For Sale Cold War torpedo testing facility conversion, 9,870 sq. ft., six bedrooms, four-foot-thick walls; $12M National Post

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SHARI KULHA | June 17, 2016 10:12 AM ET

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History collides against the contemporary, here in this unusual property. Built in the Cold War to be an underwater torpedo testing

site, it essentially shares the same green space — Royal Bushy Park — as the 16th-century Hampton Court Palace, the opulent home

of Henry VIII just west of London. And it’s an interesting mix of town and country, with Hampton Hill village at the doorstep and the

train rushing commuters to London Waterloo station, while hoards of deer and other wildlife roam the vast, ancient park.

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House of the day

Homes we’d love to have —whether we can afford them or not

9,870 sq. ft. on 1.3 acres

six bedrooms, six bathrooms

electronic entry gate

four-foot-thick concrete walls

£6,750,000 ($12.4 million)

Savills Richmond, Daniel Hutchins, +44 (0) 20 8614 9100

see the listing here

Once the Cold War thawed, the water was drained and the central mechanical arm that spun the torpedoes in the water was removed.

The roof had been a large copper dome over the entire structure (to the half walls around the yard). The structure was converted to a

private home, with six bedrooms and six bathrooms in 9,870 square feet, although to say “square” feels incorrect, given its circular

shape.

Electronic gates keep out looky-loos, as they say over the pond, and its distance within the 1,100-acre park secures its privacy. The

house sits on 1.3 acres but the space feels much larger due to the extent of the park itself.

Bushy Park is also home to the famous Chestnut Avenue, which Christopher Wren designed as a formal land approach to Hampton

Court Palace. Lined with horse-chestnut trees, it bisects near the palace for the roundabout circling the 17th-century

400-ft.-diameter fountain honouring the Roman goddess Diana, who stands high on a plinth in the centre.

The house offers three “reception rooms” as living/family rooms are called. And an area under the house could possibly be renovated

to add a pool/spa/gym. Anyone who’s anyone in London is digging down to create more space; there’s even a term for all that hidden

square footage: iceberg basements. With strict building restrictions in place to preserve historic facades, wealthy homeowners dig

down and down and down. That’s not to say this house is restricted, but there could be some fun discoveries under this former

torpedo testing site.

Lots of photos to spy here, and nobody will stop you.

Map created by Post Homes


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For Sale Cold War torpedo testing facility conversion, 9,870 sq. ft., six bedrooms, four-foot-thick walls; $12M National Post