Jane Austen’s beloved £17 million mansion at centre of demolition row

Jane Austen attended balls at the country manor in the 1790s
Jane Austen attended balls at the country manor in the 1790s - ANDREW CROFT/SOLENT NEWS & PHOTO AGENCY

A £17 million country house beloved by Jane Austen is at the centre of a planning row after its owners announced plans to demolish it.

The proposals to replace Ashe Park near Basingstoke, Hampshire, with a new mansion have been criticised as “awful” by locals.

The pile’s owners, Shuk Ting Sharon Leung and Gillian Sin Hang Ho, have applied to the council to tear down the 17th-century house because they think it is “tired and unmanaged”.

The author of Pride and Prejudice was born one mile from the 232-acre estate in the village of Steventon in 1775 and attended balls there in the 1790s.

But the owners want to demolish the house after buying the estate for £17 million in Oct 2022.

They have submitted plans to Basingstoke and Deane borough council to replace it with a “traditional country house” in the Queen Anne style.

A planning application has been submitted to the council regarding the demolition of the non-listed historical building
A planning application has been submitted to the council regarding the demolition of the non-listed historical building - ANDREW CROFT/SOLENT NEWS & PHOTO AGENCY

The existing seven-bedroom house, which is not listed, has previously been advertised as having a “palatial” master bedroom, five reception rooms, and an “ornate” library.

It would be torn down under the plans along with two outbuildings and a former bottling plant.

In the planning application, the consultants representing the owners said: “The estate is tired and unmanaged.

“The existing building lacks architectural merit and presents as a confused blend of styles and materials which fail to result in an attractive or significant building.

“The proposals therefore seek to reintroduce a beautifully designed, traditional country house, as well as enhancements to the central part of the estate.”

Residents have reacted with anger to the proposals.

Caroline Sykes, a 67-year-old retiree who lives in a farmhouse nearby, said: “I just think it is such a waste.”

She added: “It is not a listed house, which does not work in its favour but it has got historical interest.

“It is the 250th anniversary of [Austen’s] birth next year so it just seems a shame to remove that bit of history.”

Sue Headley, 74, from the nearby village of Ashe, said she opposed the plans because the building “has been part of our history for so long”.

Sue Headley said she would like to see the property restored not demolished
Sue Headley said she would like to see the property restored not demolished - ANDREW CROFT/SOLENT NEWS & PHOTO AGENCY

“It is awful to buy a building and do nothing with it, I would like to see it restored,” she said.

Laura Shuttle, a 42-year-old housewife, added: “It is a historic building with a Jane Austen connection. There is a lot of history behind it, it is a shame it can’t be restored as it is.”

A decision on the planning application has not been made.