Bag a house with plenty of edge
THIS WEEK: Polygon pads, including this elegant eight-sided lodge
NEWLYWEDS-to-be Prince Harry and Meghan Markle aren’ t the only prince-and-actress couple who have been in need of a secluded bolthole over the centuries. This distinctive octagonal property stands on the site where Queen Victoria’s son, the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, romanced actress Lillie Langtry in the 1870s.
It is in the grounds of 1820s mansion Kingston Hill Place, where the Prince would meet up with Langtry, avoiding the gaze of his wife Princess Alexandra.
The mansion and its nine acres – in Kingston upon Thames, SouthWest London – has now been turned into a gated community, of which the lodge is part.
But it wasn’t the Royal connection that drew owners Barry and Greta Bowditch to the property when they moved in with their two teenage children 11 years ago. It was the nature of the house and the benefits on offer at the gated development. ‘We were drawn in by the unique shape of the house and the lifestyle package – all on the doorstep of London,’ says Greta. ‘Any history only added to its appeal.’
But she adds: ‘When you press the buzzer and come through the gates, it does feel like stepping back in time to a little hideaway.’
Kingston Hill Place and its grounds now feature a Japanese-style water garden, roaming lawns, an orchard, indoor heated swimming pool, gym, sauna, and even a Cleopatra’s Needle-style granite obelisk.
‘Walking in the gardens feels like your own nature trail – with fruit trees, bushes, stepping stones, little bridges and waterfalls. The grandchildren love it,’ says Greta.
Being eight-sided creates some special features inside Greta and Barry’s 1,375 square foot, threebedroom detached house.
‘The house is light and airy when you step inside,’ says Greta. ‘The terracotta floor leads into the country kitchen, with its welcoming Aga, while a bespoke white wooden staircase sweeps upstairs. The living room has a traditional fireplace with two large windows and French doors overlooking our own secluded, private garden and the rolling communal grounds beyond. There is also a ground-floor cloakroom.’
The first floor has a master bedroom with triple-aspect windows. ‘You can see the treetops, a bit like being in a tree house,’ she says. There is also an en suite bathroom, a second bedroom and a family bathroom. A curving staircase leads to the third bedroom in the attic.
‘We love it here, but my husband’s retired now and the children have flown the nest, so it’s time for a change,’ she says.
KINGSTON UPON THAMES £ 870,000
Bedrooms: 3 Unique features: Octagonal detached house with bespoke kitchen, curving wooden staircase, and treetop views from large master bedroom windows with en suite; steps leading into quirky third bedroom in attic; private garden and shared grounds including Japanese-style water gardens and indoor swimming pool; location of a former meeting place of Edward VII and actress Lillie Langtree.
Contact: Robert Holmes & Company, robertholmes.co.uk, 020 8712 2734