The Holme

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The Holme in 2009 The Holme, Regent's Park - geograph.org.uk - 1161575.jpg
The Holme in 2009

The Holme (Saxon: "river island") is a mansion located on Inner Circle by Regent's Park in the City of Westminster, London, England. It was designed by Decimus Burton, as a residence for the Burton family, and built in 1818, by the company of James Burton, who subsequently lived there. [1] [2] It has been described as 'one of the most desirable private homes in London' by architectural scholar Guy Williams. [3] Architectural critic Ian Nairn wrote of the house, "If you want a definition of western civilization in a single view, then here it is". [4]

Contents

History

The Holme was the second villa to be built in Regent's Park, and the first of those to be designed or constructed by the Burton family. The house consists of two storeys above ground, as well as offices contained in a basement. The entrance is under an Ionic-style portico and pediments. It has a bow or rotunda decorated by four columns; the bow is surmounted by an attic, and is covered with a well-proportioned cupola. [5] Renovations occurred in 1911 with the addition of wings by Bertie Crewe and again in 1935 when a balustrade replaced an existing dome. [2]

The Holme in 1827, drawn by Thomas H. Shepherd The Holme, Regent's Park - Shepherd, Metropolitan Improvements (1828), p223.jpg
The Holme in 1827, drawn by Thomas H. Shepherd

Prior to 1984, The Holme was owned by the Crown Estate. The freehold of the land remains with the Crown. [6] It was owned by the children of former Saudi defence minister, Prince Khaled bin Sultan al-Saud, through the Guernsey-based company, Quendon Ltd, and was bought for £34 million in 1991. [7]

It was later seized by creditors reportedly after defaulting on a loan for a private jet. The jet was leased by Yuntian 10 Leasing Company, an Irish subsidiary of China Minsheng Bank, through a corporation in Bermuda. It was alleged the property was kept to manage arrears from loans whilst concealing the ultimate beneficiary of the property. [8]

As of March 2023, the mansion was put up for sale by its then owner for a reported price of £250m, making it the most expensive private residence in the UK. [9]

It was later sold for £139 million by Abdullah bin Khalid Al Saud, Saudi Arabia's permanent representative to the United Nations in Vienna and ambassador to Austria, to Zedra, a Luxembourgish corporate services firm that manages investments for wealthy people, in a deal with estate agent, Knight Frank, on 13 December 2024. The identity of the buyer is unknown, although reports suggest it was an US based "tech billionaire" and bought as a London base. [10] [6] The sale was enforced, due to arrears from a £160 million loan secured against the property, resulting in the property being put into receivership. [6]

References

  1. ↑ "James Burton [Haliburton], Oxford Dictionary of National Biography".
  2. 1 2 Allinson, Kenneth (21 August 2012). Architects and Architecture of London. Routledge. pp. 134–. ISBN   978-0-7506-8337-1 . Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  3. ↑ Williams, Guy (1990). Augustus Pugin Versus Decimus Burton: A Victorian Architectural Duel. London: Cassell Publishers Ltd. p. 133. ISBN   0-304-31561-3.
  4. ↑ Nairn, Ian (1966). Nairn's London (first ed.). p. 87. ISBN   978-0141396156.
  5. ↑ London Regent's park (1829). A picturesque guide to the Regent's park; with accurate descriptions of the Colosseum, the diorama, and the zoological gardens (Public domain ed.). pp. 29–. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 Byers, David (24 January 2025). "US tech billionaire buys 'London White House' for £139m". The Times. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  7. ↑ Al-Atrush, Samer; Smith, Robert; England, Andrew; Oliver, Joshua (3 March 2023). "Saudi owner of London's most expensive house sued over alleged unpaid private jet bills". Financial Times. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  8. ↑ Al-Atrush, Samer; Smith, Robert; Oliver, Joshua; Hammond, George (7 March 2023). "How a Saudi prince lost a £250mn 'London palace'". Financial Times. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  9. ↑ "It's a mega-mansion gold rush! As the UK's most expensive £250m palace hits the market, Tatler sizes up the rest". Tatler. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  10. ↑ Sidders, Jack (24 January 2025). "London Mansion Seized From Saudi Royals Sold for £139 Million". Bloomberg News .

Sources

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : London Regent's park's A picturesque guide to the Regent's park; with accurate descriptions of the Colosseum, the diorama, and the zoological gardens (1829)

Bibliography

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