Passalacqua, a luxury boutique hotel on the shores of Lake Como in Italy has been named the best hotel in the world for 2023.

It tops the first-ever World’s 50 Best Hotels list, with the towering Rosewood Hong Kong, set in the city’s Victoria Dockside arts and design district with stunning views over the harbour, taking second place.

Twenty-one of the winning properties are in Europe, with London ‘solidifying its reputation as a global travel hub’, according to the awards, as it boasts four hotels on the list – Claridge’s (No.16), The Connaught (No.22), NoMad London (No.46) and The Savoy (No.47).

Two other UK properties are also winners: Gleneagles in Scotland (No.32) – recipient of the Art of Hospitality Award, announced in August – and The Newt in Bruton, Somerset (No.37), which has been awarded the Carlo Alberto Best Boutique Hotel Award.

The top-ranked U.S property is Aman New York, which MailOnline Travel reviewed in glowing terms last year. It ranks 25th on the list, way ahead of the next U.S entry – Equinox New York, which comes 48th. 

Flying the flag for Australia is The Calile in Brisbane, which comes 12th.

Winner Passalacqua is located in an 18th-century villa, explains the awards, with ‘spectacular terraced gardens running down to the water’. There are 24 rooms at the ‘exquisite’ property, which the judges say ‘has the feel of a private home’.

Tim Brooke-Webb, Managing Director for The World’s 50 Best Hotels, comments: ‘Huge congratulations to Passalacqua for the achievement of making it to No.1, just two years after opening. It’s a true testament to the vision of the De Santis family, who has created this sublime sanctuary for guests with painstaking devotion to design detail, exquisite hospitality and distinctive magic, which has clearly made a lasting impression on our Academy of expert voters.’

Meanwhile, Asia is home to 18 of The World’s 50 Best Hotels, including four properties at the top end of the list. After Rosewood Hong Kong in second place comes the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River (No.3), The Upper House in Hong Kong (No.4) and Aman Tokyo (No.5).

Within 20 metres of a beach, Soneva Fushi (No.7), in the Maldives, is also named the Lost Explorer Best Beach Hotel.

Singita Lodges in the Kruger National Park in South Africa, the smallest property on the list with just 18 rooms, takes the No.15 spot, as well as the Flor de Cana Eco Hotel Award.

The awards says: ‘Known for their environmentally conscious hospitality, the lodges are located within 33,000 acres of pristine wilderness where a unique wildlife population thrives across four distinct ecological zones, offering travellers an exciting and luxurious way of experiencing African wildlife, without disturbing the environment.’

The gongs were handed out tonight at an awards ceremony at the historic Guildhall in London.

The list is created from the votes of The World’s 50 Best Hotels Academy, which comprises 580 international ‘well-travelled experts’ within the hotel and travel industry, with a 50-50 gender balance.

You can have your own jailhouse rock! Two-bed flat with prison basement inside converted courthouse is available to rent for £750-a-month

• The property is converted from Wakefield’s old Magistrates Court 
• Original prison cells are available to rent as storage space for an additional cost 

By Ryan Prosser

Updated: 11:32 EDT, 12 September 2023

We had Yuppies flaunting their wealth decades ago but is the housing market now so bad that we’re producing Guppies — the under-40s who have Given Up on Property altogether?

Data from Halifax shows that the average deposit for those buying their first home last year was just over £62,450 — up 8 per cent on the average in 2021.

In London, it was an eye-watering £125,378, about a quarter of the capital’s average property price. 

A survey by comparison service Uswitch claims the typical home in 25 per cent of England’s postcodes will be unaffordable to local buyers by 2025.

Zoopla says that over a third of those earning £60,000 or more annually have scrapped plans to buy in the next ten years.

Estate agency Hamptons states that young Londoners would have to move 25 miles outside the capital to afford a home on the basis of their average wage. 

Little wonder Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under pressure to reintroduce the Help To Buy Equity Loan Scheme, launched in 2013 and used by more than 350,000 people to purchase their first home. 

