Name of Encombe Estate Buyer Disclosed

The name of the buyer of Encombe in Dorset, one of the most glorious estates in England, which was previously kept in secret by the land agency, has recently been disclosed. In September 2008 the Encombe Estate, which is located in the Purbeck countryside, was put on sale by Charlie McVeigh, an American banker who is labelled by many as an anglophile. In early 2002 he bought the estate for £11 million and spent a huge amount of money to restore it. That is why the estate was being marketed at for £25 million. The estate was marketed by Savills; a representative of the agency, Mr. Alex Lawson, said that the property is unique in terms of the prospects. He added that it is located in the countryside that is unspoilt by noises, planes, orange glow, etc. The notorious estate, which was built in the 18th century by Mr. John Pitt, has a territory of 2,000 acres, 60 of which are formal gardens. The territory of the estate has 3 lakes, a swimming pool and a temple made in a Grecian style. The mansion itself has a dining hall, a galleried hall, a library made in the Victorian style and 13 bedrooms. It is interesting to note, that the two agencies, instructed to sell the property – Savills and Strutt & Parker – reported that Kylie Minogue was on the potential buyers, who viewed the estate. However, it was finally purchased by Mr. James Gaggero, former Irish Guards officer, aged 49. He is said to have paid £20 million to become the 6-th owner of the Encombe Estate with a 1,100-year history. Mr. Gaggero made his fortune as he was operating the Gibraltar Airways airlines to Morocco, which later were called GB Airways and purchased by easyJet in 2007. At the moment, companies that form the Gaggero’s Bland Group specialize in tourism, operating travel firms and hotels.