An English Estate Once Owned by Henry VIII Is Listed for $20.2 Million

Celebrity Real EstateAn English Estate Once Owned by Henry VIII Is Listed for $20.2 MillionToday, the 100-acre spread holds a Grade II-listed, Georgian-style main house and other outbuildings

By Shivani Vora

February 1, 2022

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The main house at Chobham Park Estate today. Courtesy of Knight Frank

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Henry VIII was a world-famous king, and his daughter, Mary I, was England’s first female monarch. Now, one lucky history buff with deep pockets can own an English estate that they both once owned. According to Mansion Global, the 100-acre property, Chobham Park Estate, in Surrey, has just hit the market for around $20.2 million.

Tim Harriss, the head of the Guilford office of the global real estate firm Knight Frank, who is leading the sale, says that the main house is around 500 years old, although a house has existed on the land for around 1,000 years.

“In places, it’s 500 years old—you feel the history, but it’s not overwhelming. It’s very much geared up for modern-day family living, it doesn’t feel like you’re in a museum,” he told Mansion Global.

Although the exact details aren’t totally clear, it is believed that the abbot and monks of Chertsey Abbey owned the land in ancient times. According to Knight Frank’s listing, it used to have a double-moated manor house until around 1537, when there was a “dissolution of the monasteries” and the house was passed to Henry VIII. He used the manor house, and his daughter, Queen Mary, eventually ended up selling the estate in 1558 to her chancellor, Nicholas Heath, who was the archbishop of York.

The living room in the main house.

Courtesy of Knight Frank

Today, Chobham Park Estate’s main house is built in a Georgian style and commands a grand presence following an approach on a driveway lined with trees. It spans close to 8,500 square feet and is listed as a Grade II property by Historic England, an organization that recognizes historical homes of special interest. The residence has eight bedrooms, six bathrooms, multiple common areas for entertaining, a formal dining room, and a study. The primary suite is on the first floor and has a large dressing room.

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The estate features multiple additional buildings. A coach house has a four-car garage, gym, and a game room with a billiards table while a barn houses a sitting room, kitchen, an office, storage, and a meeting room. There are two cottages: Chobham Park Cottage has two reception rooms, a study, and a kitchen, and the single story Little Chobham Park Cottage has two bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen.

The dining room in the main house.

Courtesy of Knight Frank

Amenities include a tennis court, swimming pool, garden, and stables. And here’s a fun fact: Chobham Park Estate is enclosed by a pale, giving it the right to be called a park.

The current owners bought the estate sometime in the 1990s as a fixer-upper and thoroughly renovated it. They also acquired more land and buildings over the years, making the property the 100-acre spread it is today.

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