The house is centred on a grand entrance hall with marble floors and a self-supporting staircase, as well as an overhead dome filling the space with light. Leading off the hall is a spacious drawing room on one side and a formal dining room on the other.

The size of the house allows for majestic ground-floor rooms with high ceilings and large windows. These rooms were decorated by a celebrated designer, and could be used for entertaining on scale. Most of the rooms face south-west, with views over the garden and easy outdoor access from the rows of French doors. Meanwhile, underfloor heating keeps the building warm in winter.

The other side of the house centres on an open-plan kitchen with a separate eating area. Next comes an informal family room, while a series of guest bathrooms and additional storage rooms occupy the remainder of the floor.

Upstairs from the hall is a spacious principal bedroom with a dressing room and ensuite bathroom. Otherwise, the first-floor rooms have a more intimate scale, with five further bedrooms and four bathrooms – two of them ensuite – as well as an additional dressing room or study. These rooms have views over gardens on both sides of the building, while a second staircase provides easy access from the other side of the house.

Seen from the outside, the property’s dormer windows and mansard roof suggest a French manoir completely secluded from its surroundings. It benefits from a large walled garden facing south-east, which includes a lawn, a paved seating area, and an outdoor swimming pool. Evergreen oak trees and pleached hedging add to the sense of privacy, and so too the long drive and electric gates.

The garden also contains a garage with space for two cars, as well as an upstairs suite that could be used as a staff flat or a home office.

The house is a few minutes’ walk from the south-west corner of Battersea Park. This is a picturesque neighbourhood, well-served with bars, cafes and restaurants. In addition, the Battersea and Albert Bridges provide easy access to Chelsea and the King’s Road. A new underground station has also improved the popularity of Battersea, while Thomas’s school is a short walk away.