Own your own tower of London
Who needs a flash penthouse when can you live in a castle – in the heart of the capital?
EVERY Englishman’s home is his castle – but Dave Edgar has the turrets to prove it. For the past 20 years, Dave and his wife Barbara have lived in an extraordinary fortress complete with battlements, defence towers and sprawling woodland gardens.
The ornate castle, built in 1719 by baroque architect and playwright Sir John Vanbrugh, looks like the perfect setting for a period drama. But while you may expect to find it nestled in a leafy shire or a lush Welsh valley, it is actually in London – and has breathtaking views of the River Thames and the Palace of Westminster.
Today the Grade I listed Vanbrugh Castle in Maze Hill, a stone’s throw from Greenwich Park, is split into four three-storey apartments, one of which is now on the market with Foxtons for £2.75million.
‘We fell in love with the castle the moment we saw it,’ says Dave, 60, who runs a branding and marketing company. ‘You don’t often find a space like this, particularly in London.
‘It allegedly has the biggest private garden in London after Buckingham Palace, but my favourite part is the roof terrace – it was the first of its kind in a private house. It provides panoramic views over the city, including the London Eye and Canary Wharf. I think it’s one of the best views in London. We had a Millennium Eve party here and at midnight we could see the fireworks from Central London. It’s a great spot for a party or just to sit with a book on a sunny day.’
The politically radical Sir John Vanbrugh is best known for designing Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire and Castle Howard in North Yorkshire. He built Vanbrugh Castle for himself and lived there until his death aged 62 in 1726.
The design is believed to have been inspired by the Bastille, where Vanbrugh was imprisoned in his youth for espionage. He was involved in a plot to overthrow James II and put William III on the throne, to protect English parliamentary democracy.
The Edgars live in one of the two maisonettes in the original castle building. Their property, which has more than 2,500sq ft of space, has four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a striking reception room. The couple have also converted the ice house – a large vaulted chamber where perishable goods would have been stored in the castle’s heyday – into a self-contained one-bedroom flat. ‘We have refurbished the whole place, which took a long time and a lot of hard work,’ says Dave. ‘We installed a new central heating system, new electrics and a new kitchen in our home, which is no mean feat in a place like this. Owning a property of such historical significance is a real privilege, but it’s also a responsibility. We see ourselves as custodians of the castle, and have tried to look after it to the best of our ability. We worked closely with English Heritage to make sure all the improvements were in keeping with its history.’ Vanbrugh Castle is surrounded by its peaceful walled gardens and accessed via a gated gravel drive, so it’s easy to forget that the property is only a short walk from the centre of upmarket Greenwich, one of London’s busiest and most vibrant tourist spots.
It is obvious from the moment guests walk through the front door that a lot of effort that has gone into restoring this impressive property in keeping with its past.
Along with period features including arched oak doors and leaded windows, two original fireplaces installed by Vanbrugh himself still stand in the living room and bedroom.
THE grounds, set over two-and-a-half acres, feature the remains of an amphitheatre where Vanbrugh’s plays were rehearsed and performed. And hidden among the trees and rose bushes are a number of secret tunnels installed by the paranoid playwright, whose theatrical works were deeply controversial.
‘There’s an underground passage leading from a well in the central driveway to the grounds of Greenwich Park,’ Dave says. ‘I’ve never been down there but a group of people from a historical society once did. They left a mobile number with my neighbour and asked him to call it if they didn’t return within four hours. Luckily they emerged safely.’
The Edgars are now downsizing. ‘There are two of us rattling around in this massive property, which is pretty excessive, so it is time to let someone else enjoy it,’ says Dave.
‘We love the area, so we plan to stay locally, but realistically we only need one or two bedrooms. Our son lives in Wapping, in a fantastic newbuild flat. Seeing that tipped the balance for us to move somewhere smaller and more modern.’