Rowneybury House

Rowneybury House /ˈraʊnibəri/, nicknamed Beckingham Palace, is a house in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, England.

Rowneybury House from the air

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. 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.[2] 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.[3][4]

The property was put up for sale by the Beckhams in 2013.[5]go The house with 17 acres of grounds was bought by the insurance tycoon Neil Utley,[6] chairman of Hastings Direct, and Narmali Utley for £11.35 million in 2014.[2][7]

Rowneybury Cottage, near the entrance to the estate on Harlow Road, is a Grade II listed building.[8][9] This timberframed house, dating from the late 16th-century to early 17th-century, was listed in 1981.[10]

References

1. Chris Sharpe (16 March 2017). "The Origin of Harlow". mun.ca. Memorial University of Newfoundland. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
2. 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.
3. Vickers, Amy (24 July 2001). "Posh launches Beckingham Palace website". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
4. Stuart, Julia (31 July 2001). "Beckingham Palace, our lovely home". The Independent. UK. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
5. "David and Victoria Beckham bid fairwell to 'Beckingham Palace' for a cool £15 million". Ideal Home. UK. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
6. 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.
7. Hipwell, Deidre (17 March 2014). "Mystery buyer of Beckingham Palace revealed". The Times. UK. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
8. Historic England. "Rowneybury Cottage (Opposite Redbricks Lane) (1101673)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
9. "Rowneybury Cottage (Opposite Redbricks Lane) – A Grade II Listed Building in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. UK: British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
10. Historic England. "Rowneybury Cottage (Opposite Redbricks Lane), Harlow Road (east side) (1101673)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 August 2018.