Earlier Houses: The current house incorporates part of Parkfield (in the southwest wing), an 18th century Georgian house. Parkfield was enlarged in 1881 by Allen William Block, a merchant, and again, in 1894, by his brother-in-law and the new owner, Walter Scrimgeour, a stockbroker/barrister, who sold it, 1912-13, to Sir Arthur Crosfield, chairman of soap manufacturer Joseph Crosfield and Sons and Liberal MP for Warrington.

Built / Designed For: Sir Arthur Crosfield

House & Family History: With over 100 rooms, Witanhurst ("Parliament on the hill" in Old English) is believed to be the second-largest residence in London, after Buckingham Palace. It was built in the Queen Anne style between 1913 and 1920 for Sir Arthur Crosfield, who is believed to have spent £1 million on the project (approximately £100 million in 2020 inflation adjusted values using the retail price commodity index). In 1951 Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) attended Lady Crosfield's famous pre-Wimbledon tennis party at Witanhurst. In 1963 Lady Crosfield died; her adopted son Paul sold Witanhurst in 1970 for £1.3 million. It was later owned by an Arab property trust based in Paris, which left the house unoccupied and untended, which resulted in it being listed on English Heritage's register of 1,500 listed buildings most at risk (one of 618 listed buildings in London). In July 2005 the Arab owners listed the house for sale for £32 million. In July 2007 Witanhurst was sold for approximately £31 million to property developer Marcus Cooper, who planned to restore and sell it as a £150 million private home; instead, Cooper placed the house back on the market for £75 million, with no restoration work completed. In July of 2008 Witanhurst House was purchased for a reported £50 million by Safran Holdings Ltd., a shell company registered in the British Virgin Islands. The family behind Safran Holdings were the Guryevs, who redeveloped, enlarged, and significantly enhanced Witanhurst in the early 21st century, leaving it a house of 90,000 square feet, including an underground complex that boasts a swimming pool, a cinema, and parking for 25 cars.

Garden & Outbuildings: The grounds include three gatehouses and listed gardens, all set in 5.5 acres.

House Listed: Grade II*

Park Listed: Not Listed

Current Seat / Home of: Andrey Guryev; here since 2008.

Past Seat / Home of: SEATED AT EARLIER HOUSE: Allen William Block, late 19th century. Walter Scrimgeour, early 20th century. SEATED AT CURRENT HOUSE: Sir Arthur Henry Crosfield, 1st Bt., 1920-38; Crosfield family here 1912-70. Lionel Green, 1970s.

Current Ownership Type: Individual / Family Trust

Primary Current Ownership Use: Private Home

House Open to Public: No

Historic Houses Member: No