Tennis legend David Lloyd sells his £1.6m Surrey mansion complete with swimming pool, tree house… but NO tennis court
The house includes a spectacular tree house
DAVID Lloyd, the tennis star and entrepreneur behind a string of fitness clubs, is selling his dream £1.65million home and moving to Florida.
His four-bedroom mock Elizabethan detached house in Oxshott, Surrey, features a spectacular treehouse with spiral staircase that serves as his office.
There’s also a swimming pool, private fitness spa, pond stocked with 500 koi carp, a cinema annexe and four-car garage. But no tennis court.
David said: “There is plenty of space in the grounds for a tennis court if someone wanted to put one in. But I didn’t need one at home.”
David, 68, was a pro tennis player who captained the British Davis Cup team and played at Wimbledon.
He went on to set up David Lloyd Leisure in 1982 and the company was sold to Whitbread PLC in 1995 for £182million. It has since grown to 91 clubs, mostly in the UK with several in Europe.
David and his second wife Teo, 33, from Moldova, are building a new house for themselves in Palm Beach, Florida.
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The house dates back to 1922 but with its old beams, mullioned windows and herringbone brickwork it has an Elizabethan country house style.
“It was the work of a well-known architect of the day,” said David, who bought the house, Cavaliers Court, 12 years ago.
“Many of the materials used in its construction were reclaimed and date back 300 to 400 years. It has the warmth and homeliness of a period home but the high ceilings and space of a much more modern property.
“I remember I bought it just before Wimbledon started and they had just two weeks to get it ready for me: I then went on to create the annex so I could move into it while work on the main house was being completed.”
The annexe currently houses a cinema, a full-sized snooker table and leisure area, complete with gym, spa, sauna and steam room.
David said: “I have a swimming pool that I swim in every day; it has also been wonderful for summer parties. We often have barbecues here for 50 or 60 guests, with people sitting out on the terrace by the pool and the children playing snooker or watching a film. There is so much space here for everyone to enjoy.”
He wanted an exceptional space to work in. “I had a large treehouse designed and built by an expert,” he said. “It is a fabulous space that ties in beautifully with the house and is a great place to work. It even has a built-in music system.”
With lots of outdoor space and swimming pool - incredibly, it doesn't have a tennis court
“There is plenty to do here but it is also a very calming place to be,” he said. “You can have a swim, watch the fish and even spot the odd deer that wanders by. It has been a truly wonderful place to live.”
The house is on the market with estate agents Chewton Rose in Cobham, Surrey.