Some said it inflated house prices before its end in March, but many expect an announcement at October’s Tory Party conference that it will return.

So in the meantime is there a way on to the ladder in this era of high house prices and high interest rates?

An obvious route is to apply to the Bank of Mum and Dad. Savills estate agency says 171,000 first-time buyers had family help with a deposit in 2022 — a fall on 2021’s total because fewer purchases were being made across the housing spectrum in response to rising interest rates.

If family help is unavailable or not enough by itself, there are several government schemes open to first-time buyers.

1. Mortgage guarantee

The Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee Scheme ends in December and aims to boost the number of mortgages available with just a 5 per cent deposit.

Since its launch in 2021 there’s been a big rise in 95 per cent mortgages — not just from lenders in the scheme — and any type of home priced below £600,000 is eligible. More details at www.gov.uk.

2. First Homes Scheme

This sells new-build homes to first-time buyers at 30 to 50 per cent below market value. It operates in England only and is open to those earning below £80,000 (or £90,000 in London). 

Some council rules vary and priority is given to key workers and those on low incomes.

First Home properties cannot cost more than £250,000 (£420,000 in London) after the discount has been applied. 

But not all developers take part and critics say the scheme inflates asking prices.

3. Shared Ownership

This gives the opportunity to buy 25 to 75 per cent of a property with a mortgage and pay rent for the rest. 

Over time you can increase your owned share up to 100 per cent. 

Again this is mostly on new-build properties and different schemes operate in different parts of the UK. Most properties are in blocks or estates so have service charges too.

4. Rent To Buy

Homes are made available through housing associations at a discounted rent of 80 per cent of local market value, with the expectation that tenants can save the rest towards a deposit and buy a share of the property with a mortgage later on.

In most cases when you buy you get back 25 per cent of the rent you have paid plus half of any increase in the property value since you moved in. 

This all goes towards your deposit. To be eligible your household must earn less than £60,000 a year.

5. Right to Buy

This scheme, introduced 35 years ago under Margaret Thatcher, still exists in England and if you are a council tenant you may be able to buy your house or flat with a discount. 

The maximum discount, in London, is £116,200 but for most applicants the figure will be much lower.

6. Lifetime Isa

Nicknamed the Lisa, this account encourages first-time buyers to save for their home. 

You can open one if you’re between 18 and 39 and contribute until your are 50. 

Every year you can save up to £4,000, and the Government will add a 25 per cent bonus of whatever you put in, worth up to £1,000 a year.

Marshalls cuts 250 jobs as property market weakness slows demand

• Adjusted profit before tax down by 26% to £33.2m year-to-year for Q1 
• The group’s adjusted EBITDA down by 8% to £58.8m over the same time period

By Daniel Fessahaye

Published: 07:11 EDT, 16 August 2023 | Updated: 07:11 EDT, 16 August 2023

Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.

China property giant Country Garden warns of £6bn loss

By Calum Muirhead

Published: 16:50 EDT, 11 August 2023 | Updated: 03:31 EDT, 12 August 2023

Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.

A 173-year-old church has been converted into a modern home with luxurious trappings and put on the market for a staggering £2.2 million.

The eight-bed property, found near Reading, Berkshire, has been kitted out with contemporary decor on the inside.

But many of the original features on the exterior remain intact – offering an impressive contrast to the trendy fittings inside.

Untouched fixtures of The Holy Trinity Church include stone walls and colourful stained-glass windows that depict religious imagery that have remained untouched.

When daylight hits the historic artwork, it changes colour before shining onto and reflecting off the large glass dining table.

The living room area, which typically would have been used to host a church choir, holds several original religious items including crucifixes, scriptures, as well as an altar.

It has been transformed with a modern fireplace and velvet sofas, with the flooring also updated.

In one of the bedrooms, there is a free-standing bathtub, adding to the luxury vibe of the property.

Many of the bedrooms also have slanted roofs thanks to the church’s original design.

The stunning property from 1850 has seven bathrooms in total. And the entire house has been updated to include modern trappings such as security cameras and energy-saving smart home kit.

