SASSOON’S SECRET PARTY PAD
The story behind this historic country house is so riddled with intrigue, famous names, partying and secret trysts that most reality TV shows would have a hard job making it up.
The French House, which is a seven-bedroom 15th century oak-beamed mansion, was bought as part of the Port Lympne estate in Kent by MP Sir Phillip Sassoon during the 1920s. And that’s when the fun started.
Sassoon has gone down in history as the politician brother of First World War poet Siegried Sassoon. But he had well-known friends in very powerful places including Charlie Chaplin, Lawrence of Arabia, Winston Churchill, the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson. And he loved to party hard.
Sassoon came from a rich family and was educated at Eton and later Oxford University. His first proper job straight out of college was in the army working as secretary to Field Marshal Haig during the First World War.
Sassoon was also openly gay, and lived for much of the time at Port Lympne, where he installed his partner Bob Boothby in one of its properties – The French House.
The home was where Sassoon would hold his famously wild parties and agent Jackson-stop & Staff (01227 781600) says it is believed that it was refurbished and extended by Sassoon in a way that would enable them to carry on their then illegal relationship.
The French House is once again in need of some fixing up. It’s for sale at £995,000 and sits in a spectacular secluded position next to a wildlife reserve and offers amazing views of Hythe Bay.