Witanhurst - LON - Nov 2009

This was a quite a tough nut to crack but well worth it. The architecture and level of detailing in this building is stunning. We wanted to see much, much more as well as the roof but there was just too much activity on site. In fact, looking back we were lucky to get in and out at all without being seen. There sounded like a whole army of scaffolders working on the roof and we could clearly hear their radio blaring away. It was quite a high adrenaline explore and we almost backed down at the last minute as we felt our way in. Glad we pressed on.

Edited quote from Wikipedia...
Witanhurst is the name of an historical Georgian-style mansion located on a 5 acre (20,000 m²) site estate in the village of Highgate, North London. It is the second-largest house in London in private ownership, the largest being Buckingham Palace. It has 65 rooms spread across three floors, including 25 bedrooms. One of the largest is the Ballroom|Grand Ballroom]], measuring 70 feet (21 m) long with a height of 20 feet (6.1 m). It has oak flooring and the timber wall panels are in walnut, with carved cornices embellished with gold leaf. The renovations are now under way with an estimated cost of |£40 million.

The place has also been used as a set for The Lost Prince and Tipping the Velvet. I wonder if we will get an invite to the Grand Re-opening?