A £10million penthouse with a huge private balcony overlooking Lord's Cricket Ground has gone on the market.
The Lord's View Penthouse, which surely offers one of the best sporting views anywhere in the world, is up for sale for the first time.
The private terrace and viewing lounge behind its directly overlooks the wicket at the spiritual home of cricket.
All proceeds will go to the Launan Charitable Trust, a registered charity established by the late owner, Laurence Silman, and his wife Nancy.
The property was conceived by Mr Silman, an MCC life member, after he acquired the unfinished upper level from a bankrupt developer.
Working with architect and designer Max Clendinning – whose interiors work included commissions for Christian Dior and Liberty London – Mr Silman transformed the empty shell into a private space for watching and celebrating cricket, and for entertaining friends and family.
Robert Silman, Laurence’s brother, said: “Laurence saw something in that unfinished rooftop that nobody else did: a place to bring together the people he loved, around the game he loved.
“The terrace became the backdrop to decades of summers measured out in Test matches and One Day Internationals; releasing it now feels like the right moment.
“The charitable element was important to us: it felt right that something built around a love of cricket should give something back to the game.”
A charity spokesperson said: “The decision to link this sale to funding for amateur cricket sends a powerful signal. The idea that a private terrace over Lord's can help sustain nets, pitches and coaching sessions across the country speaks to cricket's capacity to connect very different worlds.”
The property is being offered for sale via a confidential sealed bid process closing on July 31.
The sale comes as Lord's prepares for one of its busiest summers in recent years, with a full programme of men's internationals and major women's global tournaments focusing the attention of the cricketing world on the famous ground in St John's Wood.
