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President Eisenhower’s Secret London Hideaway Lists for $11.8 Million
Telegraph Cottage, President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s hideaway on the outskirts of London during the months leading up to D-Day, was gutted by fire in 1987 but has since been painstakingly rebuilt and restored to its former grandeur. Known today as Telegraph House, the palatial pad is now up for grabs, asking a cool £8.95 million (or about $11.8 million).
According to the listing, the original cottage served as Eisenhower’s principal residence and wartime headquarters from 1942 to 1945. During that time, only his close circle of confidants and staff knew that the five-star general was living there.
After a fire tore through the property in the ’80s, five detached houses were erected within a 4.7-acre gated development known as the Coombe Estate. The current dwelling is one of those that currently occupies the site within the enclave that’s about half an hour outside Central London and is where other notable residents have included British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone and Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood.
RELATED: Londoners Stopped a Multimillion-Dollar Party Yacht From Cruising the River Thames. Here’s Why.
French doors open to a rear garden.
Harrods Estates
“Telegraph House is an exceptional property, not only for its opulent modern amenities but also for its profound historical significance,” Shaun Drummond, residential director at Harrods Estates, said in a press statement. “Built on the site of President Eisenhower’s clandestine wartime residence, this neo-Georgian detached house masterfully combines timeless elegance with contemporary comfort.
RELATED: This $77 Million Penthouse Hovers Above London’s Hyde Park
“During the Second World War, the original Telegraph Cottage provided Eisenhower with a peaceful retreat, offering him respite amidst some of the most critical moments in history. Today, this prestigious location affords a lifestyle that echoes the tranquility and convenience once sought by one of the 20th century’s most influential figures,” Drummond continued.
The kitchen has a marble waterfall island.
Harrods Estates
In its current form, the neo-Georgian manse comprises seven bedrooms across its 12,476 square feet. Of course, there has been a slew of modern upgrades since Eisenhower’s time, including the addition of central air conditioning throughout, a heat source recovery system, and a working elevator. Other standout amenities include an orangery, a 35-foot indoor swimming pool, a cinema room, a private gym, and a rear garden.
Potential buyers will also find a dramatic double-height reception hall upon entry, plus a swanky chef’s kitchen equipped with top-of-the-line appliances from Gaggenau, Wolf, and Sub-Zero. The place is decked out with its fair share of fine, high-end finishes too. Think stunning marble fireplaces, custom built-ins, and a grand staircase.
“Telegraph House is a true treasure, presenting an extraordinary way of life within a setting rich in history,” added Drummond.
Click here to see more photos of Telegraph House.
Harrods Estates
Authors
Abby Montanez
Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, entertainment, dining, travel to…
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The Former London Home of the Founder of ‘Riverdance’ Lists for $33 Million
Built in 1840, this west London residence has played host to some notable characters in its 184-year history. Nestled in the charming enclave of Little Venice, the Grade II-listed home, once owned by Irish-American dancer Michael Flatley, has hit the market for the first time in 20 years. Listed with Aston Chase for £26 million ($33 million), the palatial pad was originally built by English architect Matthew Wyatt and at one point was acquired by socialite and royal mistress Lillie Langtry, who was known to have romantic ties to more than one member of the English aristocracy.
The three-story property is positioned within Park Place Villas and directly overlooks the famous Regent’s Canal. According to listing records, Flatley, the creator of Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, snapped up the spread in 1998 for a cool £4.75 million. That is, after he managed to outbid Madonna and Barbara Streisand.
The main reception room features a fireplace and ornate crown moldings.
Aston Chase/Tony Murray
“Two decades ago, three A-listers had a bidding war to acquire it, and we envisage there will be strong interest with this new listing as the Langtry villa is one of the most historically important houses in Little Venice,” says Michael Sulkin, director of Aston Chase, in a press statement. Altogether, the Victorian mansion comprises seven bedrooms, a drawing room with a Regency fireplace, and an adjoining conservatory.
