Windlestone Hall: UK April 2017

Windlestone Hall is a Grade ii listed country house designed by Ignatius Bonomi. Built by the Eden family in the 19th century to replace their original 17th century home.

In 1897 Anthony Eden was born here, he ventured into politics in 1923 and eventually served as prime minister from 1955 to 1957.

During the WWii the estate was used as a prisoner of war camp and after the war in 1957 it was occupied by Windlestone Hall School, a residential school for children with special needs. They stayed here until 2006 when the school was purchased by William Davenport for £240,000 with promises of restoring the property to its former glory. Within three years the house was back up for sale at shocking £2.5 million.

Davenport had actually purchased the site with fraudulent documents. He claimed to be a computer executive with a large property portfolio and annual income of £500,000. To support this claim he recycled a £25,000 grant in his bank account each month so it appeared to the banks this was his monthly salary.

Through various aliases and forged documents he travelled the world purchasing outlandish properties while still claiming a disability benefit. The total scam mounted up to £2.6 million and he was sentenced to 6 years in prison after admitting to three offences of fraud.

Windlestone Hall was taken off the market in July 2017 having been sold to an unknown buyer. Hopefully they will restore it to its former glory.

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