If you’re currently scouring London’s property market in search of a gaff that’s fit for a king, I come bearing a regal piece of real estate that was, quite literally, built for one. And it doesn’t get much better than that, right? The King’s Observatory is picture-perfectly perched in the middle of Richmond‘s historic Old Deer Park and was constructed back in the 1760s specifically so that King George III and his family could feast their eyes on an exciting celestial event.
The observatory was built by architect, Sir William Chambers (the brains behind Somerset House), and was completed in 1769 – just in time for the Transit of Venus (a phenomenon that takes place approximately every 80 years). The observatory remained in scientific use for around two centuries, passing through the hands of the likes of the British Association, the Royal Society, and the Meteorological Office. But in 1989, the building was snapped up by a property developer in Hong Kong who transformed the observatory into a lavish four-bedroom home. And now, that very home is up for sale for the very first time.
The King’s Observatory
The renovation – which was completed in 2008 – saw a fair bit of the observatory’s original features carefully preserved. Two of the big octagonal rooms still boast their original glass-fronted cases, and King George III’s cupola (complete with rotating mechanism) still remains in tact – and is thought to be one of the oldest surviving examples of its kind in the whole world. The Grade I listed property sits within 6.5 acres of gorgeous grounds and spans roughly 7,300 square-feet.
The King’s Observatory is an ‘exceptional example of eighteenth-century Palladian architecture’ – utterly stunning both inside and out. The property boasts four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a living space, a drawing room, a library that can hold around 6,000 books, and a dining room that’s covered in hand-painted wallpaper that apparently took 5,000 hours to complete. Oh, and it comes with a rather eye-watering £18 million price-tag, of course. I’ll let you decide if you think that’s decent value for money.
You can peruse the full property listing here.
