prospect house
DESCRIPTION
One of the finest houses in WimbledonTRANSCRIPT
PROSPECTHOUSE
W I M B L E D O N · L O N D O N
PROSPECTHOUSE
W I M B L E D O N · L O N D O N
A Country House in London
The foundations for Prospect Place were fi rst laid around
1750 when Peter Taylor, a London goldsmith, built
“a handsome villa” just to the east of the site of what
subsequently became the Atkinson Morley Hospital. He
named it Prospect Place because it had “an extensive
prospect to the south”. Ten years later the six acre estate
was sold to Moses Isaac Levy, Vice President of the
Board of Jewish Deputies, who had made a fortune
from army contracts during the Seven Years’ War.
The estate was then sold to James Meyrick, a
Parliamentary Agent, the real creator of the estate
who increased its size to 250 acres. It became known
as Cottenham Park. Meyrick employed a famous
landscape gardener, Humphrey Repton to lay out
decorative gardens, with impressive hot houses
Historic Heritageand many fi ne trees; some of which still survive to this
day including most notably two large cedars. After the
death of Meyrick and his wife the estate was sold to
John Lambton, Earl of Durham, a rising young politician
who, with no real use for it, sold it on to Charles Pepys,
Lord Cottenham, in 1831. The estate was then sold for
development in the early 1850’s with the last two owners
being commemorated in the names of four nearby roads.
In 1863, after lying empty for a number of years, Prospect
Place and the Estate was acquired by William Sim. The land
was divided up and sold for development. Prospect Place
was demolished and a large part of the Estate was acquired
by St George’s Hospital with funds from Mr Atkinson Morley’s
will. A convalescent home was built for poor people.
The remaining part of the Estate on the east side, some
12 acres, was sold separately upon which two houses
were built, Copse Hill House and Cottenham House
of which Cottenham House, now Prospect House,
survives. Cottenham House was built for George Walker,
a wealthy East India merchant residing in Ridgway
Place, and probably designed by John Crawley, who
worked on the adjacent Atkinson Morley hospital.
Walker and his family occupied the house until c.1895.
It was subsequently sold twice, and was signifi cantly
extended to the west in 1899. The house remained a
private residence until 1942 when it was taken over by
Atkinson Morley Hospital during WWII. It became derelict
and in 1995 was acquired by the current owner who,
painstakingly and at great expense, restored it under the
direction of Edward Hill of the Edward Hill Partnership.
18th Century
Kindly supplied by the Wimbledon Society
1868 1868
One of the fi nest houses in Wimbledon A magnifi cent Grade II listed Victorian mansion standing
in beautiful and secluded landscaped grounds of nearly
two acres comprising both formal and woodland gardens
with tennis court and swimming pool and direct access
to over 20 acres of protected metropolitan open land.
Ground Floor * Grand reception hall
* Elegant drawing room
* Formal dining room
* Kitchen/breakfast/family room
* Large Victorian-style conservatory
* 2 Studies
* Guest cloakroom
* Staff cloakroom
* Utility and plant rooms
Accommodation & Amenities
First Floor *Master bedroom suite with
bathroom, shower/steam
room and dressing room
* Lady's dressing room
* 2 Guest bedrooms with
en-suite bathrooms
* Staff fl at with reception,
bedroom, kitchen and
bathroom (with separate
access from ground fl oor)
Second Floor * 2 Double bedrooms
* Large family bathroom
* Huge studio room
suitable as fi tness suite,
offi ce, billiards room,
movie room or further
bedrooms
* Extensive store room
with natural light
The Grounds * 2 Acres (approx) of lovely formal
gardens and landscaped managed
woodlands
* Extensive drive with garage block
and covered parking for fi ve cars
* 16.5 m (54 ft) Heated swimming
pool
* Floodlit astroturf tennis court
* Direct access to over 20 acres of
metropolitan open land
The GroundsThe grounds, which enjoy to
the rear the special backdrop
of a panoramic southerly view,
were further landscaped in 2006
into a spectacularly beautiful
garden. They now comprise
formal gardens to the front and
rear of the house with Yorkstone
terraces, manicured lawns,
profusely stocked herbaceous
borders and mature specimen
trees. These include two cedars,
an ancient lime, a dawn redwood
and others. There is also a pretty
Japanese garden and a charming
managed woodland garden,
whose decked walkways lead one
past rare rhododendrons. The
wood is also graced by a beautiful
reclining sculpture, “Mud Maid”,
designed by Sue & Peter Hill.