RELATED: This $10 Million London Townhouse Was Once Home to the Namesake of the U.K.’s Most Popular Tea
Before Flatley handed the roughly 8,000-square-foot digs over to its current owners in 2004, he tapped architect and interior designer Peter Inston to revamp the place, including transforming the lower ground floor into a leisure hub complete with an indoor swimming pool, a gym, and a mahogany-clad club room with a cocktail bar and movie screen. Other of Flatley’s updates also still remain, like the diamond pattern marble flooring in the entrance hall, the imported French stone fireplace and red silk wallpaper in the dining room, and the Fourneaux de France Aga stove and banquet-style breakfast booth in the kitchen. It was here that the dancer used to host his A-list friends, including members of the Irish football team and members of the British royal family.
The barrel-roofed glass conservatory overlooks the lush backyard.
Aston Chase/Tony Murray
There are remnants from Langtry’s time at the villa as well, such as the pair of stone lions at the front door, a gazebo with a loveseat where she entertained Edward VII, then the heir apparent Prince of Wales, and a secret carriage driveway so her royal paramour could sneak in and out undetected.
“The house has huge potential and a comprehensive refurbishment, and the installation of the latest specification would create one of the finest trophy homes in London,” adds co-founding director of Aston Chase, Mark Pollack. “With its colorful royal and celebrity backstory we anticipate significant interest in the villa from discerning buyers around the world.”
Click here to see more photos of Michael Flatley’s former London home.
Aston Chase/Tony Murray
Authors
Abby Montanez
Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, entertainment, dining, travel to…
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Florence Nightingale’s Childhood Home Just Listed for $4.8 Million
Florence Nightingale famously wrote, “It breaks my heart to leave Lea Hurst.” Now, the same country estate in the U.K. where the nurse and statistician grew up is looking for its next owner.
Lea Hurst, a Grade II-listed home in Derbyshire, has hit the market for £3.75 million (or roughly $4.8 million) with England’s Blue Book Agency. According to the listing, Nightingale’s wealthy father, William Nightingale (née Shore), inherited the historic property from his great-uncle in 1815. At the time, the property had a 17th-century farmhouse, which was transformed into the grandiose Elizabethan-style dwelling seen today.
When the Nightingales relocated to Embley Park in Hampshire in 1825, they kept Lea Hurst as a summer house, and the estate remained in the family until 1946. Beginning in the mid-1950s, the estate served as a residence for retired nurses and later operated as a nursing home under the Royal Surgical Society until 2004. Nightingale, who died in 1910 at the age of 90, is best remembered for founding the world’s first professional nursing school in London.
The drawing room at Lea Hurst, the historic county estate where Florence Nightingale lived as a child.
Blue Book Agency
RELATED: Cara Delevingne’s Childhood Home in London Lists for Nearly $30 Million
The current owner, Peter Kay, snagged the property in 2011 and spent the next three years restoring the place to its former glory, including recreating the original Victorian gardens. The Kay family has even gathered historic letters written by Nightingale, along with old photographs, drawings, and furniture connected to the house and the Nightingale clan.
“It has been a great pleasure and privilege to have owned the Lea Hurst estate, in Derbyshire’s beautiful Peak District, for the past 13 years,” Kay said in a statement. “We were drawn to Lea Hurst by its grand early Victorian gothic architectural styling and its stunning position overlooking the Derwent Valley. But it was the fact that this house was once the beloved home of one of our most important historical figures, Florence Nightingale, that made this an irresistible purchase for me.”
The formal dining room features a stone fireplace and original wood floors.
Blue Book Agency
The 13-bed abode sits on over 19 picturesque acres, with Derwent Valley on one side and mature parkland on the other. The home itself is entered via a gothic arched front door, which opens up to a grand reception hall decked out with high ceilings and flagstone flooring. Some of the standout spaces include a formal drawing room with original wooden floorboards, a wood-burning carved chimney, antique mirrored glass, and lots of bookshelves. The ground floor also holds a formal dining room, a butler’s pantry with built-in glazed cabinets, and a library where Nightingale was formerly homeschooled by her father.
The home has 13 total bedrooms.
Blue Book Agency
RELATED: Tom Ford Pays $52 Million for Jackie Kennedy’s Childhood Home in the Hamptons
Elsewhere, you’ll find a revamped chef’s kitchen with limestone flooring, a large island, granite counters, and a breakfast area. From here, you can access an outdoor dining terrace or scope out the game room, which has been kitted out with a billiards table. The upstairs holds all the bedrooms, including the primary, which features an original stone fireplace, an adjoining dressing room, and an ensuite bath. Interestingly, the double bedroom was personally used by Nightingale when she returned from caring for the British soldiers during the Crimean War.
