MANSION SOLD FOR £7.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 15, 28 October 1932, Page 6

MANSION SOLD FOR £7.

ENGLISH "WHITE ELEPHANT" BIDS AT AUCTION SALE. Only £7 was realised at- an auction sale iii Nottingham lately for St. Heliers. The Park, Nottingham, the residence of the late Lord Trent, formerly Sir Jesse Boot, who had spent many thousands of pounds on the mansion. The bidding started at £5, and when it reached £7 the property was knocked down to Mr H. Wightman. There was no reserve pn it. The auctioneer told a reporter that the reason why such a low figure was realised was that the immense house is a, ''white elephant." . . "It is leasehold," the auctioneer said, "and although there is about 50 years of the lease to run there is a ground rent of £ll6 a year, which has to he paid to the estate of the Dlukeof Newcastle whether the property is occupied or not. The house cannot be pulled down, and there are restrictive covenants on it which prevent it from being used for flats or any other purpose than a dwelling. "We did not expect to get a bid at all. I think we should have sold even if avo had only been offered os. The house has no market value whatever, unless some rich man happened to take a fancy to it. It is in a good state of repair,' but has not been lived in for 10 years." Among the additions made to the house by the late Lord Trent was an immense conservatory. He also had a tower constructed to contain a lift at the time when he became too ill to walk upstairs. Mrl Wightman said! after the sale that ho went there to buy some land, and his bidding for the property was a joke with a friend. "When the bidding rose from £5 to £6 my friend said, 'Go on, Herbert, bid seven.' I did, and then the hammer came down."

Mr Wightmari says he hopes to convert the property into flats.