- .Entrepreneur Jon Robinson bought neglected industrial land for £750,000
- .The father turned West Sussex Thakeham Manor into sprawling luxury home
- .The mansion was built in Lutyens architectural style to appease council
- .Features tennis courts, golf green, helipad and iPhone controlled electrics
Just five years ago Thakeham Manor's 16 acres were nothing but neglected industrial land. And then entrepreneur Jon Robinson came along and snapped up the site for £750,000 from the landowner who was going bust.
It was clearly a sound investment, as Thakeham Manor, with its pool, trout lake, tennis courts, golfing green, triple garage – and a helipad on the lawn – is now on the market for the princely sum of £6 million.
Seven years ago, at the grand old age of 31, Jon had retired to a villa in Cannes with his pregnant wife Victoriya, after selling his aviation spare parts company for several million pounds.
Thakeham Manor has been designed to maximise stunning views over both the North and South Downs, and the influence of the family's time in Cannes is in evidence in the balustrades and palm trees on the terrace
However, after six months of enjoying a champagne lifestyle on private jets and yachts around the South of France, boredom began to set in.
'I went to Cannes to retire and relax and it was a lovely lifestyle but I couldn't just switch off my entrepreneurial brain,' says Jon.
Thakeham Manor has been designed to maximise stunning views over both the North and South Downs, and the influence of the family's time in Cannes is in evidence in the balustrades and palm trees on the terrace
From his sunlounger, Jon spotted a gap in the market for providing luxury corporate holiday villas for wealthy City bankers, and before long he was brokering deals of tens of thousands of pounds by the side of the swimming pool.
Mr Robinson with his wife Victoria and children Alexander and Francesca at West Sussex mansion
'We had a constant stream of bookings from directors waving around the company Amex card who wouldn't think twice about spending £30,000 on a week's holiday let,' he says. 'But when the banking crash happened in 2008, bookings dried up.'
Jon sold the villa in Cannes (which he'd bought for a seven-figure sum) to a wealthy Russian, and returned to Britain. Restless as ever, he set up a construction company, but found that because of the recession, business was slow. So he set the team to work on his own house in West Sussex.
Mr Robinson with his wife Victoria and children Alexander and Francesca at West Sussex mansion
LUXURY MANSION AT A GLANCE
'My builders were all genuine people who I could have a real conversation with – none of the corporate falseness. Because they were great guys, I wanted to keep them busy.'
Jon spent £500,000 pulling down the old industrial units and a further £3.5 million on building the house, which is approached through electric gates along a snaking gravel drive.
The couple worked with an architect to create a five-bedroom home that ticked all the boxes required under their planning permission, while reflecting their own unique style.
As a condition of giving consent for such a large house, the council insisted the build must have architectural merit – so the couple built it in the traditional style of famous British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens.
Glitzy: The home's reception area is styled on a nightclub - and it even boasts its own bar
The helipad on the lawn has seen regular use as the couple often charter a helicopter to take them to Ascot, Epsom and Goodwood. 'It's a great way to get in to London – I can be at a meeting in town in 12 minutes,' says Jon.
The house has been designed to maximise stunning views over both the North and South Downs, and the influence of the family's time in Cannes is in evidence in the balustrades and palm trees on the terrace.
'This house is ridiculously 'high spec' because we built it for ourselves. It reflects our personalities. My wife and I created it from the drawing board,' says Jon
Inside, the 'nightclub-style' open plan reception area leads down to a sunken living space with vaulted ceiling. It has lasers, mood lighting, smoke machines, a dancing pole and a white leather and cubic zirconia bar, modelled on that found in the Fifth Floor Bar of London department store Harvey Nichols.
'This house is ridiculously 'high spec' because we built it for ourselves. It reflects our personalities. My wife and I created it from the drawing board,' says Jon.
Sir Edwin Lutyens designed the Grade I listed Cenotaph that stands in Whitehall, London. It was erected in 1919 for the Allied Victory Parade
Built for Queen Mary by Sir Edwin between 1921 and 1924, the dolls house is a perfect replica in miniature of an aristocratic home
From life below stairs to the high-society setting of the saloon and dining room, no detail was forgotten
The enormous bespoke kitchen is his favourite room in the house, with its huge granite kitchen island. 'We had it shipped from Rio in one complete piece,' he says.
Other extravagances include mature olive trees imported from Tuscany and gold-leaf tiles in the bathrooms. Everything in the house can be controlled by iPhone, including the music, temperature and CCTV.
Jon and Victoriya now have two children together, Alexander, seven, and Francesca, five. Jon, who recently set up another aviation company, this time supplying parts to the defence industry, also has a 13-year-old son, William, from a previous relationship.
The family are now on the move again. They have just bought a €2.85 million house in Sardinia and a £2 million yacht and plan to buy a smaller house as a West Sussex base once they've sold Thakeham Manor.
