Mansion House is the name of this place for sale in London's Cowley Street. Yet 'house' somehow doesn't quite seem the right word for this extraordinary building in the heart of Westminster.
Yet despite it's sweeping 50' facade, palatial features and location a stone's throw from Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, 'house' is exactly what it is – albeit a rather pricey one, given that it's for sale via Savills and Knight Frank at £36 million.
It wasn't always a house, however. The building was designed by Horace Field and completed in 1905, purpose-built as the headquarters of the North Eastern Railway company – a firm which, at the time, had annual revenue equivalent to £1bn in today's money.
Latterly it was used as the London HQ of the Liberal Democrats, but the place was recently sold to a developer who has converted it into a truly palatial residence on one of central London's prettiest streets.
That developer – Faisal Saigol – calls it "an unrivalled palatial home in prime central London" and claims it has the "perfect fusion of grandeur, prestige and contemporary living."
Based on the pictures on this page, it's hard not to agree with that assessment. All the things you'd expect of a grand city house – seven bedrooms, grand dining room that can accommodate 16 people, a lift, a roof terrace and so on – are bolstered by delightful surprises that you would not.
A walk-in wine room, for example, and an Italian garden beyond the pair of terraces. There is even a 10m pool plus jacuzzi, sauna and steam room – as pictured at the top of the page.
The attention to detail in the work carried out on this Grade II-listed building is astonishing. A host of magnificent period features have been retained and immaculately restored by master craftsmen who have worked at some of Britain's greatest buildings.
Take the goldwork on the ceilings and cupola in the main hall, for example: the artisans who worked on it have also carried out work at Windsor Castle, the Royal Academy and the Palace of Westminster.
"There are only a handful of homes across central London which can boast such a grand facade and this scale of accommodation," says Charles Lloyd of Savills.
"The views of Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey from the roof terrace remind you that you are just moments away from the city’s seat of power."
Alastair Nicholson of Knight Frank is similarly effusive, calling the work done "exquisite" and praising the "seamless blend of historic detailing and modern amenities on a grand scale."
Mansion House is for sale via Savills and Knight Frank at £36,000,000.
Sir Winston Churchill's house in London goes on the market
This 'very special' home exudes the spirit of old Kensington.
Credit: Grosvenor Square (Pic: Alamy)
Dream homes in London's garden squares: The capital city's miniature rural idylls
Gallows, solicitors...and a Prime Minister: The history of Connaught Square
Connaught Square is well-known for much more than providing Tony Blair with a residence in London
-
'The whole house shook. Everything was white. For four months, it felt as if we were on Mars': The story behind one of Hampshire's most breathtaking gardensWhen Kim Wilkie sculpted a tiered grass amphitheatre behind this 17th-century house, the garden finally settled into place, as Non Morris discovers.
-
'I have lost a treasure, such a sister, such a friend as never can have been surpassed': Inside Jane Austen's Winchester home, the house where she penned her final words and drew her final breathJane Austen spent the last days of her life in rented lodgings in Winchester, Hampshire. Adam Rattray describes the remarkable recent discoveries made about the house in which she died.
-
An utterly charming island home in Scotland with gardens so beautiful they made the cover of Country LifeAn Cala on the Isle of Seil has a fascinating history that is only enhanced by its amazing setting.
-
Soft tones and a sense of place: A Mayfair duplex that breaks the modern mouldA new designer-led residence at 60 Curzon in Mayfair reminds us that everything new doesn't necessarily have to look it.
-
'The very best North Yorkshire has to offer': The £25 million Kirkham EstateWith 1,103 acres and on the market for the first time in a century, we've got a new frontrunner for the sale of the year.
-
The reality of 20 years of house price rises in Britain, from the places that have had a charmed life to the spots where it's a struggle to move back homeAt first glance the ups and downs of the property market seem to even out over time — but dig in to the numbers and you'll see wild regional variations which paint a very difference picture. Annabel Dixon analyses new research which tells the story.
-
A historic Yorkshire hall, meticulously restored to its former 18th-century magnificenceWomersley Park is a masterpiece and one of Yorkshire's great historic houses. And it could be yours.
-
Rowing past dreams: An idyllic riverside home with a boathouse, croquet pitch and Olympic pedigreeThe Manor in Long Wittenham is a perfect Thames-side getaway. Comes with a free boat.
-
A bucolic Sussex home that's 'like stepping into a fairytale', yet just 30 minutes from central LondonFelmere House is a playground for nature and only 30 minutes from London.
-
Magnificent mansions across the Home Counties, from £3 million to £14 million, as seen in Country LifeA waterside dream home and a house and estate with over 1,100 years of history make our round-up this week.
