Rowneybury House

Rowneybury House /ˈraʊnibəri/, nicknamed Beckingham Palace, is a house in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, England.

Rowneybury House from the air

The property on which Rowneybury stands was part of Pishiobury before being divided in the 1880s.[1] It was owned by Hertfordshire County Council and used as a home for children with learning disabilities. The original property had two upper floors, and a cellar under the majority of the main building. After laying empty for several years, it was purchased from the Council and renovated, then bought in 1999 for £2.5 million by the footballer David Beckham and his wife, the singer Victoria Beckham. The property became dubbed "Beckingham Palace" by the press as a portmanteau of their surname and Buckingham Palace.[2] They spent around £3 million on refurbishment, including a maze designed by James Gardner, in the grounds. In 2001, Victoria Beckham made a virtual tour of the mansion available online.[3][4]

The property was put up for sale by the Beckhams in 2013.[5] The house, with 17 acres of grounds, was bought by the insurance tycoon Neil Utley,[6] chairman of Hastings Direct, and Narmali Utley for £11.35 million in 2014.[2][7]

Rowneybury Cottage, near the entrance to the estate on Harlow Road, is a Grade II listed building.[8][9] This timberframed house, dating from the late 16th-century to early 17th-century, was listed in 1981.[10]