Russia's richest woman spends £50m on London's biggest home

amcluesent

London's largest private house has been bought for £50 million by Russia's richest woman.

The residence, second only to Buckingham Palace in size, is a Grade IIlisted house with 90 rooms in Highgate. Witanhurst is set in seven acres of gardens on Highgate West Hill, complete with a toboggan run and four tennis courts. The 70ft ballroom has views of Hampstead Heath and the Houses of Parliament.

FACT - 7 acres in London for just £50m, that's the bottom of the HPC reached and no mistake. Fill your boots!

nickmason

Wikipedia is your friend...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listed_building :
In England and Wales the authority for listing is granted by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and is presently administered by English Heritage, an agency of the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, and Cadw in Wales (where it is a devolved issue).
There are three types of listed status (in descending order of "importance" and difficulty to obtain planning permission):

• Grade I: buildings of outstanding or national architectural or historic interest.
• Grade II*: particularly significant buildings of more than local interest.
• Grade II: buildings of special architectural or historic interest

As of May 2003 there are approximately 442,000 listings in place, of which 418,000 (94.5%) are Grade II, 18,000 (4.1%) are Grade II*, and 6,000 (1.4%) are Grade I. Forty five per cent of Grade I buildings are Church of England parish churches

jackieb

It didn't look delapidated to me when Fame Academy was held there.

dopester

Nice work if you can get it.

The husband gets made Mayor, and your company gets loads of construction contracts. The Russians sure know how to do business.

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/GXNS.html

Founded Inteko in 1991. After Luzhkov became mayor, Inteko company became the largest construction firm in the city, mostly building prefab housing. But Luzhkov's term is ending in 2007; Baturina isn't likely to get construction contracts so easily then, so she's cashing out from mass construction business.

HC_2

Sigur will no doubt be along shortly to claim that this building is a hovel compared to his abode.

jackieb

dopester wrote: »

Nice work if you can get it.

The husband gets made Mayor, and your company gets loads of construction contracts. The Russians sure know how to do business.

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/GXNS.html

Ah, Gazprom. Isn't that how most of the multi-millionaires made their money? So much money has been made from the oil but most of the country still live in poverty. They've done nothing to make life better for the majority of Russians.

SouthCoast

I can do a Grade 1 listed for £2,100,000:

One of Britain's finest Regency Grade I listed houses - Fife House is situated in a prime location and benefits from views over the English Channel. The house is of significant historical and architectual importance, purchased and refitted by the 6th Duke of Devonshire in 1829.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-20308505.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy

neverdespairgirl

havethis1 wrote: »

Ive never heard of any other grade than grade 2.

does anyone know the difference or do they just make it up as they go along?

And who gets to choose? I have never been asked

The majority of listed buildings are Grade II. Almost everything built before 1750 is listed, and the percentage of buildings gets fewer as they get newer.

English Heritage choose, as I understand it, and make recommendations to the Secretary of State.

m00m00

SouthCoast wrote: »

I can do a Grade 1 listed for £2,100,000:

One of Britain's finest Regency Grade I listed houses - Fife House is situated in a prime location and benefits from views over the English Channel. The house is of significant historical and architectual importance, purchased and refitted by the 6th Duke of Devonshire in 1829.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-20308505.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy

2.1 million and you still have to put up with neighbours, sigh

morg_monster

Love the comment on this article:

"Innit amazing how many ex communists suddenly have huge amounts of cash to spend?
Where did it all come from?
Mind you it seems you can't buy good looks can you?"

She's from the Krusty school of beauty I think...

I used to go for walks past this place on my way up to highgate village when I got fed up of my !!!!!! camden craphole of a room. Its another world.

morg_monster

just noticed, interested how !!!! gets beeped out but not !!!!!!?