A Gothic-style mansion that belonged to Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood for over a decade just hit the market for $24.9 million. Built by Queen Victoria as a hunting lodge for Prince Albert, the home is just nine miles from the center of London but feels like a country estate. The property backs onto 2,500-acre Richmond Park, the largest of London’s eight royal parks, where red and fallow deer roam freely. A boundary wall keeps them at bay without obstructing the views.
When Ronnie and his then-wife Jo bought the wisteria-clad property in 1997, the secluded grounds hadn’t been touched since the 1970s. The couple upgraded and extended the home, adding a conservatory, staff quarters and a lavish indoor pool—preserving its historic legacy while perfecting the space for entertaining. Ronnie celebrated both his 50th and 60th birthday celebrations at the house, and their children Jamie and Leah got married in the gardens. Every summer, up to 300 guests let their hair down at wild parties known as Woodfests. After the couple split up and Ronnie moved out in 2008, Jo gave the house another makeover and it sold in 2010 for $13.9 million.
Set behind high gates, the three-story, 18,751 square-foot property contains eight ensuite bedrooms spread over the upper two floors, a three-bedroom cottage, a two-bedroom lodge, and a swimming pool complex containing a jacuzzi, steam room and sauna. Although grand, with original features such as arched doors and dark wooden paneling, the main house is informal rather than stuffy. The principal reception room is kitted out as a home movie theatre with a retractable projector screen. In the Shaker-inspired kitchen, the ceiling is adorned with tin tiles that replicate the intricate plasterwork in the dining room. There’s a bar in the breakfast room, once Ronnie’s billiards room. Its eco-credentials are impressive: much of the property runs on green energy, fruit and vegetables grow in the garden, and a chicken coop provides fresh eggs.
There are various reminders that the house used to belong to rock royalty. Ronnie’s recording studio still occupies the basement, his sculptures are displayed in the garden and a portrait of Keith Richards hangs in the wine cellar.
“The rich and uniquely varied heritage—spanning monarchy and music—lives on throughout the property in its eclectic blend of grand stateliness, regal grandeur and rock and roll bohemianism,” Oliver Hamilton, advisor at DDRE Global, told Observer. “This is a real one-off and an incredibly rare find. We’ve received a great deal of interest already from all over the world, well before it’s formally launched to the market.”
The home is a stone’s throw from the Coombe Estate, a private enclave whose famous residents have included Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba, British prime minister William Gladstone, and General Dwight D Eisenhower—who rented from 1942 to 1944 while planning D-Day operations.