Knebworth House in Hertfordshire, designed by Sir Edwin, is owned Lord Cobbold, Henry Lytton-Cobbold
Another one of his designs, Renishaw Hall, Derbyshire, is currently owned by Alexandra Hayward
Groups are welcome to visit Mothecombe House in Plymouth, owned by Mr and Mrs A Mildmay-White
Glitzy: The home's reception area is styled on a nightclub - and it even boasts its own bar
'This house is ridiculously 'high spec' because we built it for ourselves. It reflects our personalities. My wife and I created it from the drawing board,' says Jon
Sir Edwin Lutyens designed the Grade I listed Cenotaph that stands in Whitehall, London. It was erected in 1919 for the Allied Victory Parade
Built for Queen Mary by Sir Edwin between 1921 and 1924, the dolls house is a perfect replica in miniature of an aristocratic home
From life below stairs to the high-society setting of the saloon and dining room, no detail was forgotten
Knebworth House in Hertfordshire, designed by Sir Edwin, is owned Lord Cobbold, Henry Lytton-Cobbold
Another one of his designs, Renishaw Hall, Derbyshire, is currently owned by Alexandra Hayward
Groups are welcome to visit Mothecombe House in Plymouth, owned by Mr and Mrs A Mildmay-White
SIR EDWIN LUTYENS: ONE OF BRITAIN'S GREATEST ARCHITECTS
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens has been referred to as 'the greatest British architect'
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens has been referred to as 'the greatest British architect'.
He designed the Grade I listed Cenotaph that stands in Whitehall, London.
It was erected in 1919 for the Allied Victory Parade and was intended to commemorate the victims of the First World War.
But it is now used to remember all of the dead in all wars in which British servicemen and women have fought.
He is known for having an instrumental role in designing and building a section of the metropolis of Delhi, known as New Delhi.
In collaboration with Sir Herbert Baker, he was also the main architect of several monuments including the India Gate in Delhi.
He also designed Viceroy's House, which is now known as the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
It is regarded as his most important building and combined aspects of classical architecture with Indian decoration.
In 1924 he completed the supervision of the construction of what is perhaps his most popular design: Queen Mary's Dolls' House.
This four-storey Palladian villa was built in 1/12 scale and is now a permanent exhibit in the public area of Windsor Castle.
He married Emily Lytton, daughter of a Viceroy of India, in 1897.
After World War I Lutyens became architect to the Imperial War Graves Commission, for which he designed the Cenotaph, the Great War Stone and military cemeteries in France.
His vast project for the Roman Catholic cathedral at Liverpool was incomplete at his death.
He also designed the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, which remembers 72,195 British and South African men who died in the Battles of the Somme.
It is the largest British battle memorial in the world and was built between 1928 and 1932.
He also designed the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, which remembers 72,195 British and South African men
The All-India War Memorial Arch, popularly known as India Gate, is one of Lutyens' great war memorials
The Viceroy's House, which is now known as the Rashtrapati Bhavan, combined aspects of classical architecture with Indian decoration
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2798435/sir-edwin-lutyens-iphone-generation-millionaire-businessman-6m-home-built-style-revered-architect-modern-twists.html#ixzz3Gc2JmE2G
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Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens has been referred to as 'the greatest British architect'
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens has been referred to as 'the greatest British architect'.
He designed the Grade I listed Cenotaph that stands in Whitehall, London.
It was erected in 1919 for the Allied Victory Parade and was intended to commemorate the victims of the First World War.
But it is now used to remember all of the dead in all wars in which British servicemen and women have fought.
He is known for having an instrumental role in designing and building a section of the metropolis of Delhi, known as New Delhi.
In collaboration with Sir Herbert Baker, he was also the main architect of several monuments including the India Gate in Delhi.
He also designed Viceroy's House, which is now known as the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
It is regarded as his most important building and combined aspects of classical architecture with Indian decoration.
In 1924 he completed the supervision of the construction of what is perhaps his most popular design: Queen Mary's Dolls' House.
This four-storey Palladian villa was built in 1/12 scale and is now a permanent exhibit in the public area of Windsor Castle.
He married Emily Lytton, daughter of a Viceroy of India, in 1897.
After World War I Lutyens became architect to the Imperial War Graves Commission, for which he designed the Cenotaph, the Great War Stone and military cemeteries in France.
His vast project for the Roman Catholic cathedral at Liverpool was incomplete at his death.
He also designed the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, which remembers 72,195 British and South African men who died in the Battles of the Somme.
It is the largest British battle memorial in the world and was built between 1928 and 1932.
He also designed the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, which remembers 72,195 British and South African men
The All-India War Memorial Arch, popularly known as India Gate, is one of Lutyens' great war memorials
The Viceroy's House, which is now known as the Rashtrapati Bhavan, combined aspects of classical architecture with Indian decoration
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