Lords of the Vaile
Nothing could compare to the multimillion-dollar manor that is Willowbrook Park.
Sitting on 30 acres, the
2000-square-metre home in Vaile Road, Newstead, has been designed in the manner of the grand Georgian era. It took owners Peter and David Lord Cowell three years to build, but it is now their home for life.
David is the director of an emergency department in Australia and Peter is the managing director of Willowbrook Park and a licensed wedding celebrant.
‘‘For a long time Peter and I have wanted to build a house and we wanted to build a traditional English country house,’’ David said.
‘‘We were looking at places to buy a plot of land and starting to draft plans in our heads.’’
In 2009, the couple bought the site of Willowbrook Park, which had been an apple orchard.
Peter and David then set to work drafting plans for the house and architectural features as well as creating a plan for the landscape gardens, which were designed in the manner of the
18th century English style. ‘‘We settled on designing a house that was as close to a Georgian house as you can do, with modern regulations about building.’’
Seven years later, Willowbrook Park was finally completed.
‘‘This style really resonates with a period of history that I’m interested in. We both have a love of art and antiques, particularly Georgian antiques and the Georgian styling.’’
The house is fitted with art and antiques Peter and David have collected over a decade.
The grandfather clock in the hallway dates to 1750, and is the same date as the London Hospital where Peter worked for 20 years.
‘‘It was made in a place in England where they did the testing for the aircraft Concorde,’’ Peter said.
The dining room table is from Westminster Abbey, from when Peter was an Anglican priest there.
A lot of the furniture Peter and David designed themselves and then had carved and built overseas and imported.
Plaster ceiling roses around the chandeliers were sourced from Wellington, but a lot of the internal roses had to come from overseas because a lot of the moulds were so old they’d perished.
Marble from Greece has been used in the bathrooms and the dining room is inspired by Chatsworth House in Derbyshire.
All of the walls are wallpapered in silk, brought over from Italy and then put on to the masonry. Ornate cornices complete the rooms.
The manor includes four suites, each with its own bathroom, two study rooms, a ballroom, a billiard room and a formal dining room.
Peter and David have planted over 12,000 trees, including a heritage fruit orchard with cider apples, heirloom apples, pears, figs, medlars, persimmons, quinces and greengages, along with 36 raised vegetable garden beds. The manor is also environmentally friendly. Rainwater is used for water supply and instead of septic tanks, everything is treated and then used out in the gardens.
Willowbrook Park is available for weddings, funerals, other functions, high tea and corporate events.
It’s hosting Summer Serenade on Saturday, November 4, a concert performed by soloists from the Dame Malvina Major Foundation, as well as a breast cancer fundraiser early next year.
‘‘We always wanted to host functions and events,’’ Peter said.
Willowbrook Park is one of 10 homes to be on display at the Fine Homes Tour on Friday, November 10.
The Newstead grand home is part of the two-yearly tour where homes in and around Hamilton open to the public for charity.
The tour raises money for two charities. This year’s proceeds will go to the Waikato Breast Cancer Research Trust and the Hamilton NZ Riding for the Disabled.
The goal is to raise $100,000. Tickets to this year’s tour are already sold out. The tour was introduced by Jane Hargood and Christine Couch in 2003.