Home of Daily Mail columnist Nigel Dempster is for sale for £4.25million

His newspaper scoops were described as the ‘stuff of legend,’ and if the walls of his home could speak, they would undoubtedly have some extraordinary tales to tell.

Nigel Dempster was best known for his celebrity gossip column in the Daily Mail, with the newspaper’s editor at the time of Mr Dempster’s death in 2007 reported as saying: ‘His scoops were the stuff of legend and his zest for life inexhaustible.’ 

It is perhaps no surprise, therefore, that Mr Dempster’s stunning home in Ham, Surrey, was the perfect pad for entertaining society’s glitterati.

Ensleigh Lodge is a beautiful detached, Grade II listed home, in Ham, Surrey, which dates back to 1780. It has secure gated parking and five bedrooms. It is on the market for £4.25million, with the sale being handled by Savills estate agents.

Estate agent Daniel Hutchins, of Savills’ Richmond office, heaped praise on the house, describing it as one of his ‘favourites’.

He said: ‘Ensleigh Lodge is a delightful example of an important Grade II listed Georgian home, and in my 33 years of working in property this remains one of my very favourite houses.’

He added: ‘Masterfully combining period charm with contemporary and naturally light spaces, the house is enviably perched on Ham Common, overlooking the idyllic pond providing a truly semi-rural feel.

‘The home is also within just a few hundred yards of Richmond Park, with its 2,300 deer inhabited acres, and a particularly scenic stretch of the River Thames.’

The period property has changed hands since Mr Dempster lived at the property and the current owners have carried out extensive renovation work.

The spacious entrance hall has an ornate Regency fireplace with a woodburner and the windows have the original working shutters. Leading from this room, there is a study with views across the front garden.

There is a formal drawing room with an original Georgian Convent Siena fireplace with a working open fire and a generous bay window.

The modern extension includes an open-plan kitchen and dining area that overlooks the garden.

In its advertising literature, Savills explains that there is a large utility room and bathroom at the side of the house that is ‘perfect for grooming the dog on those muddy wet days’.

It is a perfect property for those who enjoy walking as it sits only a few hundred yards of Richmond Park.

At the same time as having a semi-rural feel, the property also has good access to public transport, with Richmond train station providing a direct service into London Waterloo as well as the District line on the London Underground.

The house is surround by mature landscaped gardens, with a York stone terrace leading to a lawn with a glass house, water fountains, and a feature Portland limestone bench dating back to 1850. At the front of the house is a bespoke electric sliding gate and off-street parking.