Batheaston House, a stunning Grade II-listed Queen Anne mansion valued at £4.25 million, is featured in Omaze’s latest property sweepstake. This luxurious home includes six bedrooms, diverse reception rooms, and a picturesque orangery, but it has downsides like being located on a busy main road and potential annual running costs of up to £50,000. With a history that includes royal connections, the house has attracted many entrants. However, previous winners often sell or rent such properties due to maintenance challenges, prompting skepticism about the true benefits of winning. The Omaze draw aims to raise funds for charities, with estimated odds of winning between 1 in 8.9 million and 1 in 12.5 million.
With its vaulted ceilings of honeyed stone, ultra-stylish interiors and more than an acre of immaculately landscaped gardens, the house is the stuff of dreams.
It boasts six opulent bedrooms, complete with sash windows and four-poster beds, a cavernous wine cellar and a picturesque orangery with views over the River Avon.
There are four bright reception rooms, marble fireplaces, flagstone floors dating from Tudor times – and even a secret room behind a sliding cabinet.
So who lives in a mega-house like this? Well, in just a few weeks’ time, it could be yours, if you enter the latest property prize sweepstake by fundraising company Omaze.
This week, the Mail visited the village on the outskirts of Bath where Batheaston House, a £4.25million Grade II-listed Queen Anne mansion, is located to see if it’s as idyllic as it appears online.
We discovered that while it’s undoubtedly stunning, prospective buyers might want to consider that it’s on a busy main road, as well as having a public footpath at the bottom of the garden, not to mention eye-watering running costs that one expert estimated could be as much as £50,000 a year.
This month’s Omaze prize Batheaston House is a stunning Grade II-listed Queen Anne mansion
… but it stands on a main road and there’s a public footpath at the bottom of the garden
Thanks to its slick advertisements and video house tours plastered over social media, Omaze has become a household name since launching in the UK in April 2020.
The idea is simple: Each month, it offers one jaw-droppingly spectacular house as its ‘grand prize’
So far, it’s given away 33 homes – each worth at least a million pounds – all fully furnished, with stamp duty, legal costs and moving fees covered.
In the process, the business, which calls itself ‘an entertainment company with social purpose’, has donated more than £72million to charities including Age UK, the RSPCA and Prostate Cancer UK.
The draw for Batheaston House is benefiting the British Heart Foundation, for which Omaze has pledged to raise at least £1,000,000.
But does a house won through Omaze come with a catch?
There have been rumblings online about the ‘curse of Omaze’, with reports of shoddy building work, flood risks and one property apparently on the verge of falling into the sea.
Unlike most other properties given away by Omaze (previous prizes have included a £2million oceanfront retreat in Devon and a £5million luxury pad in London), Batheaston House isn’t a flashy new-build; rather, it boasts plenty of history.
The elegant drawing room of Batheaston House. Running costs for the property could reach £50,000 a year, experts say
The flagstoned kitchen boasts an Aga and plenty of cupboard and storage spaced
The property boasts six opulent bedrooms with sash windows and high ceilings
But while you wouldn’t guess from the professional footage that accompanies the adverts, what immediately strikes you when you visit Batheaston is that the house isn’t set in acres of rolling Somerset countryside.
Rather, it looms behind a large stone wall on the High Street, sandwiched between other properties, with a public footpath at the riverside end of the expansive lawn.
From here, walkers have an unobscured view of the formal gardens – although with much of the footpath under water this week, there were few prying eyes.
Ah yes. If recent news reports are anything to go by, flooding is a worsening problem in the area.
Last November, drone photographs showed surrounding fields under water after heavy rain in the aftermath of Storm Bert – something a prospective owner may wish to bear in mind.
There’s also more traffic than you might imagine, with buses and lorries regularly thundering past the baroque-style windows.
Indeed, one resident logged a report with the council in 2020, in which they wrote: ‘Heavy vehicles and double-decker buses are generating significant vibrations in my house… The vibrations are strong enough to shake items off shelves.’
Three and a half miles from Bath, the backdrop to the Netflix period drama Bridgerton, Batheaston has almost 4,000 residents and its own primary school, post office, cafe and pub.
One of the reception rooms boasts beautiful views over the garden
An outdoor seating and dining area
The house is tastefully decorated throughout
‘It’s a beautiful area, although it can be quite expensive,’ says Emma Frayling of Visit West, the area’s tourist board.
