A historic 10-bedroom manor house that once belonged to the Forbes publishing family has just hit the market in South London, asking £12 million (US$14.89 million).
Built on Tudor foundations in the late 17th century, Old Battersea House near Battersea Square is thought to be the work of St. Paul’s Cathedral architect Sir Christopher Wren, although that has not been confirmed, according to the listing.
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The home has had a number of owners over the years, perhaps the most notable was publishing magnate Malcolm Forbes, who owned it from 1971 and 2011.
At the time of his purchase, the property was virtually a roofless shell and Mr. Forbes, known for his extravagant spending habits, hired architect Vernon Gibberd to help with its restoration, and return it to a family home, according to the listing.
According to the Evening Standard, the Forbes family hosted Hollywood stars at the house including Elizabeth Taylor, who spent her honeymoon with her seventh husband, Larry Fortensky, there in the early nineties.
Features include a baroque hallway, paneled drawing rooms, seven bathrooms, a modern kitchen, a garage and off-street parking and secure electronic gates. There is also a picturesque walled garden surrounding the house.
U.K. property records show the current owner is KEA TRUST COMPANY LIMITED (incorporated in New Zealand). The owner paid £12 million in cash for it in 2011. Various reports link the trust to Russian oligarch Sergei Pugachev.
Mr. Pugachev is currently embroiled in a bitter dispute with Russian President Vladimir Putin, having been accused of syphoning funds from Mezhprombank, and had most of his assets frozen in 2014 by a London court.
In 2016, his wife, British-born Alexandra Tolstoy, a distant relative of "War & Peace" author Leo Tolstoy, told The Times of London that the family was in hiding and refused to reveal their location.
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Savills, the listing agent, did not respond immediately to request for comment.