It’s not often a house comes up for sale that can lay claim to the following former occupants: George Lowe (King George II’s Royal Master Gardener), Capability Brown (the landscape gardener of the 18th century) and Grand Duchess Xenia of Russia (the sister of Russia’s last Emperor, Nicholas II).

Constructed in 1742, the Georgian manor house was created with the intended use of providing an official residence for the Royal Master Gardener to first King George II and later King George III. In 1881, the Royal Household decided that Wilderness House and Prestbury House should be used as grace and favour residences. Between 1937 to 1960, Wilderness House was provided to the Grand Duchess Xenia of Russia as her official London residence whilst Prestbury House served as offices, administration and accommodation for her staff and family. It is supposedly from here that she had to deal with the claims of impostor Anna Anderson, who fraudulently said she was the Grand Duchess Anastasia (until proven a fraud by DNA testing in 1991).

Featuring such luxuries as a wine cellar, staff kitchen, separate artist’s studio and a total of eight bedrooms, the manor also overlooks the Royal Paddocks and Hampton Court Palace, opening onto the 1,100 acres of Bushy Park. Just in case the interested buyer decides to change their mind at the last minute, the house can be let for £4,500 per week during the current lockdown. How convenient.