One of the world's finest polo estates for sale, with pristine pitches, a string of houses, and space for 120 horses
The Emsworth Estate is up for sale, and it's a vanishingly-rare opportunity to buy a place that's been home-from-home to the greatest polo player of all time.
Every day's a schoolday at Country Life. In the past few weeks I've discovered that the world's oldest sweetshop was opened in Yorkshire when the Duke of Wellington still ran the Armes Forces; that Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones lived (and died) in A.A. Milne's farm in Sussex; and that dung beetles can move 1,000 times their own weight, which is equivalent to a horse being able to pull along a blue whale.
And today? Today I learned who the greatest polo player of all time is: Adolfo Cambiaso. This new fact brings up to two the number of things I know about polo, the first being that it's played on horseback. The Argentinian superstar maintained a 10-goal handicap for two decades (this is good, apparently), won every trophy in the sport multiple times, and did so while looking like an impossibly dashing cad who's escaped from the pages of a Jilly Cooper novel.
Argentine polo player Adolfo Cambiaso is ready for his close-up. He's always ready for his close-up.
All this I discovered thanks to the appearance on the property market of the rather extraordinary Emsworth Polo Grounds, an outrageously elite, 72-acre estate just outside Windsor. The great Cambiaso has regularly used the place as his training base while in England, according to the agents, UK Sotheby's International Realty, who go on to describe Emsworth as 'one of the most complete and significant private sporting estates to ever reach the open market in the United Kingdom.' The asking price is £20 million.
What really marks the place out is that Emsworth was built from scratch as the perfect polo property, rather than having facilities tacked on to an existing country estate. It was the brainchild of the current vendors, Simon and Romilla Arber, who came here two decades ago and built the whole place. They also built up the Four Quarters Polo squad at the same time, whose players secured a record-breaking fifth Royal Windsor Cup in 2024. And all while raising their children right here as well. 'Emsworth Polo Grounds is not simply a residence with equestrian features,' says Jessica Moreton of Sotheby's. 'It’s a legacy private polo estate wrapped in a deeply moving family diary.'
The polo facilities include training grounds, two clubhouses and six stable blocks, capable of housing 120 horses, but the property goes far beyond just the equestrian facilities.
The impressive GoDown House, a five-bedroom home, is at the heart of it all. Swish, modern and stylish, this is for the Arbers the 'emotional heart of the estate', with its panoramic views across the paddocks and polo fields.
There is also a seven-bedroom gatehouse, an American barn with first-floor flats and two studios. In total these extra buildings provide 18 bedrooms — ideal as living quarters for managers, world-class grooms, and, of course, visiting international superstars of the world of polo.
Agent Alex Isidro also points out how rare it is to find an estate of this size and type in one of the most sought-after spots just outside London. 'Given how strictly protected the Windsor-Ascot corridor is from new development, finding a fully built estate like this is nearly impossible today,' he says.
Emsworth Polo Grounds — for sale through UK Sotheby's International Realy. See more details.