There is an attractively designed
garage building for three cars near
the gated entrance and further
covered parking in an open-
fronted garage near the main
entrance to the house as well as
extensive parking in the drive.
From a practical point of view
there are ample, well-screened
garden workshops and storage
sheds for garden equipment and
pool heating and fi ltration systems.
The house and grounds are
protected by a high level of
security within two sets of
remotely controlled gates
at the entrance to Prospect
Place. A sophisticated CCTV/
security lighting/burglar alarm
system is installed to protect
the house and the grounds.
The grand main reception hall,
with distressed limestone fl oor and
imposing wide oak main staircase, is
an outstanding feature of the house.
Other notable features include two
elegant formal reception rooms, a
comprehensively equipped kitchen/family
room and the handsome Victorian-style
conservatory. Upstairs the beautifully
appointed master bedroom suite with
its charming lady's bathroom,
gentleman's shower/steam room
and custom-fi tted hardwood
dressing room provides elegant
and appealing space. There is
a separate lady's dressing room
and two further double bedrooms
with en-suite bathrooms.
On the top fl oor, there are two
double bedrooms, a large family
The House
bathroom and a huge versatile
studio room with reinforced fl oor,
which has been used as a billiards
room, and fi tness suite, but would
lend itself for use as an offi ce or as
a further reception room, media
room, or additional bedrooms.
There are two secondary staircases,
one of which provides separate
access to the staff quarters, which
could be incorporated as additional
bedroom accommodation if required.
Staff accommodation could be
provided elsewhere perhaps by
altering the detached garage block.
All the principal reception rooms
and bedrooms enjoy a bright
southerly aspect with lovely views
over the gardens and beyond
towards Epsom Downs.
The house was renamed Prospect House and
underwent a programme of comprehensive and
meticulous restoration whilst retaining and enhancing
the innate Victorian character of the period. Cornices,
mouldings and windows were sympathetically
reinstated. Under the supervision of the Edward
Hill Partnership, the character of the building was
further complemented by a traditional approach to
the interiors. The wallpapers and window dressings
refl ect the style of the period with a contemporary
appeal. Open fi replaces have been restored and
there are some fi ne antique marble mantelpieces.
Prospect House Today
'The beautifully appointed master bedroom suite with
its charming lady's bathroom, gentlemans' shower/
steam room and custom-fi tted hardwood dressing
room provides elegant and appealing space.'
From the private landscaped woodland there is access to over 20 acres of metropolitan open land which is protected solely for recreational use – a boon for a family with children and dogs to exercise without having to venture away from home.
LocationWimbledon is, of course, renowned
for the All England Lawn Tennis
Club and the eponymous Tennis
Championships, which start at the end
of June. However, it is also one of the
most fashionable residential addresses
in London, being a picturesque and
semi-rural area where town and
country meet. It is therefore particularly
favoured not only by Londoners but
also by those from abroad, who work in
the City and want more space than can
be obtained in the centre of London.
Prospect House is located on the
outskirts of Wimbledon Village within
walking distance of the High Street with
its varied selection of shops, boutiques,
cafés and restaurants. The open
spaces of Wimbledon Common and
Richmond Park are also within walking
distance. From nearby Wimbledon
Town or Raynes Park, there are fast
and frequent train services to Central
London and the City (Waterloo 12-15
mins/SR main line). The house is also
well-placed for routes out of London to
the South and West and for London’s
airports at Heathrow and Gatwick.
The area offers an unrivalled selection
of recreational facilities including
golf courses, riding stables, tennis
and squash clubs, as well as fi rst
class schools for all ages including
King’s College School, Wimbledon
High School for girls and the
Marymount International School.