‘Victorian Church to Contemporary Home. In 2017 in the rural village of Grazeley, Berkshire, the conversion of a Victorian Grade 2 Listed Church was completed,’ the listing reads.

‘It has been transformed into a beautiful, sophisticated and unique, 5-bedroom home of c.3500 sq. ft. in 2020.

‘The Coach House, an ancillary building was converted, to provide a further 1400 sq. ft of flexible accommodation ideal for staff, additional family members or office/gym/recording studio.

‘The original Victorian church was built in 1850 and the conversion sympathetically retains original features whilst providing flexible living accommodation.

‘The property has a completely new roof and flooring system with a self-supporting steel frame for the new 5-bedroom home.

‘Essentially, this is a new house built within a church.

‘High-tech with all the latest facilities, including underfloor heating, ventilation system, CCTV with clever and energy-saving smart-home technology.

‘The original church door leads into an impressive entrance hall which in turn leads to the Dining Room and Lounge.

‘This huge open space has the pulpit and the stunning stained-glass windows have been retained, extraordinary ceiling heights and feature lighting create Wow-factor in abundance.

‘The ‘new house’ sits perfectly inside the church with two additional floors making use of the high ceilings.’

The home is being marketed by the Unique Property Company, London.

Sir Richard Branson‘s newest luxury hotel – Son Bunyola Hotel and Villas – in Mallorca has officially opened, with first-look photographs showcasing bedrooms, an en-suite bathroom, the property’s vast infinity pool and more.

The hotel boasts 26 rooms and suites and is set in a 16th-century finca (a rural estate) ‘bursting with almond and olive groves, vines and citrus fruit trees’.

The 1,300-acre estate is positioned in the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, a Unesco World Heritage site on Mallorca’s north-western coast.

The hotel, part of the Virgin Limited Edition portfolio, has been ‘elegantly designed’ by local architect Gras, a statement said, and comprises the main finca and the tafona (mill), which previously contained a historic olive press, as well as several annexe buildings.

The tafona is home to two ‘stunning’ showcase suites with terraces and the hotel also boasts two unique ‘Tower Suites’ with panoramic mountain and sea views – one of which was once a Medieval defence tower dating back to the 13th century.

There are two restaurants at the hotel – a Mediterranean restaurant and a tapas restaurant – and several outdoor dining terraces, all led by Executive Chef Samuel G. Galdon 

The statement said: ‘The finca has been meticulously restored during the development project, proudly retaining all original features to seamlessly blend new design with historical elements to celebrate and bring into view the rich history of the building.

‘Intricate details are showcased at every corner of the new hotel from the original floor tiles and staircase, to the historic oil press and original altar, which now takes centre stage in the hotel’s Sa Terrassa restaurant.’

Guests can avail themselves of a ‘comprehensive wellness programme’ that ‘complements the hotel’s natural surrounds’, with outdoor yoga sessions within the estate on offer, as well as historical walks around the protected Unesco World Heritage Site.

There’s also the 28-metre swimming pool to enjoy, which offers sweeping views across the nearby ‘Foradada’ rock formation that juts into the sea and the surrounding countryside.

Sir Richard notes that this landscape is terrific cycling country.

He said: ‘I truly believe we have the very best and most unspoilt location on the island. There are olive groves, vineyards, and some of the best hiking and cycling in the world. I’m hoping it will bring back the magic to those who can remember our original boutique hotel in Mallorca from the early days.’

He added: ‘Mallorca has long held a very special place in my heart since I first visited as a young boy with my Mum and Dad. It inspired me to help create a beautiful property in Deia many many years ago, and we turned it into a wonderful small family hotel. Over time it grew, so I sold the hotel and started looking for a new place to call home in Mallorca, and I was fortunate enough to discover something even more special – Son Bunyola.’

Sir Richard bought the Son Bunyola estate in 1987. But he sold it in 2002 after he was refused planning permission to build a luxury boutique hotel on the land.

Then, in 2015, the Son Bunyola estate went back on the market and the tycoon snapped it up for £11million from the couple he sold it to 13 years earlier and incorporated it into the Virgin Limited Edition collection.

