£15m historic house built by inventor of British Summer Time for sale

 

Arts and Crafts inspired detached family house provides seven bedrooms and 5,845 sq. ft. of living space

 

After riding his horse near his home early one summer morning, William Willett noticed how many of his neighbours’ blinds were still down, and the idea for daylight saving time first occurred to him. Using his own financial resources, in 1907 William published a pamphlet “The Waste of Daylight”.

In it, he proposed that clocks should be advanced by 80 minutes in four incremental steps early in the year and reversed the same way towards the end of the year. The evenings would then remain lighter for longer, increasing daylight recreation time and also saving £2.5 million in lighting costs.

Through vigorous campaigning, by 1908 Willett had managed to gain support of MP Robert Pearce and a young Winston Churchill. The bill was passed but sadly, William Willett did not live to see daylight saving become law as he passed away in 1915 at the age of 58.

Elsworthy House is a fitting testament to William Willett’s belief in the benefits of natural sunlight and maximum daytime hours during the summer months. The house has large windows to the front and rear façades, alongside the orangery and French doors, which allows in natural light from every aspect.

This historic house has been enjoyed now by four generations of just one family and has not appeared on the market for 60 years. With a vast amount of entertaining space as well as seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms, Elsworthy House is the ideal family home. The house was in a state of neglect when it was originally noticed by the first generation of the family who restored the property and then moved in over 60 years ago.

Fast forward to today and the current generation of the family to own the property purchased the freehold from landowner Eton College and set about completely restoring it. The restoration and interior design has been undertaken by the original owner’s youngest grandchild, Lucinda, of interior design firm Lucinda Sanford, a well-recognised and highly respected interior design firm providing an inclusive build and design service.

Michael Sulkin, Director at Aston Chase, commented: “The house is beautifully interior designed with original features and finishes. A truly historical home, Elsworthy House provides warmth and charm in an enviable neighborhood with a communal garden.”

James Simpson, Partner at Knight Frank, St John’s Wood, commented: “In this day and age it is rare to find a home where four generations of the same family have enjoyed it and loved it. This gorgeous house has been totally redesigned and renovated to a very high standard by the current generation eight years ago. The basic ingredients that make this house the perfect choice for entertaining, generous lateral space, a wonderful flow allowing entertaining on a grand scale, the wealth of period features and cosy fireplaces offering a charming and intimate atmosphere, are rarely found in a home which is perhaps why this family have enjoyed their beautiful home for 60 years.”