Sir Terry Wogan's Arts & Crafts mansion in Bucks village 'sanctuary' on sale for £3.75m

The former home of broadcasting legend Sir Terry Wogan has come on the market for £3.75 million, following the death of his wife, Helen, last year.

The radio presenter and his wife bought the six-bedroom Arts & Crafts-style mansion in Buckinghamshire, known as Hitcham Close, in 1975 and raised two sons and a daughter there.

His youngest son Mark said: “We’re a close family, so the kitchen was central to everything. Mum was a fantastic cook. The welcome was always warm and the food plentiful.

“My parents were great hosts and had a close group of good friends that would regularly be over for dinners.

“We’d also have some lovely long lunches on the terrace overlooking mum’s beloved garden. It’s a thing of beauty.”

The property has more than 6,500sq ft of living space over three floors.

It is entered through a grand double-height entrance hall with a large staircase and fireplace, leading on the left to a kitchen/breakfast room with adjoining utility room and on the right to the study, where Sir Terry was photographed among various meaningful objects he kept in there.

There is also a large drawing room, and a dining room, both with bay windows looking on to the garden, and a smaller sitting room which leads on to a conservatory.

A large garage a WC and a shower room complete the ground floor layout.

Upstairs, the first floor has four bedrooms, two of which open on to a large balcony, and three bathrooms.

There is an entire two-bedroom guest apartment and loft space on the top floor.

The gardens, which were tended by Lady Helen, include a tennis court, heated swimming pool, croquet lawn and orchard.

Hugh Maconochie, director in the country house department at Savills, said: “Set in exquisite, landscaped grounds within a quiet enclave, Hitcham Close is a wonderful family home that offers plentiful accommodation with excellent access to London.

“The main reception rooms have a wealth of character and offer great flexibility to suit a variety of needs.”

Hitcham Close is in the village of Taplow, near Maidenhead, where Sir Terry was a stalwart member of the community, acting as vice president of the local cricket club, attending Christmas carols on the green and becoming patron of a local charity.

He also wrote the foreword to a local history book, proceeds of which were donated to repairing the roof of the village church, while Lady Helen served on the village committee for a decade and attended the nearby Catholic church.

Originally from Limerick in Ireland, the broadcaster came to regard the village as a sanctuary where he lived for more than 40 years in relative privacy despite his national treasure status.

Nonetheless, when he died in 2016 neighbours recalled him being picked up for work in a Rolls Royce or a helicopter, landing in the 2.84-acre grounds of the property.

Now the family have put the house up for sale with Savills and Bovingdons ready for a new family to enjoy.

“We’ll miss the house very much. It’ll make someone a great place to raise a family,” said Mark.