Living at a gallop! Oxfordshire home of society gambler, friend of rock stars and champion jockey Sir William Pigott-Brown is for sale for £3million
- The Oxfordshire mansion was once home to notorious playboy aristocrat Sir William Pigott-Brown
- Sir William was described by the Daily Mail columnist Richard Kay as the ‘sporting baronet’
- He used some of his large inheritance to buy the Oxfordshire country estate called Orchard House
- The spectacular village property is being sold by Savills estate agents with a price tag of £3million
He was a notorious playboy aristocrat who held A-list celebrity parties at his quiet Oxfordshire village mansion.
Sir William Pigott-Brown was described by the Daily Mail’s Richard Kay as the ‘sporting baronet’ who was ‘a cross between Biggles and Bertie Wooster’.
He succeeded to his title at the age of one, but had to wait until he was 21 to receive his inheritance – the equivalent of around £16million in today’s money. He used some of that money to buy an Oxfordshire country estate, part of which is now for sale for £3million via estate agents Savills.
The estate originally had a stud and 1,000 acres of farmland. It was dubbed ‘Sinner Valley’ by envious locals watching the comings and goings of the rock and aristocracy.
The Oxfordshire countryside house was once home to notorious playboy aristocrat Sir William Pigott-Brown
Sir William Pigott-Brown held A-list celebrity parties at his Oxfordshire village mansion (pictured above with glamour model Marilyn Cole in 1978)
The property allowed Sir William to pursue his passion for horses. He became a fearless jockey, and an amateur champion two years in succession.
Among those said to have stayed there were Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, with Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker were also regulars.
On one occasion, a butler was reportedly asked to take a wheelbarrow around the swimming pool collecting empty champagne bottles, drugs paraphernalia and discarded underwear.
Sir William wooed some of the most glamorous women of the age but never married. More recently, he reportedly found contentment with Jan Ross, a former bunny girl and Playboy Club croupier. He died in 2020 in a nursing home in Cape Town.
His former Oxfordshire home is called Orchard House. Much of the accompanying land has been sold off and it is currently being sold with two acres.
It is approached through elaborate wrought iron gates and has been lived in by the present owners since 1981.
The ground floor has three large reception rooms, including one that leads to a conservatory overlooking the garden.
The drive leads around to the rear of the the house, where there is an outdoor swimming pool and a tennis court
The property has seven bedrooms, include this one with a door leading out onto a balcony overlooking the garden
Inside, the property requires some updating but could make a comfortable and modern family home in the countryside
One of the bedrooms is currently being used as a study, perfect for those who are working from home
On the first floor, the main bedroom has a large bathroom and a separate dressing room. There is also a guest bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and five further bedrooms.
The drive leads around the house to the tennis court, swimming pool and coach house – a brick and flint building that had planning consent to convert to a four-bedroom house and garage, but this has now lapsed.
Aston Upthorpe and adjoining Aston Tirrold are picturesque, quintessential Oxfordshire villages on the edge of the Berkshire Downs.
There is good access to transport links, including via the M4 to London. The villages boast an active community, cricket club, three churches, recreation ground and a shared Post Office.
Charles Elsmore-Wickens, of Savills, said: ‘It’s still easy to appreciate the property’s appeal as a countryside residence to impress. Elaborate wrought iron gates give a sense of grandeur and the house, which takes centre stage within private landscaped gardens, is as handsome as it is substantial.
‘With modernisation and some reconfiguration it can be brought back to life as a wonderful family home, with plenty of space for entertaining… although I’m sure local residents would prefer this to be of a more civilised affair than in decades gone by.’
The ground floor has three large reception rooms, including this one that leads to a conservatory overlooking the garden
The grounds include this brick and flint building that had planning consent to convert to a four-bedroom house and garage, but this has now lapsed
Much of the original 1,000 acres that came with the house has been sold off and it is currently being sold with two acres
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