Owners of £17m Jane Austen country house want to replace with mansion

Furious locals have slammed plans to destroy an 'idyllic' £17million country house visited by Jane Austen after its new owners called it 'tired and unmanaged'.

The proposal to demolish Ashe Park, a Hampshire residence where the celebrated author loved to spend her time, has been submitted by the new homeowners, believed to be from Hong Kong or China.

The 232-acre estate near Basingstoke has been described as a 'perfect elegant country home' sitting amongst rolling parkland and space for shooting and fishing in the grounds.

The house itself has seven bedrooms including a 'palatial' master chamber, five reception rooms and an 'ornate' library.

There are also several outbuildings including a 'party barn' with a cinema, a polo ground, and an 'exceptional' garden with fruit trees and wildflowers.

But its new owners feel it is 'tired and unmanaged', 'lacks architectural merit' and want to replace it with an entirely new house.

Property records show Ashe Park was bought in October 2022 for an eye-watering £17million by Shuk Ting Sharon Leung and Gillian Sin Hang Ho. 

The oldest parts of the property date back to the 1600s and historic literary figure Austen wrote in her letters about attending balls there in the 1790s.

Austen was born in Steventon Rectory, just a mile from the house, and next year is the 250th anniversary of the Pride and Prejudice author's birth.

Planning documents show that the new owners claim the current property is 'tired and unmanaged'.

Now they plan to demolish the main house, two outbuildings and a former bottling plant to build a 'traditional country house' connected to an indoor swimming pool.

They plan to build a 'Queen Anne architectural style' house to take centre stage on the estate.

The plan has been met with anger by local residents concerned about the loss of heritage and the environmental impact of demolition and re-building.

Retired Caroline Sykes, who lives in a large farmhouse close to the estate, said: 'I just think it is such a waste.

'We have got a large house there that has been fairly recently renovated to a very high specification.

'It hasn't been lived in for the last couple of years so there is some stuff that would need renovating but I can't believe in two years it would go to the state it would need to be knocked down.

'It is not a listed house which does not work in its favour but it has got historical interest.

'It is the 250th anniversary of [Austen's] birth next year so it just seems a shame to remove that bit of history.'

The 67-year-old continued: 'On environmental grounds I can't believe it is a good idea to dig up all that tarmac.

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'It is not derelict.

'It seems a lot for private use, are they easing their way into it being something commercial?

'My main objections are environmental, waste and historical.

'This is apparently for someone who lives in Hong Kong or China to use occasionally, to my knowledge they have not been here very much in the last two years since they bought it.'

Retiree Sue Headley in the nearby village of Ashe reacted to news of the demolition with shock.

'I am not in favour of the demolition of Ashe Parke, it has been part of our history for so long,' the 74-year-old said.

'It is a lovely building although sadly neglected in recent years, deliberately one assumes.

'It is awful to buy a building and do nothing with it, I would like to see it restored.

'I am particularly concerned about the link with the Portal family.'

The house was once owned by Colonel Robert Portal, one of very few survivors of the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean war.

Laura Shuttle, who lived in a cottage across the road from the estate said she was worried about the loss of the building's history.

The 42-year-old housewife added: 'It is a historic building with a Jane Austen connection.

'There is a lot of history behind it, it is a shame it can't be restored as it is.

'[Austen] is still celebrated, every big anniversary there is lots of things going on, we still get tourists coming just to see the village she was born in.'

Not everyone in the area is opposed to the demolition, Sharon George was born in a house facing the estate and says the building is 'beyond repair'.

'The state of the property and the surroundings is beyond repair,' the 65-year-old said.

'The house has had so many additions it does not reflect what was there.

'[The plans] look very tasteful, if it had been a modern Swiss chalet that would be different.

'It will regenerate the property.'

Local retiree Russ Bird said: 'I am perfectly happy with it, it is not going to bother us.

'If you look at any house they all evolve and change, the owners are just creating a new bit of its history.'

In the planning application, the planning consultants representing the new owners said: 'The estate is tired and unmanaged.

'The existing building lacks architectural merit and presents as a confused blend of styles and materials which fail to result in an attractive or significant building.

'The proposals therefore seek to reintroduce a beautifully designed, traditional country house, as well as enhancements to the central part of the estate.'

The application was submitted to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

A decision will be made in due course.