and we wanted our kids to be in a school related to the church,” the 53-year-old says.
“Historically the Church of England and the Russian Orthodox Church were quite close.”
But they soon found the Canterbury house was too small for their six children, with some sleeping in the same room.
Nataliya says: “We started to look for something bigger, to have a tennis court, trampoline, a playground - everything we did was for the children.”
After only living in Canterbury for four months, another family fell in love with the property and begged to take it off their hands.
It was estate agents Strutt & Parker who then pointed the Yurovs in the direction of Oxney Court.
“They said, ‘You're going to see one of the most secret estates in Kent’,” says Ilya.
“‘Impressed’ is not even the word to describe what I felt when I first came here.
“I fell in love with it straight away. I was amazed.
“My wife is much more practical, so she doesn't have all these sentiments.”
Nataliya says she is a “calmer person”, adding: “I liked the area and for me, it was very important that the kids will be in a good place - not in ruins.
“Finding a 17th century house without mould is difficult.”
Set within 35 acres, Oxney Court was previously used as a boys’ prep school. During the First World War it was requisitioned possibly as a headquarters and residence for officers, or as a place of recuperation.
It was gutted by a fire during this time and left as an empty shell until the 1990s when it was rebuilt to its former glory.
Ilya explains that the property has almost brand new engineering systems.
Oxney Court was previously owned by the Rocco Forte family, who own a string of luxury hotels across Europe.
But who is responsible for its current lavish interior?
Ilya says: “A lot of it was made before us by the previous owners because they are professional hoteliers.
“My wife has put a lot of effort into it as well.
“The library now is better than it was before and more to my taste.”
Now, after more than a decade, the Yurovs’ time at Oxney Court is coming to an end and they have put on the market with Miles and Barr.
With five of their children now having found places of their own - including one in America and another in London - the vast property is a lot quieter, now just filled with fond memories.
Ilya says: “We want the opportunity to live for ourselves somewhere smaller before grandkids come along. Somewhere easier to manage.
“But I definitely want to stay in this part of Kent.”
Nataliya replies: “We are still arguing because I want to go closer to London to help the children.”
“I want to be close to the seaside”, Ilya responds, chuckling.
As my interview with the Yurovs draws to a close, they reflect on their time at Oxney Court.
The usually practical Nataliya says sombrely: “I don't even want to think about it.
“Sometimes I tell my husband, maybe we should stay, but then we realise that it's too big.”
Ilya reminisces: “It's a very nice house.
“We have so many brilliant, tremendous, fantastic memories here.
“It has been a beautiful house for our family for the last 12 years. But our family is different now.”