“The most satisfying thing for us has been turning the house back into a family home for the first time since Florence and her sister Parthenope were running around here in the 1820s,” added Kay. “Our youngest two children were born in the house. It has been a wonderful place for our children to grow up in.”
Click here to see more photos of Lea Hurst.
Blue Book Agency
Authors
Abby Montanez
Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, entertainment, dining, travel to…
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Freddie Mercury’s Former London Mansion Can Be Yours for $38 Million
No, this isn’t just fantasy. The real-life home of late music legend Freddie Mercury has hit the market.
Garden Lodge, located in London’s exclusive Kensington enclave, is just listed for £30 million (US$38 million). The former Queen frontman, who died in 1991 at age 45 of bronchial pneumonia, left the Neo-Georgian-style estate and all of its contents to his friend and former fiancée, Mary Austin. In the roughly 30 years since Austin has been living at and looking after the property full-time, but is now ready to part ways with the hallowed home.
“This house has been the most glorious memory box, because it has such love and warmth in every room,” Austin said in a press statement. “It has been a joy to live in and I have many wonderful memories here. Now that it is empty, I’m transported back to the first time we viewed it.”
The late Freddie Mercury helped create the garden at his home in London.
Knight Frank
The stately brick residence was originally built in 1907 by architect Ernest Marshall for artist couple Cecil Rea and Constance Halford and was at one time owned by Peter Wilson, a former chairman of Sotheby’s. According to Knight Frank, which is handling the sale, the Mercury bought the place on the spot in 1980 and later tapped interior architect and designer Robin Moore Ede to renovate the palatial pad.
Internally, the residence sports the finest marble accents, rich wood floors, and tons of bright jewel tones. Most notably, the walls of the dining room are painted a citrusy yellow—the singer’s favorite hue. Other highlights include the double-height drawing room, where Mercury stored the grand piano that he famously used to compose Bohemian Rhapsody. The British singer also helped design the garden, which is dotted with large magnolia trees and sculpted plantings.
“Ever since Freddie and I stepped through the fabled green door, it has been a place of peace, a true artist’s house, and now is the time to entrust that sense of peace to the next person.”
Many of the walls in Garden Lodge have been painted using bold and bright hues.
Knight Frank
“The sale of Garden Lodge presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a significant property combined with a piece of cultural history, the beloved home of an icon,” added Paddy Dring, global head of prime sales and joint head of Knight Frank’s Private Office. “Having been carefully preserved with love and respect over the last three decades, we expect that the exceptional provenance of the property will be incredibly alluring to buyers across the world.”
Last year, Austin sold off a treasure trove of the star’s possessions during a Sotheby’s auction. At the time, Mercury’s belongings ignited a bidding frenzy, so prospective buyers might want to move quickly.
Authors
Abby Montanez
Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, dining, travel and topics…
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A Nutritionist to the Royals Puts Her Glam U.K. Townhouse Up for Sale
After nearly 14 years of ownership, Czech-born model-turned-health guru Gabriela Peacock has decided to return her U.K. mansion designed in the 1850s by noted architect William Radford back to the market.
The “nutritionist that everyone wants on speed dial”—who is known for an A-list clientele that has included the likes of Prince Harry, princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, James Blunt and Dame Joan Collins—is looking to sell the stylish residence in the heart of Notting Hill for around $27 million, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Records show the founder of GP Nutrition and her hedge-funder husband David Peacock purchased the Victorian-style dwelling for £13 million in 2010 as newlyweds, after marrying on Lake Como. They spent the next two-and-a-half years extensively renovating the dated interiors, which included tacking on a basement level replete with an office and entertainment room, plus a gym, wine cellar, family room, guest bedroom, and staff wing with its own bedroom and kitchen.
The 1800s townhouse underwent a full modernization at the hands of its current owners.
Alex Winship for United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty
Billed in marketing materials as “the perfect blend of period features and modern interventions”—and resting amid one of the neighborhood’s prime tree-lined streets, within walking distance of the shops and restaurants of Westbourne Grove, and less than a mile from Hyde Park—the detached five-story property offers gated parking for two vehicles out front, and features seven bedrooms and five bathrooms in a little more than 6,500 square feet of living space.
