£7.5million estate next to royal Highgrove on sale for the first time in 70 years

Elmestree House estate at Doughton, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire is on the market for £7.5 m, which marks the end of an era for the Wilson family, who have been the proud owners of the space since 1949. The 117-acre estate is located near Prince Charles' Gloucestershire country residence, Highgrove. It is, without a doubt, the ultimate address for anyone who wishes to live like a king.

David Wilson, a sheep and cattle farmer, and his wife Betty raised their four children in Elmestree, which they purchased in 1947. Mr. Wilson farmed there until he died in 2013, three years after his wife's death. The house is been sold by the executors of his estate, who are his sons, Clive (54) and Tim (60), who said it was a wonderful home,

My parents lived and worked at Elmestree for more than 50 happy years. It was a wonderful home where we all grew up.

How is the house?

The house dates back to the 12th century, when it was owned by the monks of the Benedictine Abbey of St Ebrulph, Normandy. The beautiful house with royalty on the doorstep holds a ballroom among its six reception rooms. The Grade II-listed house's sale also includes a three-bedroom annex, a four-bedroom farmhouse, and a two-bedroom lodge cottage.

Additionally, the rural idyll is enhanced by a stable block, carriage house, courtyard, farm buildings, and a walled garden set among parks and ponds. Princess Diana was often seen walking and jogging across the estate before her marriage fell apart; she was reportedly photographed strolling in a field there while listening to her Sony Walkman.

Royals near royals

Because of Elmestree's close vicinity to Highgrove, residents in neighbouring Tetbury are wondering if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will make a bid. William and Kate are said to be seriously considering relocating to be closer to the Queen. Currently, they share their time between Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall, Norfolk.

With this new house on the market close to the Queen’s, the couple might choose to raise their three children in a rural setting within commuting distance of Windsor. However, the house is not something that can be lived in right away. A neighbour said:

Although the property is on the market for £7.5million, from what I hear it really needs a lot of work doing to it. I think it has become a bit dated. It's a lovely house, but in its current condition probably not ideal for a young family.

Even the estate’s market literature describes the house as ‘fine’ with a lot of scope for further renovation and improvement.