Government puts 329-bedroom mansion on sale for £25 million

Government puts 329-bedroom mansion on sale for £25 million

A historic mansion boasting a lake, sports complex, training centre and a total of 329 bedrooms has been put on the market by the Home Office for £25 million.

Bramshill House, in Hampshire, is one of the country's most significant Jacobean properties.

The Grade I listed main property boasts a staggering 43,000 sq/ft of accommodation, putting it among the largest homes in the UK.

The mansion, which was built between 1605 and 1615, has 15 bedrooms, a long gallery, chapel, lounges, a mezzanine and a number of "magnificent state rooms" which have now been converted into banqueting halls.

It is approached through an historic park which extends to over 260 acres and has deer grazing, formal gardens, woodland and a lake.

It has been used by the Government, which has owned the estate since 1953, as a police training college.

But as part of a series of money saving measures - it costs £5 million a year to run - the estate has been put up for sale.

Away from the Jacobean mansion, there are a number of purpose built buildings which include two bars, two restaurants, a sports hall and 231 en-suite bedrooms.

There are 58 staff houses taking the total bedrooms on the entire estate to a staggering 329. The address dates back to the Domesday Book when it was known as the estate of Bromeselle and held by Hugh De Port.

By the 14th century the Foxleys owned the estate and in 1347 Sir Thomas Foxley Constable of Windsor Castle was granted permission to enclose 2,500 acres of land as a deer park at Bramshill and Hazeley.

Between 1351 and 1360 Sir Thomas also "erected a noble mansion at Bramshill", possibly using tradesmen from Windsor.

In 1605, the estate was acquired by Cambridge-educated Edward, 11th Lord Zouche of Harringworth. As the ambassador to Scotland and Lord President of the Council of Wales, Zouche needed a large country mansion to make a statement that he was a force to be reckoned with.

He reconstructed the house between 1605 and 1615. A letter dated 1619 contains a request for payment for painting work in 1615.

State rooms have been converted into banqueting halls

Bramshill was used as a maternity home during World War Two and afterwards as a shelter for the exiled King of Romania.

The Home Office, which bought Bramshill in 1953, has now decided to cash in on the estate and enlisted Knight Frank to manage a sale.

"Bramshill's rich history is part of its appeal but also its modern facilities bring it right into the 21st century," said Emma Cleugh, partner of Knight Frank Institutional Consultancy department.

Read more here:

http://uk.m.yahoo.com/w/ygo-frontpage/lp/story/uk/922841/coke.bp%3B_ylt=AtpZL5rf3OkJHDOHSFO_bGex.tw4%3B_ylu=X3oDMTFyYnBmY3ZkBGNwb3MDMQRjc2VjA21vYmlsZS10ZARpbnRsA3VrBHBrZwNpZC05MjI4NDEEcG9zAzEEc2xrA2ltYWdl?ref_w=frontdoors&view=today&.intl=gb&.lang=en-gb&.tsrc=yahoo