Live like royalty in the former home of three queens of England, including two of Henry VIII's wives
Catherine of Aragon and Anne of Cleves managed to keep their heads and live in the lap of luxury in Walton Manor, but you might lose yours when you see this gorgeous Surrey home, which has just gone back on the market for £1.9 million
If more period features than you can shake a stick at and a roll call of illustrious previous tenants (including three, yes THREE former queens of our realm) do it for you when it comes to a house, then we may have just found your dream home.
Thank you Housetohome. You're welcome!
Ahhhh Walton Manor. If this historic country pile was a lady then it would be a comely mistress indeed, with all the refinement and beauty befitting such a unique manor house.
Dating back to the 13th century, it's believed the Manor was originally constructed by John de Lovelot, but it's the house's subsequent tenants that have secured it an affectionate nod in the history books.
Among the great and the good to have resided at Walton are two of Henry VIII's queens. Catherine of Aragon - Henry's long-suffering first wife - was pensioned off to Walton following the king's dalliances with Anne Boleyn with whom he hoped to bear a son.
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And later, following poor Catherine's demise in exile, the house was given over to Henry's short-lived third wife, Anne of Cleves, who outlived the king and all his subsequent queens.
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Prior to this, in 1465, Elizabeth Woodville (of The White Queen fame...
if you're into Philippa Gregory!), wife of Edward IV and the mother of
the ill-fated princes in the tower, was granted Walton Manor for life.
But while these women all managed to keep their heads, the Manor has not been immune to tragedy and intrigue. In 1314 Walton passed to Baron Hugh Despenser who was rumoured to be the secret lover of Edward II.
Edward's humiliated wife, Queen Isabella, subsequently plotted against her husband (who was later unceremoniously 'disposed' of by his wife) and Despenser was hanged by the Queen in 1326.
These days life at the Manor is a little less tumultuous, although it
was requisitioned by the government for the Canadian Armed Forces during the Second World
War.
Current owner John Churchill moved in 30 years ago and told The Telegraph of his affection for his historic home.
'You can trace back the original owners of the land here to around 1067.
'Because
the house is so old, people often ask if it has ghosts, but we
have never seen any. You definitely get a feeling of the past'.
But history lesson aside, Walton Manor is a very fine house in its own right, with five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a grand reception hall, beautifully maintained gardens as well as a tennis court, all set in almost three acres of luscious grounds.
David Reynolds of Savills said: 'There's no doubt that the history of Walton Manor is interesting, but we haven't priced the house differently from any other property.
'We anticipate that people will buy the house because of what it offers today, in terms of the accommodation and the grounds.
'The only thing that would increase the value, is if the house were to be owned by a modern-day celebrity.' Isn't Harry Styles looking for a new home?
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