Historic private estate goes on sale for £65m

Havilland Hall, a historic estate in Guernsey, has entered the market for £65 million. This sprawling property encompasses 80 acres of land and boasts six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, five reception rooms, an indoor pool, and is considered the largest private estate on the island. Its nearly 200-year history includes time under the ownership of marmalade mogul William Keiller, as well as descendants of the original owner who featured acclaimed actresses Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine among their lineage.

Savills estate agents noted that estates of this magnitude are exceptionally rare in the Channel Islands, and likely to garner international attention. Constructed by Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Fiott de Havilland between 1829 and 1830, the estate was later used as the official residence for Guernsey's lieutenant-governors. Initially purchased in 1922, Count Lothair Blücher von Wahlstatt added to the estate's pedigree, whose ancestors traced back to the Prussian leader who aided the Duke of Wellington in defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.

The estate also boasts an affiliation to the broader de Havilland family, whose later members included aviation pioneer Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, as well as actresses Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine. In addition to the main house, the estate also includes five guest cottages, staff quarters, office space, converted farm buildings, a wine cellar, and a games room.

Phillippa Dalby-Welsh, Savills’ head of country department, described Havilland Hall as an "pre-eminent Channel Island estate."