Highlights include a raised ground-level entrance hall adorned with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the rear patio and garden, along with a double reception room ideal for entertaining. The garden level hosts a combination dining/living area spotlighted by folding glass doors spilling outside, as well as a gourmet kitchen outfitted with an eat-in island and top-tier stainless appliances. A plush master retreat occupying the entire first floor comes complete with a private balcony, walk-in dressing area and luxe bath, while four more bedrooms can be found on the top level.
Per WSJ, the Peacocks are selling because they want to move to the countryside. The listing is held by Marcus O’Brien and Dan Martin of United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty.
Click here for more photos of Gabriela Peacock’s U.K. House.
Gabriela Peacock House London More
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English Poet Lord Byron’s Former London Townhouse Just Listed for $37.7 Million
A London mansion that was once home to poet Lord Byron and banking heiress Baroness Catherine d’Erlanger has hit the market.
Listed for a cool £29.5 million (or roughly $37.7 million), the palatial townhouse at 139 Piccadilly most recently served as an office building. However, the historic property is being sold with full planning permission to convert it back into a single-family house—one that listing brokerage Wetherell estimates would be worth a whopping £70 million (or about $87.9 million).
“The provenance of this Piccadilly mansion building overlooking Green Park is outstanding,” Peter Wetherell, founder and chairman of Wetherell, said in a press statement. “It was once the London home of poet Lord Byron, and during the 1920s and 1930s, it was the Mayfair private palace of French heiress Baroness Catherine d’Erlanger, one of the richest women in Europe at the time. Now a buyer has the opportunity to close the circle and bring this landmark building back to life.”
An 18th-century London mansion formerly owned by Lord Byron is up for sale.
Casa E Progetti/Tony Murray
The Grade II-listed building offers up an impressive 15,339 square feet of living space and still retains tons of period details. Think tall sash windows, ornate ceilings, original fireplaces, and stone staircases.
As a single-family residence, the mansion would include a stately entrance hall, seven grand reception rooms, and eight ensuite bedrooms. There’s also an elevator and a brand-new rooftop garden. Down below, the double basement could accommodate a recreation complex equipped with a movie theater, game room, swimming pool, and a wellness center that sports a sauna, steam room, and gym.
Dating back to the 18th century, the abode was originally built sometime between 1760 and 1764. After it was renovated in 1815, it became the home of the British poet Lord Byron and his wife. According to the listing, Byron wrote Parsinia and The Seige of Corinth in the study of this home. However, he was forced to leave the home in April 1816 after his divorce, which involved an alleged infidelity scandal. The property was later scooped up in 1910 by the Baron and Baroness d’Erlanger.
The British poet penned two poems inside the home’s library.
Casa E Progetti/Tony Murray
“This magnificent period building is one of the few surviving private palaces in Mayfair providing a discerning buyer with the opportunity to regenerate and transform it into a single palatial family home, an Embassy, private member’s club, new offices or a flagship retail boutique,” says Robert Britten, sales Director at Wetherell. “Buildings of this scale and importance and in such an ultra-prime Green Park location rarely come up for sale in Mayfair.”
Click here to see all the photos of 139 Piccadilly.
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Football Club Boss David Sullivan Puts His Storied London Mansion Up for Sale at $94 Million
After eight years of ownership, plus a seven-year, nearly $63 million renovation spearheaded by London‘s MSMR Architects and 1508 design studio, West Ham United Football Club chairman David Sullivan has decided to kick his U.K. mansion back on the market.
The wealthy Welsh media mogul—who amassed his fortune as a publisher of pornographic magazines and proprietor of erotica shops, and chief of the Daily Sport and Sunday Sport tabloid newspapers—is looking to sell the historic residence for $94.6 million, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Records show he purchased the Georgian-style dwelling for around $34 million in 2015 from convicted fraudster Edward “Fast Eddie” Davenport, a British entrepreneur and socialite known for hosting raucous, celeb-studded parties at the premises during his tenure there.
The Portland Place mansion has been called “one of the largest and most remarkable houses in central London.”
