This $15.5M UK Home Sits on the Former Grounds of Richmond Palace

More than 500 years ago, the site of Wentworth House was part of Shene Palace, a royal residence dating to the 14th century. King Richard II later made it a favorite home, but after his wife, Anne of Bohemia, died of the plague in 1394, he was so devastated that he ordered the palace torn down. It was later rebuilt and expanded by successive monarchs, with jousting tournaments held on what is now Richmond Green.

The biggest change came under Henry VII. After a fire badly damaged the palace in 1497, he rebuilt it on a larger scale and renamed it Richmond Palace, after his title as Earl of Richmond. The village that grew up around the palace eventually took the same name.

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Several Tudor monarchs spent time there, including Henry VIII, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. Elizabeth was particularly fond of Richmond, allegedly using the royal residence as a winter home. She also had plays performed there by London theater companies, including the one of which William Shakespeare was a member. She died at Richmond Palace in 1603.

The palace eventually met a very different fate. After King Charles I was executed during the English Civil War, the government sold off the property. The former royal complex was broken apart, and parts of the buildings were demolished for their stone and other materials. What remained was gradually replaced by houses and other buildings.

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Wentworth House was built in 1703 on the site of part of the old palace. So the house isn’t simply near a historic landmark—it sits on part of the former royal grounds. Some pieces of Richmond Palace are still around, including the Palace Gatehouse and Wardrobe, and the rear of Wentworth House has direct access to the historic site. The house also looks out over Richmond Green from its main reception rooms.

Today, the Grade II-listed house is set up much more like a modern family home than a piece of living history. The roughly 6,500-square-foot home has five bedrooms and four bathrooms, along with a kitchen and dining room, study, and large reception room. Downstairs, there’s a movie theater, gym, and wine cellar. A private west-facing garden sits behind the house, with a terrace and balcony, while the property also has a double garage and off-street parking. The house is now on the market with Strutt & Parker with an asking price of £11.5 million, or about $15.5 million.

Click here to see more photos of the U.K. home.