Rowneybury House
Rowneybury House /ˈraʊnibəri/, nicknamed Beckingham Palace, is a house in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, England.
The property on which Rowneybury stands was part of Pishiobury before being divided in the 1880s.[1] It was owned by Hertfordshire County Council and used as a home for children with learning disabilities, set in 24 acres of grounds.[2] The original property had two upper floors, and a cellar under the majority of the main building. After laying empty for several years, it was purchased from the Council and renovated, then bought in 1999 for £2.5 million by the footballer David Beckham and his wife, the singer Victoria Beckham. The property became dubbed "Beckingham Palace" by the press as a portmanteau of their surname and Buckingham Palace.[3] They spent around £3 million on refurbishment, including a maze designed by James Gardner, in the grounds. In 2001, Victoria Beckham made a virtual tour of the mansion available online.[4][5]
The property was put up for sale by the Beckhams in 2013.[6][7] The house with 17 acres of grounds was bought by the insurance tycoon Neil Utley,[8] chairman of Hastings Direct, and Narmali Utley for £11.35 million in 2014.[3][9]
Rowneybury Cottage, near the entrance to the estate on Harlow Road, is a Grade II listed building.[10][11] This timberframed house, dating from the late 16th-century to early 17th-century, was listed in 1981.[12]
References
- Chris Sharpe (16 March 2017). "The Origin of Harlow". mun.ca. Memorial University of Newfoundland. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
- Boshoff, Alison (16 August 2016). "Posh property ladder: From a £150k starter home to a £25m mansion, how the Beckhams profited from their adventures in the housing market". Daily Mail. UK. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
- Hill, Patrick (15 March 2014). "Inside 'Beckingham Palace': David and Victoria's mansion bought by insurance tycoon for £11.3million". Daily Mirror. UK. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
- Vickers, Amy (24 July 2001). "Posh launches Beckingham Palace website". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
- Stuart, Julia (31 July 2001). "Beckingham Palace, our lovely home". The Independent. UK. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
- "David and Victoria Beckham bid fairwell to 'Beckingham Palace' for a cool £15 million". Ideal Home. UK. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
- Gould, Lara (30 March 2013). "Beckingham Palace goes up for sale as David and Victoria eye up London life... but won't allow developers to buy it". Daily Mail. UK.
- Armstrong, Ashley (4 April 2015). "Neil Utley's stake in Hastings Direct to be valued at £200m in upcoming IPO". Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
- Hipwell, Deidre (17 March 2014). "Mystery buyer of Beckingham Palace revealed". The Times. UK. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
- Historic England. "Rowneybury Cottage (Opposite Redbricks Lane) (1101673)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
- "Rowneybury Cottage (Opposite Redbricks Lane) – A Grade II Listed Building in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. UK: British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
- Historic England. "Rowneybury Cottage (Opposite Redbricks Lane), Harlow Road (east side) (1101673)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 August 2018.