Vincent Padioleau, General Manager of Son Bunyola Hotel and Villas commented: ‘This is such an exciting time as we launch the first European hotel for Virgin Limited Edition. And I couldn’t be prouder of this passion project that will undoubtedly live up to all of the Virgin Limited Edition values and experiences in one of the most incredible locations in Mallorca.

‘A huge part of our DNA has always been about community and we’re so grateful for all of the support we’ve had from our local partners. Over 80 per cent of our staff recruited for the new hotel are Spanish and we hope that figure will grow even further. What’s more, this really is just the beginning for Son Bunyola as we now work towards not only creating one of the best luxury hotels in Mallorca, but also bringing back the agricultural side of the estate that was once farmland and vineyards. We’ve planted more than 200 trees in the past few months as we start to develop this further and look forward to having our own olives and almonds by next year, and Malvasia wine from 2026 – which was first recorded back in 1275.’

In addition to the hotel, it’s possible to book into three villas on the estate – Sa Punta de S’Aguila, Sa Terra Rotja and Son Balagueret.

Sa Punta de S’Aguila, meaning Eagle’s Point in Spanish, is built in the traditional Mallorcan-style and has five en-suite bedrooms, a heated swimming pool, kitchen, living and dining area.

Sa Terra Rotja, translated from the local language to mean red earth, boasts four en-suite bedrooms and a heated pool.

Son Balagueret, the newest villa, is a ‘traditional and secluded four-bedroom Mallorcan villa with plenty of space for guests to relax and take in the beautiful views of the Mediterranean Sea’.

Rental prices for the villas include all drinks, meals, concierge and housekeeping services and Wi-Fi.

The other properties in the Virgin Limited Edition group are Mahali Mzuri in Kenya, Necker Island and Moskito Island in the British Virgin Islands, Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco, The Lodge in Verbier in the Swiss Alps, and Ulusaba and Mont Rochelle in South Africa.

For more information and to book a stay at Son Bunyola Hotel, visit www.sonbunyola.virgin.com. Rooms cost from 600 euros (£515/$655) per night on a bed and breakfast basis. 

Up to one in ten properties in some regions of the country are holiday homes according to new census data released by the Office of National Statistics. 

Using data from last year’s census and cross referenced with other databases, including council tax receipts, researchers have determined there are 70,000 properties in England and Wales that are primarily used as holiday homes and visited by some 200,000 people. 

Although, the people of Slough have no need to worry as there is not one registered holiday home in the area. 

Across Cornwall, there are 6,800 holiday homes – with many of those registered to people in London. 

The fascinating figures show that most Welsh people with holiday homes remain within the country. 

Many of the most popular areas with second homes are within the Peak District and Lake District national parks, or in coastal regions.  

The villages and towns of north Norfolk have long been a hotspot for second home ownership, although locals say that demand for property in the area has surged since the pandemic.

Well-heeled buyers are attracted by the unspoiled countryside and the beautiful stretches of coastline, as well as the abundant wildlife ranging from the seals at Blakeney Point to the huge populations of migrating birds.

The large number of second homes has boosted the hospitality industry with scores of gastro pubs and restaurants competing to keep visitors and holidaymakers well fed.

But the demand for weekend retreats and holiday homes to let has forced up property prices, making it nearly impossible for key workers or first time buyers to get on the housing ladder in many areas.

Parish councillors in Burnham Market which is nicknamed Chelsea-on-Sea believe that more than half the homes in their village belong to second home owners.

aster and Docking have 130.4 holiday comes per 1,000 properties – only slightly behind Trebetherick and Whitecross in Cornwall, which have 139.5 per 1,000. 

One 65-year-old councillor in the village who asked not to be named, said: ‘There have been second home owners here since the 1930s, and they used to engage with the community with their children playing with the local kids.

‘But a lot are now running their properties as furnished holiday lets which are far more lucrative than long term tenancies so there is a constant churn of people coming in.

