An award-winning contemporary house that was damaged during a landslip back in March, has been sold to a private buyer.
Listed for a little over £2million just 2 years ago, the property initially failed to sell when first listed but was snapped up this week by a private buyer after featuring in the September auction of Clive Emson Auctioneers with a guide price of £700,000 – £750,000.
Formerly part of the pleasure grounds of Old Park – a Victorian mansion dating back to the 1820s – Haddon Lake House sits on a plot of around 2 acres in a wooded undercliff.
The house, with a detached boathouse as well, featured in the Channel 4 series George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces last year and was the 2008 winner of the TV series I Own Britain’s Best Home and Garden.
March’s landslip left the property with a fraction of its original gardens.
Rob Marchant, the firm’s Island auctioneer, said:
“Contracts have been exchanged and the new owner is chuffed to bits – he was following our auction online from abroad and was fervently hoping that this stunning and highly desirable house wouldn’t sell.
“On return to the UK, he made a beeline for Haddon Lake House and was so impressed that he made an offer which was accepted by the vendor and was close to the guide price.
“We have thousands of people viewing our auctions from all over the world, showing that properties on the Isle of Wight have global appeal for owner-occupiers and property investors.”
Robert said at the time of auction listing:
“The landscape restoration project has included the careful reinstatement of the early Victorian walled kitchen garden, complete with period greenhouse, cold frames, potting shed and access paths.
“Adjoining the walled garden is a contemporary Japanese-style influence courtyard that acts as a cool contrast to the walled garden.
“Both the garden and house have been widely featured in national and international media, winning awards for both the architecture and landscape.
“The main house provides flexible living accommodation over three floors and has on occasions in the past been split to provide two self-contained dwellings.
“This division could of course continue with a view to providing annexe or holiday accommodation should the new owners so require.
“In more recent times the Boathouse has been converted to provide stylish detached living accommodation, adjoining the walled kitchen garden.
“This additional accommodation has given the site still further flexibility in respect of its accommodation, with the Boathouse having been used as a successful commercial holiday let in the recent past.
“In March a landslip robbed Haddon Lake House of much of its lake through the slide of earth from the adjacent hillside.”
Another building on the Island was also purchased through September’s auction.
The four-storey Prince Consort waterfront building at St Thomas Street, Ryde, had a freehold guide price of £250,000-plus.
Overlooking the Solent, the property was completed in 1847, with the foundation stone having been laid by Prince Albert in the spring of the previous year; it was formerly known as the Royal Victoria Yacht Club.