Norman Wisdom’s former home is on the market

Often described as a great British clown in the mould of Charlie Chaplin, Norman Wisdom built this lavish Spanish-style villa during the 1970s. And now the sprawling five-bed home is on the market for £1.5million.

The English actor, comedian, and singer-songwriter constructed Lakers House in the style of a Spanish villa, and many of the original features remain. Arched windows, ornate plasterwork, wooden beams and exposed stonework are common features throughout the property.

Lakers House is situated on a beautiful, secluded plot of land in the historic village of West Chiltington, West Sussex, which is known for its charming period cottages and houses.

What does a £1million house look like around the UK? Find out here.

Wisdom spent many years at Lakers House with his second wife and dancer, Freda Simpson and their two children. However, he later sold the house and moved to the Isle of Man, where he remained until his death in 2010.

The spacious layout of the home makes it ideal for family and entertaining. Visitors are met with a dramatic hallway on the ground floor, with a spiral stone staircase leading connecting the floors. Double doors open into the dining room and conservatory, which in turn lead to a stone terrace with sweeping lawns beyond.

An open-planned kitchen and breakfast room, a study and utility room make up the rest of the ground floor, with the spiral staircase leading down to the games room and wine cellar.

Take a look at how to enhance your home with a wine cellar.

Upstairs are five bedrooms and two bathrooms. Spanish-style balconies from four of the bedrooms overlook the three and a half acres of gardens and paddocks, which houses stables and a tack room, as well as a heated swimming pool and pool house. We think we could slum it here…

Inspired by this swimming pool? Dive into our selection of pools here.

And if you’re a petrol head, there’s plenty of room to house your cars. Eight cars in fact, for there’s a large detached garage which Wisdom built to house his extensive collection, which included a Bentley and a Jaguar.

We’re sure Mr Grimsdale would approve…