‘Tiny workers’ cottages which used to be available to rent are now registered as furnished holiday lets (FHL) as they make much more money.

‘If people register their properties as being an FHL, they don’t have to pay council tax which has knock on effect on the local community. It means that people who live here full time have to pay more.

‘The high number of FHL properties forces up house prices. It is a pernicious circle and means local people cannot afford anything, and there are virtually no rentals available for them.

‘We have a new doctor’s surgery here, but nursing and admin staff cannot afford to live in the village. There are plenty of shops here to cater for all the visitors, but they are not much use for local people because they are too expensive and not selling the right stuff.’

Estate agent Steve Mayes who works in Burnham Market estimated that more than one in four properties on the market in the area ended up being bought as second homes with the vast majority being purchased for cash.

He said: ‘Everyone is going in about interest rates this week, but around here only one in ten sales have a mortgage, so it does not affect the market.

‘I specialise in selling properties between £500,000 and £2 million. The level of wealth pouring into north Norfolk largely since Covid is just astounding.

‘Properties costing £2million are being sold as weekend bolt holes, largely to cash buyers. The number of houses being bought as holiday lets or holiday homes is possibly as high as 35 per cent.

‘Sadly it has forced up prices. It is an undeniable fact that first time buyers and local people are pushed out. First time buyer properties are in critically short supply. It is exasperated by the demand for holiday homes within a two hour drive of London.’

But Maxwell Graham-Wood who has owned Satchells independent wine merchants in Burnham Market for 33 years, said: ‘We love second home owners. They are the ones who spend the money.

‘The whole second home and rental cottage market has changed since Covid. A lot were being rented out when there were foreign travel restrictions and there was a boom in demand for staycations.

‘Now we have noticed more owners using their homes themselves. Wealth has got nothing to do with it. We have got wines priced from £7-£9 to £500, but our sweet spot is around £12 to £15 a bottle.

‘Second home owners are just people who like coming here to play tennis, golf, sail, or go bird watching or whatever. People also choose to stay here more if they can work from home, or if they want to avoid train strikes.

‘We used to have people with a big property in London and a small place up here, but in recent years it is more common for them to have a pierre de terre in London and a bigger property here.’

Oliver Nelson, the assistant manager at Satchells, said: ‘People make comparisons with the second home population in Cornwall, but it is very different here.

‘A lot of second home owners have lived here for years, even growing up here, and we know them on a first name basis. Their families have been here for generations.

‘When people rent holiday cottages, they love it so much that you see them returning again the same week every year.’

Retired call centre manager Alec Maycock, 68, of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, who is currently renting a two bedroom cottage in Burnham Market for ten days with wife Beverley, 67, at a cost of £960, said: ‘We love it here. The coast is fantastic and there is lots to see.

‘This is our third time staying in Norfolk. The first time we were out in the sticks a bit, and there was nothing to do in the evening. Then we started renting in the village so we can just walk out to a pub or restaurant.’

Retired teacher Mrs Maycock said: ‘We come from Yorkshire, and we usually find we get better weather here. It is a lovely place to visit for a few days. The independent shops are all wonderful.’

Motor home owner Terry Laws-Randall, 68, of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, who was visiting Burnham Market while staying in nearby Heacham with the East Anglia Branch of the Motor Caravanners Club, said he was upset by the high prices in the village.

He said: ‘Where we are staying in Heacham, it is about £3 for a pint of beer, but here it is around £6. The prices are outrageous. Even just a ploughman’s lunch was £19.

‘Luckily prices are more reasonable at the fish and chip shop. We paid £14 for cod and chips with ten scampi. Don’t get me wrong, it is a lovely place to visit. It is all very pretty and the architecture is very interesting – but there is a lack of affordable pubs’

Retired engineer Alan from Colchester, Essex, who was also staying in his motorhome in Heacham, said: ‘I can see why Burnham Market is so popular with second home place.

‘There are lots of individual shops, selling stuff you won’t get anywhere else. I have just bought a couple of glasses, a little cabinet for keys and a mat for our motor home. We have driven to France, Devon and Cornwall, but this area is brilliant.’