Julian Abrams/United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty
Originally designed and built by the noted architect brothers Robert and James Adam way back in the mid-1770s, the Grade II*-listed property has been occupied by numerous aristocrats through the years, including antiquarian and traveler Joseph Wyndham, 4th Earl of Abergavenny William Nevill and James Blyth, a millionaire who founded the famed gin distillery W&A Gilbey.
More recently, the building served as the Sierra Leone embassy, as well as a main location for the Oscar-winning film The Kings Men, an Agent Provocateur fashion shoot featuring Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse’s Rehab music video.
A large formal dining room opens to a reception room via a hydraulic wall.
Julian Abrams/United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty
Billed in marketing materials as “one of the largest and most remarkable houses in central London”—and sited on the unusually wide Portland Place street, within walking distance of Regent’s Park, West End and Marylebone High Street—the property features a six-story main home and separate mews house, for a total of 11 bedrooms and 10 baths in nearly 21,000 square feet of meticulously preserved living space replete with bespoke joinery, marble finishes, hand-painted wallpaper and artisan chandeliers.
Highlights include an opulent entrance hall adorned with a curving staircase, along with a formal dining room spotlighted by a hydraulic wall that disappears at the push of a button to reveal an adjoining reception room. There’s also a gourmet kitchen outfitted with an eat-in island and accompanying breakfast nook.
An indoor lap pool and hot tub offers the perfect spot for relaxation.
Julian Abrams/United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty
A plush master retreat occupies the entire second floor, and comes complete with dual dressing rooms and baths; and elsewhere is a screening room, wine cellar, gym, massage room, an indoor pool and spa, and a top-level atrium “sky lounge” boasting a seated bar and access to a terrace overlooking views of the BT Tower.
The listing is held by James Gubbins of United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty.
Click here for more photos of David Sullivan’s London mansion.
Julian Abrams More
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Rihanna’s Lavish London Mansion Just Sold for a Record $33.4 Million
A London mansion rented by Barbadian superstar Rihanna has just been sold for £27.5 million, or roughly $33.4 million.
According to Savills and Aston Chase, who were the appointed agents, the Diamonds singer’s 6,332 square-foot former rental on swanky St. John’s Wood Park was snapped up by a family from overseas for a record-breaking £3,500 (or about $4,250) per square foot. The Fenty Beauty founder lived at the palatial pad for about two and a half years when she was based in the U.K. between 2018 and 2020, reported The London Evening Standard. At the time, the multihyphenate billionaire mogul was leasing the place for a whopping £18,000 (or $21,870) per week.
“This sale is indicative of the surge in demand from Chinese buyers for super-prime homes in London,” explains Mark Pollack, co-founding director of Aston Chase, in a press statement. “As a result of an inability to travel during the pandemic many wealthy Chinese and Hong Kong residents are prioritizing a ‘Plan B’ in the eventuality of another unforeseen event leading to the Chinese government restricting movement.”
A London home once rented by Rihanna just sold for $33.4 million.
Aston Chase/Tony Murray Photography
The white stucco mansion, designed by renowned architect John Shaw Junior and built in 1844 by local builder William Holme Twentyman, first belonged to De Beers diamond tycoon Daniel Francis. The fully refurbished five-story home contains eight bedrooms, multiple reception rooms, a library, and an open-plan kitchen. An impressive 21-foot terrace that overlooks a sprawling rear garden.
A notable perk is the dwelling’s private gym, which features a weight room and exercise studio. While it’s not clear whether the new owner intends to expand the abode’s current wellness offerings, the property includes approved plans for an additional health spa with a swimming pool, a sauna, a steam room, and massage facilities.
The St. John’s Wood Park property features a fully equipped gym and approved plans for an extensive wellness complex.
Aston Chase/Tony Murray Photography
“Savills is delighted to have introduced the buyer and successfully sold this famous house on St John’s Wood Park in one of the biggest deals in St John’s Wood in 2023,” added Stephen Lindsay with Savills. “This is an extremely special house, the only one of royal architect John Shaw’s original villas on St John’s Wood Park to have survived into the 21st century. The substantial price achieved firmly underlines the value and quality of this unique trophy home and the enduring appeal of St John’s Wood with buyers from both the UK and from around the world.”
Click here to see all the photos of Rihanna’s former London rental.
Aston Chase/Tony Murray Photography More
