London has no shortage of historic homes, but there are few that can claim royal, astrological and meteorological provenance as The King’s Observatory in Richmond’s Old Deer Park.
It’s a grand, extraordinary Grade I-listed Palladian triumph of a villa with domed cupola, the oldest in the world, set within seven acres of royal parkland and gardens that overlook its own private lake – as much a paean to stargazing as it is an architectural marvel to be gazed at.
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Now, the property that once ran the gamut of both scientific and stately usage, has come up for sale as a private residence for the first time in its 257-year history, listed through super-prime agent Charlie Willis for £18 million.
Commenting on the listing, Willis said: “The national importance [of this listing] is truly remarkable, let alone the location and the fact that this is the first time since 1769 that the building will be sold for residential use, with the opportunity to extend by as much as 10,000 square feet – the often overused adjective ‘unique’, in this case is more than apt.”
Royal origins and scientific roots
Originally constructed in 1769 as a place from which King George III – a keen lover of astronomy and scientific advancement despite his documented ‘madness’ – could observe in June that year the transit of Venus via a fully revolving dome observatory.
The grand building in Richmond’s Old Deer Park sits alongside Somerset House and the Great Pagoda at Kew Gardens pedigree, both designed by renowned architect du jour Sir William Chambers.
Serving as a Palladian podium for the King’s passion for astronomy, the observatory eventually fell out of royal usage after George III’s death in 1820, passing hands to the British Science Association in 1842 as a research facility helmed by the observatory’s first superintendent Stephen Demainbray.
Many of the King’s original scientific instruments were kept at the building, in listed display cases which remain in situ to this day, serving as historical references that would serve in the evolution of astronomical observation, precision timekeeping and meteorology of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
John Harrison, for example, who first discovered how to keep time at sea, developed many of his theories based on seafaring observations in the building.
“The national importance [of this listing] is truly remarkable, let alone the location and the fact that this is the first time since 1769 that the building will be sold for residential use”
Charlie Willis, Founder, Charlie Willis Property
Weather forecasting and wartime history
The King’s Observatory has also been the birthplace of a number of pioneering inventions of world leading meteorological, magnetic and electrical significance, including the first successful camera, mechanical timepieces, barometers and thermometers.
A place of many firsts, neighbouring Kew Observatory also served as the birthplace of daily weather forecasts in the 1860s and a hotbed for the development of weather forecasting by the nascent Met Office, which eventually used the building as its headquarters until the 1980s.
Dressed in numerous plaques commemorating vanguards in the field of science, the most famous of which is arguably Scottish meteorologist Group Captain James Stagg, currently portrayed on the big screen by Andrew Scott in gripping new D-Day thriller Pressure.
Stagg became one of the most consequential meteorologists of the Second World War. As chief meteorological adviser for Operation Overlord, he advised General Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Allied commanders on the weather conditions governing the timing of D-Day.
His advice was instrumental in altering the course of the war, postponing the invasion from 5 June to 6 June, 1944 – a remarkable episode in which meteorological judgement played a vital part in saving the lives of countless allied soldiers on the ground.
Modern restoration by Robbie Brothers
In 1981 the facility was returned to the Crown Estate Commissioners and reverted to its original name, “King’s Observatory”, serving as commercial offices and later business headquarters.
In 2014, Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council agreed to a change of use, granted planning permission for the observatory to be used as a private single family dwelling spanning its current four-bedroom, four-bathroom footprint – and forever altering the building’s earthly trajectory.
The meaty project was taken on by present owner, the Scottish-born, Hong Kong-based businessman, Robbie Brothers, who in 2014 purchased the lease and moved into the property with his family.
“Brothers’ recognised penchant for renovating historic buildings perhaps met its career pinnacle at The King’s Observatory, where the renovation was conducted with the scientific precision a building of this historic importance deserved”
Brothers’ recognised penchant for renovating historic buildings perhaps met its career pinnacle at William Chambers’ The King’s Observatory, having taken four years and a cadre of heritage architects to renovate it with a level of scientific precision a building of such historic importance deserves.
The result is the 7,343 square-foot (682 square metre) family home that now sits upon a robust Georgian skeleton. Divided by three floors – all of which are connected by a lift – the living space is of bellowy proportions, yet still intimate enough to feel connected for everyday family living.
Period features nestled around luxury living
The King’s Observatory is currently configured as a four-bedroom private residence, and each space still bears the hallmarks of their former scientific use. For instance, the thermometer room has been transformed into a drawing room, the computing room into an extraordinary library with capacity to house an astronomical 6,000 volumes. The books are contained within the original Georgian glazed shelving constructed by the contemporary joiner James Arrow.
The barometer room has been turned into a dining room, decorated with hand-painted Chinese silk wallpaper panels in a hat tip to the Georgian fascination with chinoiserie. Other Georgian-era accoutrements and home features have been ersatz reestablished, and include a replica of George III’s coat of arms and copies of coronation portraits.
Brothers’ upgrades also included all the luxury comforts expected of a super-prime London home of this heavyweight calibre. Modern perks include the lift, a dumb waiter, built-in security, underflooring hearing, air conditioning and an automated lighting system.
Perhaps the most exciting feature, though, is that owners can continue the observatory’s primary function as a place to study celestial events – the open air cupola still functions via roof access, offering star-gazers prime-time seats to a celestial show no other private London residence can offer.
“Perhaps, the most exciting feature is that owners can continue the observatory’s primary function to study celestial events – the open air cupola still functions via roof access, offering star-gazers prime-time seats to a celestial show no other private London residence can offer”
The landscape surrounding the observatory partly has Scheduled Monument status, originally designed by King George III’s celebrated landscape architect Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.
The present owner commissioned the award-winning landscape architect Kim Wilkie for the recent landscaping of the seven-acre grounds and who took particular care to preserve and reinterpret as many as possible of Brown’s characteristic landscape features such as the wildflower meadow.
The grounds include an ornamental lake stocked with Grecian carp and an Umbrian-style boathouse constructed in Portland stone. Also within the estate are the listed anti-magnetic huts dating from the nineteenth century and a private heli-pad.
Although the residence stands within Richmond’s wider historic Old Deer Park, the observatory neighbours the Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club, separated from the course via a ha-ha – handy for a round of golf.
A generational opportunity with future potential
New owners may be interested in the heritage tax perks of owning a house of significant historical interest. The property is still of interest to the general public and can be accessed 28 days a year. Tours are conducted through the main reception rooms by professional guides.
The King’s Observatory’s 2018 renovation story may write a new chapter should a buyer wish to further expand the Richmond residence. In place is planning permission for an as-yet unbuilt above-ground staff cottage.
There is also the opportunity to create approximately a further 10,000 square feet of accommodation, together with additional staff quarters and underground parking for up to 17 cars. The proposed below-ground extension can be connected directly to the main house through the existing historic vaults, potentially increasing the overall living accommodation to approximately 18,856 square feet.
There are 138 years remaining on the lease which is owned by the Crown Estate until September 2164. The house can be sold with furniture and antiques by separate negotiation.
This is an architecturally and historically outstanding legacy asset that would serve as a flagship residence or secondary home for international buyers that are missing a home of exceptional and rare historical provenance from global portfolios.