Retired Metropolitan police chief inspector Peter Doolan of Hertfordshire who is staying with wife Julie in her cousin’s holiday home in Weybourne, Norfolk, said: ‘We come here once or twice a year. There are certainly a lot of holiday lets.

‘Weybourne has got a lovely pebble beach, and we can just jump on one of the Coastal Hopper buses to get around.’

Mrs Doolan, a retired nurse, added: ‘We love the area. The villages and countryside are beautiful.

‘The fact that it is popular with holidaymakers has possibly improved some pubs and places. The pub in Weybourne was a bit of a dump when we first started coming here, but now it is vastly improved.

‘But it must be frustrating for the locals to see all the people here in the holiday season, and see numerous empty houses in the winter.’

Helen Millin, the owner of Norfolk Hideaways which lets out 650 properties across north Norfolk and down to the Broads, said: ‘Our business has grown since the pandemic.

‘When people were able to travel during Covid, they came up here and fell in love with Norfolk. People love the beaches, the wildlife and peacefulness and the nice communities here. There is a focus on family, and people wanting to spend time together.

‘Holiday letting supports local communities and creates employment, whether it is in hospitality or catering, housekeeping or maintenance.

At least half the homes in Brancaster and nearby Brancaster Staithe which overlooks coastal marshes in north Norfolk, are believed tp be second homes or holiday lets.;

Simon Bower, the clerk of Brancaster parish said: ‘It is very difficult to get an accurate figure, but there are certainly lots of very affluent people who buy property here.

‘A lot of them were living here all the time during lockdown, but a highish number of homes are rented out as holiday homes.

‘There is a strong sense of community and people do take part in things. It is a fairly cohesive community and there is no animosity, but it is fair to say that there is tension from time to time. Some people want to restrict the number of second homes.

‘I think the attraction of the area is that it is remote, but you can drive here from London in two and a half hours. Once you are here you can’t go anywhere else. Nobody goes to Norfolk on the way somewhere.

‘It is slightly wild with dark skies and well of the beaten track. It is a feeling of space and being able to breathe.

‘There has been a trend for cottages to be bought, and then knocked down for a new home to be built. Sometimes there are applications to build three new homes on a plot of land.’

 The figures collated by the ONS show 4.1 per cent of all second addresses can be found in areas of national beauty or national parks. 

The ONS said they only counted people living in living in England and Wales and who spent at least 30 days a year at their second address. Experts believe the true number of holiday homes could be even higher. 

Some 14,230 people stay at 6,080 holiday homes across Cornwall for at least 30 days each year. 

North Wales and Anglesey are very popular destinations, and when taking into account the small local population, they have the highest proportion of holiday homes of anywhere in England and Wales.  

The number of Britons using a domestic holiday home has increased from 42.3 per cent in 2011 to 48.5 per cent in the 2021 census. 

Surprisingly, four out of ten holiday home owners travel less than 60 miles to their second property.  One in fifty did not even leave their local authority area. 

In London, 93,650 residents said they had a holiday home in the UK, with one in four remaining within the south of England. One in ten have homes in the south west. 

The figures show that Londoners are least likely to travel to the North East or Northern Ireland. 

Whereas, almost a quarter of people from the West Midlands hop over the border to Wales – a similar percentage of those who live in the north West.  

In Gwynedd and Anglesey, the local populations have fallen since the 2011 census, while the number of holiday homes in both locations have increased. 

The Inspector calls at Cliveden House, the hotel where Meghan Markle stayed before the royal wedding. However, he doesn’t exactly get the royal treatment. Here’s his verdict…

By The Inspector

Updated: 05:12 EDT, 20 June 2023

Advertisement

Mulberry founder Roger Saul is selling his eight-bedroom manor house for £8million.

The 268-acre estate, Abbots Sharpham in Somerset, is just a few miles from Glastonbury, the site of the annual blockbuster music festival.

Alongside the 15th-century grade II listed manor, the estate boasts an indoor swimming pool, two cottages, a tennis court, working flour mill and deer park.

