Princess Margaret’s country retreat, home to her famous parties, on public sale for first time
Princess Margaret’s country retreat, home to her famous parties, on public sale for first time
Maya Wilson-AutzenWed, July 15, 2026 at 3:49 PM UTC
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The Old House in Staplefield offers a glimpse into British history - John Senior
The sprawling country retreat of Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones, the Earl of Snowdon, is on the public market for the first time, at a price of £3.95m.
The six-bedroom house, on sale with Blue Book Agency, is set in more than five acres of bucolic countryside.
Dating back to 1481, the Old House – in Staplefield, West Sussex – offers a glimpse into British history.
Situated on the Nymans estate, one of Britain’s most celebrated gardens, the house was acquired by financier Ludwig Messel in 1890, and then passed on to his grandson, and Lord Snowdon’s uncle, visionary designer Oliver Messel.
The home was given to Lord Snowdon, shortly before he married Princess Margaret in 1960 - Ben Wright Photography
The home was given to Lord Snowdon in 1958, shortly before the royal wedding in 1960.
He married Princess Margaret, the sister of Elizabeth II, at Westminster Abbey, and it was the first time a British royal wedding was televised.
Lord Snowdon, a photographer, said the Old House was a place of “Marie Antoinette-like make-believe”, despite the fact it was relatively neglected when it was passed to him, with a crumbling roof and no electricity.
Lord Snowdon spent years turning a crumbling wreck into a modern home - Ben Wright Photography
He spent years transforming it and by the mid-1960s, an invitation to the country house was highly coveted.
The estate agency says guests would travel from London in “Aston Martins and Bentleys for weekends of cocktails, conversation and house parties that have since become part of society folklore”.
After marriage Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon made their home in an apartment in Kensington Palace and used the West Sussex house as a retreat - Princess Margaret Engagement
A star-studded guest list included Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, Peter Sellers, Bianca Jagger and Edna O’Brien.
This period went on to inspire an episode of the Netflix series The Crown, the listing highlights.
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Elements of this history are noticeable throughout the Old House.
The home is set in five acres of countryside - Ben Wright Photography
A folly has been fashioned in the garden from a balcony salvaged from the Royal Box at Ascot Racecourse before a refurbishment in the 1960s.
The listing also highlights a “secret” that cannot be revealed until a viewing: “Peep through the letterbox…well, that secret must be seen and not spoilt ahead of a visit.”
Meanwhile one of the bathrooms remains lined with newspaper cuttings featuring royal scandals and celebrity news from the early 20th century, assembled by Lord Snowdon.
A bathroom remains lined with newspaper cuttings from the early 20th century - Ben Wright Photography
The original Tudor beams and Georgian panelling are still in place, alongside modern updates added by the current owners.
Theo James-Wright, of Blue Book Agency, says the home is “genuinely liveable”.
“Increasingly, buyers are looking for houses with real character and provenance, but on a scale that feels manageable and easy to enjoy,” he explains.
Estate agents have described the home as ‘genuinely liveable’ and at a ‘manageable scale’ - Ben Wright Photography
There are four bathrooms, a dressing room, and the country essentials such as a pantry and boot room.
The kitchen – complete with an Aga – opens on to terraces with views of the lake, where you will find stepping stones, bridges and an island pavilion. These stepping stones were opened by the late Queen Mother in a formal ceremony.
A plethora of outbuildings includes a pool house (for the heated swimming pool), a garden office, library and tractor shed.
“There are country houses and then there are houses that become part of the national story. The Old House falls firmly into the latter category,” says James-Wright.
“This was a place where royalty mixed with artists, actors, writers and designers, where some of the most influential figures of the 20th century gathered behind closed doors. Very few houses can genuinely claim to have witnessed such a remarkable chapter of British cultural history.”
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
