A Grade II-listed 18th century mansion has been destroyed after a huge fire ripped through it overnight.
Seventy firefighters rushed to tackle the blaze at the £4.5m nine-bedroom Georgian home, known as Hollybush House, in Barnet, north London, at around 1am on Monday.
The building collapsed after the whole roof, as well as the first floor and ground floor, caught fire, the London Fire Brigade said.
The property was undergoing refurbishment after it was bought in 2020. There were no reports of any injuries while the cause of the blaze is under investigation.
Were you affected by the fire? Contact alexander.butler@independent.co.uk
Ten fire engines were at the site on Monday morning, with firefighters still using water to put out the blaze as smoke billowed over the 2.2-acre site.
Hollybush House was built in the 1790 and sprawls over two acres of land including an attached cottage, according to planning documents.
The main building includes seven reception rooms and six offices, according to estate agents. It also has a pond and a large, heated swimming pool.
It also had a drawing room, library, kitchen, dining room, sitting room and art room, with an adjoining garage, estate agents added.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters tackled a fire at a house on Hadley Green Road in Barnet.
“The entire roof, as well as the first and ground floors of a detached house undergoing refurbishment were alight. The structure subsequently suffered a partial collapse.
“There are no reports of any injuries. One of the brigade’s 32-metre turntable ladders was used at the scene as a water tower to tackle the fire from above.
“Control officers took the first of eight calls to the fire at 1.10am and mobilised crews from Southgate, Barnet, Finchley and surrounding fire stations to the scene.
“The fire was under control by 4.48am but crews remain on scene this morning damping down hot spots. The cause of the fire is under investigation.”