Mr Saul, 72, founded fashion brand Mulberry in 1971 and turned it into a global powerhouse before he was ousted from the company’s board in 2003. 

He also grows and produces cereal, flour, pasta, risotto and milk, which is sold in Waitrose under Mr Saul’s Sharpham Park brand. 

He bought half of the main manor on his estate for £27,000 in 1977, when the other half was occupied by dairy farmers.

The businessman and his wife Monty then acquired the rest of the property and the estate itself in the ensuing decades.

In 1985, they bought one of the farmers’ outbuildings for £2,000 and installed the pool along with a kitchen, veranda and pizza area. 

In 1993, the couple bought more land and planted 4,000 hardwood trees. 

In 2003, after he had left Mulberry, the farmers opted to sell the estate and the rest of the farmhouse to Mr Saul.

The manor boasts six reception rooms, an orangery, farmhouse kitchen, offices, a study and five bathrooms. 

The staircase begins in the entrance hall and leads to a music room with an open stone fireplace, and elm floorboards. 

The room also features a concealed cupboard and secret door leading to a study containing screens linked to the CCTV security system.

The property’s drawing room has 16th century oak beams, wine cupboard and terrace. 

The kitchen meanwhile has cupboards built from a 19th century pine chemist shop and marble and mahogany worktops. There is also a gas hob and converted electric Aga. 

A hidden door in the kitchen’s paneling leads to the great hall. 

The garden includes a croquet lawn and 17th century ‘six eye waggon house’ which boasts a pizza area and kitchen, along with the indoor pool.  

The tycoon began growing spelt bread on his estate after his sister, who was suffering from cancer, recommended it. 

‘I discovered it was the most amazing grain,’ he told The Times. 

‘Back in the Middle Ages Saint Hildegard of Bingen had said it’s good for the mind, body and soul; the Roman army had used it as their marching bread.’

An archaeologist also found an ancient piece of spelt flatbread on Mr Saul’s land, indicating that it had been grown there thousands of years ago by Iron Age Britons. 

Mr Saul also found that walnuts were once grown on the estate, and so planted an organic walnut orchard which has matured enough to become a commercial venture.

He also grows and produces cereal, flour, pasta, risotto and milk, which is sold in Waitrose under Mr Saul’s Sharpham Park brand.

Mr Saul is selling his home with estate agent Carter Jonas. 

The estate is divided up into four lots which can be bought separately. 

The first includes the house along with the pool, gardens, tennis court, outbuildings, the two cottages, stables deer park, cider orchard and meadows, all set in more than 44 acres.

The second boasts the mill, a warehouse, office, agricultural buildings, solar plant and yards. It also includes the walnut and mixed fruit orchard and a mirror carp pond.

The third and fourth lots make up more than 200 acres of arable land and pasture that is all classified as fully organic.  

His business is being sold separately. 

The businessman said he is selling the estate because he is ‘spending 30 hours a week on the garden and farm’ alone, and wants to have more time to tackle wider issues related to the food supply. 

Abbots Sharpham itself dates back to the Bronze Age. The first known reference to it is in a grant by 10th-century King Eadwig, who ruled England from 955 until his death four years later.

Sharpham then spent the next 275 years passing in and out of the hands of the Abbots of Glastonbury. 

In 1191, the much-maligned King John bequeathed the park to the Abbots.

During the reign of King Henry VIII, Abbot Bere, who had served under the King’s father, Henry VII, built a magnificent manor on the site. 

Sharpham was later granted to Sir Edward Seymour, who became Lord Protector to Henry’s son, Edward VI.

Sir Edward Dyer, poet and courtier to Queen Elizabeth I, was born there in 1641. 

Author Henry Fielding, the author of satirical novel Tom Jones, was born at the estate in 1707. 

In the early 19th century, the property was let to the Laver family, who were one of the largest cattle dealers in the west country. 

Renowned geologist Thomas Hawkins also lived there at around the same time. 

In the 1880s, the estate was regarded as one of the finest farms in Somerset.