A historic observatory located between the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and the Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club has been placed on the market for £18 million. The property, set within a 6.5-acre plot, is offered on a leasehold basis from the Crown Estate until September 2164 and is being sold through a Cayman Islands SVP company structure by Charlie Willis London.
The building, originally used for meteorological research, features what is believed to be the world's oldest revolving telescope dome with its original brass hand-cranked mechanism still operational. Although the original telescope has been relocated to a museum, visitors can still open the dome to observe the stars. Two 18th-century stone markers on the surrounding golf course grounds, historically used to align the observatory's transit telescopes with the true north-south meridian, remain intact.
After the Met Office vacated the observatory in 1980, the building was leased by the Crown Estate for commercial office use but had stood empty since 2011. Between 2014 and 2018, Robbie Brothers, the current resident Patrick Brothers’ father, undertook an extensive renovation to convert the former laboratory and offices into a private family home. Although the structure was never originally residential, Robbie Brothers designed the interior to emulate Georgian-era aesthetics, incorporating chinoiserie elements influenced by the Georgian period’s fascination with Chinese artistry.
Today, Patrick Brothers lives at the observatory with his wife and three children. The Grade I listed property retains many original features alongside modern amenities, including an Otis lift, air conditioning, underfloor heating, security glazing, and an advanced lighting system. The home also includes a library containing around 6,000 books, a dining room decorated with hand-painted Chinese silk wallpaper based on an 18th-century East India Company painting, and several bedroom suites across the upper floors and basement.
The grounds are notable for the observatory's historic relationship with the adjacent Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club, established in 1892. Scientists initially secured a buffer zone of Crown Estate land to protect sensitive instruments from noise and vibrations created by golfers and maintenance staff. Despite this, golf balls frequently land on the property, with Patrick Brothers noting he collects about ten balls weekly from the estate.
The observatory remains open to the public for 28 days annually with guided tours of its reception rooms, maintaining certain tax exemptions linked to its ownership within a corporate structure. Planning permission is also in place for a substantial modern extension to be added to the building. The sale offers potential buyers a rare opportunity to own a unique piece of scientific and architectural heritage that combines historical significance with bespoke residential features.