ProspectHouse
Gardens and Grounds * Swimming Pool: 16.5 m (54 ft)
Open-air heated and fl oodlit with
high-load electronic cover and
Yorkstone terrace with associated
heating plant and fi ltration systems and
changing room with shower facilities
* Tennis Court: Fully enclosed and
fl oodlit with astro turf surface and
associated changing rooms
* Garage block and covered parking for
5 cars with additional driveway parking
for at least 20 cars
* Extensive, centrally controlled low
voltage lighting
* Irrigation for borders and main lawn
*Man holes and pumps throughout
* 2 spring water fed water features
* Private spring water system with a
150 m borehole, providing up to 26 m³
of water per day
* Rainwater recycling system, ensuring
minimum loss and additional natural
water for watering
Specifi cation * Private woodland with raised timber
walkways, various themed areas
including the ‘Mud Maid’ sculpture by
Sue and Peter Hill and a Zen Garden
* Children’s play area with large elevated
wooden playhouse
* Extensive concealed area with
gardeners workshop and yard
* Signifi cant mature plants and trees
including:
Dawn Redwood, 2 Cedars of Lebanon
and Lime tree all planted circa 1750 by
Humphrey Repton
Rare Rhododendrons (Arizelum
Robicosum)
* Yorkstone terrace with architectural fi sh
pond overlooking the main lawn
Interior - Finishes and Features *Many working fi replaces with period
marble mantelpieces
* Limestone fl oor in main hall and corridor
with pine wood fl oored kitchen and
stone conservatory fl oor with concealed
fl oor heating
* Solid handmade oak main
staircase
* Bulthaup kitchen with units
designed by Hobsons of Swindon
together with an extensive range of
electrical appliances
* Larder with slate shelves, wine
store and cold storage
* Utility room with laundry
appliances
* Extensive storage including
housekeepers’ cupboards and
linen cupboards
* Fitted wardrobes throughout
* Handmade solid oak bookcases
* Handmade solid oak cabinets for
television and sound system
* Lined and inter-lined curtains and
blinds
* Large walk-in ‘Hammam’ shower
and steam room in master suite
Interior - Systems * Integrated Bose sound systems in
all main rooms
* Bang & Olufsen televisions and
cabinets
* Telecom system with multiple lines
and intercom system
* Extensive Lutron mood lighting
* Industrial heating/hot water system
* Gas fi red central heating with twin
Hamworthy boilers
* 3 hot water tanks with 150 litre hot
water capacity
* Electric immersion system
* High pressure water supply
throughout with 22mm high
capacity piping
* Integrated smoke detection system
* Air conditioning for master
bedroom
Security * CCTV system with 9 cameras and
image recording function
* Intruder Alarm system by RIS Ltd
with high-security monitoring
* Electronic high-security gates with
entryphone system
N
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Strutt & Parker LLP and Robert Holmes and Com-
pany give notice that: 1. These particulars do not
constitute an offer or contract or part thereof. 2.
All descriptions, photographs and plans are for
guidance only and should not be relied upon as
statements or representations of fact. All meas-
urements are approximate and not necessarily
to scale. Any prospective purchaser must satisfy
themselves as to the correctness of the informa-
tion within the particulars by inspection or other-
wise. 3. Strutt & Parker LLP and Robert Holmes
and Company do not have any authority to give
any representations or warranties whatsoever in
relation to this property (including but not limited to
planning/building regulations), nor can they enter
into any contract on behalf of the Vendor. 4. Strutt
& Parker LLP and Robert Holmes and Company do
not accept responsibility for any expenses incurred
by prospective purchasers in inspecting proper-
ties which have been sold, let or withdrawn. 5. If
there is anything of particular importance to you,
please contact the offi ces of Strutt & Parker and
Robert Holmes and Company and they will try to
have the information checked for you. Photographs
taken June 2014. Particulars prepared. July 2014.
CGP13614-CG43R-ISSUE. Brochure by CGP.CO 020 7222 7222
Gross Internal Area (Approx.)8,329 sq ft / 773.76 sq m
(Including Loft)
Residential Sales35 High Street, Wimbledon, London SW19 5BY
+44 (0)20 8947 9833 [email protected]
www.robertholmes.co.uk
London Residential13 Hill Street, London W1J 5LQ
+44 (0)20 7629 [email protected]
struttandparker.com
Distances (approx.)To London (Sloane Square) 7.5 m / 12 km
To Canary Wharf 12 m / 19.3 km
To Heathrow 12 m / 19.3 km
To Gatwick 20 m / 32 km
TermsTenure Freehold
Price On Application
Local Authority London
Borough of Merton