The Holme

The Holme in 2009

The Holme (Saxon: "river island") is a mansion located on Inner Circle by Regent's Park in the City of Westminster, London, England. It was designed by Decimus Burton, as a residence for the Burton family, and built in 1818, by the company of James Burton, who subsequently lived there.[1][2] It has been described as 'one of the most desirable private homes in London' by architectural scholar Guy Williams.[3] Architectural critic Ian Nairn wrote of the house, "If you want a definition of western civilization in a single view, then here it is".[4]

The Holme was the second villa to be built in Regent's Park, and the first of those to be designed or constructed by the Burton family. The house consists of two storeys above ground, as well as offices contained in a basement. The entrance is under an Ionic-style portico and pediments. It has a bow or rotunda decorated by four columns; the bow is surmounted by an attic, and is covered with a well-proportioned cupola.[5] Renovations occurred in 1911 with the addition of wings by Bertie Crewe and again in 1935 when a balustrade replaced an existing dome.[2]

Prior to 1984, The Holme was owned by the Crown Estate. As of March 2023, the mansion was put up for sale by its then owner, Abdullah bin Khalid Al Saud, for a reported price of £250m, making it the most expensive private residence in the UK.[6]

  1. ^ "James Burton [Haliburton], Oxford Dictionary of National Biography".
  2. ^ a b Allinson, Kenneth (21 August 2012). Architects and Architecture of London. Routledge. pp. 134–. ISBN 978-0-7506-8337-1. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  3. ^ Williams, Guy (1990). Augustus Pugin Versus Decimus Burton: A Victorian Architectural Duel. London: Cassell Publishers Ltd. p. 133. ISBN 0-304-31561-3.
  4. ^ Nairn, Ian (1966). Nairn's London (first ed.). p. 87. ISBN 978-0141396156.
  5. ^ London Regent's park (1829). A picturesque guide to the Regent's park; with accurate descriptions of the Colosseum, the diorama, and the zoological gardens (Public domain ed.). pp. 29–. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  6. ^ "It's a mega-mansion gold rush! As the UK's most expensive £250m palace hits the market, Tatler sizes up the rest". Tatler. Retrieved 1 April 2023.