Emma knows the history of Batheaston well: Her grandfather used to own Eagle House, another Grade II-listed property here, famous in the early 20th century as a retreat for suffragettes.
Nearby Batheaston House, accessed by an archway off the main street, has been on this spot since the 16th century.
Then, it was owned by Sir John Harington, a godson of Queen Elizabeth I, who served as a courtier during her reign.
Known as Her Majesty’s ‘saucy godson’ because of his racy poetry, he made a name for himself by inventing the world’s first flushing toilet.
A subsequent owner, Henry Walters, demolished the existing structure and built the current, much grander property – spanning 5,500 sq ft – as well as the orangery and coach house, in 1712.
In the late 19th century, Batheaston House had another royal connection: Music teacher Francesca Ferrari gave Princess Beatrice, the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria, piano lessons here.
In 1965, psychiatrists Leslie and Elizabeth Hilliard bought the property and restored it before selling it in 1982 for £145,000.
The house looms behind a large stone wall on the High Street, sandwiched between other properties
It’s close to the River Avon – and flooding is a worsening problem in the area
There is a public footpath at the riverside end of the expansive lawn
The next owners were Peter and Christine Davis, whom locals remember throwing their gardens open to neighbours in the summer.
In more recent times, Batheaston House has been in the hands of Jeremy Webb, a former partner at Linklaters solicitors in Hong Kong, and Grant Thatcher, a Rada-trained actor and founder of the Luxe City Guides series – who, according to Land Registry documents, still owns it.
Grant, 62, bought the house for £1,350,000 in 2009, and in 2015 oversaw extensive renovations.
He couldn’t be reached for comment this week.
Meanwhile Jeremy, 56, who was once on the parish council, said he was ‘not in a position’ to speak about the house.
Last May it appeared on the open market with an asking price of £4.5million. In a nine-page glossy brochure, estate agents Knight Frank described it as a ‘truly exceptional home’.
But the property subsequently disappeared from their website, before resurfacing last month as Omaze’s January house.
According to Omaze, the house was procured by its network of ‘buying agents’, who ‘work hard to find unique properties in the most desirable areas of the country’.
In more recent times, Batheaston House has been in the hands of Jeremy Webb, a former partner at Linklaters solicitors in Hong Kong, and Grant Thatcher, a Rada-trained actor and founder of the Luxe City Guides series – who, according to the Land Registry, still owns it
Due to the fast turnaround of the draws, the company buys houses six or seven competitions in advance, some already pristine and others requiring renovation.
Speaking to the Mail, a spokesman explained: ‘Once a grand prize winner is drawn, they go through the standard conveyancing process, which takes eight to ten weeks on average.
‘Once complete, the property is transferred to the lucky winner.’
At Batheaston House this week, lights could be seen on in the bedrooms and a BMW was parked in the driveway, suggesting the prior owners may still be in residence.
With the draw closing on January 26, and the new owner announced on January 31, they don’t have long to vacate.
‘Whoever wins will be the envy of everyone in the village,’ says retired businessman John Lawrence, 68, who’s been in Batheaston for ten years.
‘I just hope they become part of the community, because the house has been at the centre of village life for centuries.’
Meanwhile, mother-of-two Pauline Littlewood, 48, says the owners have done ‘an amazing job at restoring what had become quite a sad place until they moved in’.
She says the property is now so lusted-after that many residents – herself included – have entered the draw to win it.
Others, however, aren’t so keen on the prospect of newcomers moving into their close-knit community.
‘My fear is that they will see it as a quick buck and, before you know it, Batheaston House will be on the market again and we’ll be back to square one,’ Martin Burrows, a 38-year-old sales manager, told the Mail.
And hairstylist Sylvia Nowiak, who moved to Batheaston from Poland 15 years ago and has been trying to buy in the village for years, adds: ‘I could see the house being put up on Airbnb and being an instant hit, but it wouldn’t be good for the community to have people just coming for a few days at a time.
‘There are a lot of second homes around here and it’s making it really difficult for people like me to get on the property ladder.’
Indeed, reports suggest only a handful of Omaze winners stay in their supposed ‘dream’ homes, with most selling up or renting them out.
This is what happened with Ian Garrick, 58, who won a £1million house in Cheshire in Omaze’s first UK draw in November 2020.
With his family and friends in his native Lincolnshire, widower Ian – who sold the house the following year – says he ‘never really entertained moving there’.
Several others – like Marilyn Pratt, 70, who won a £2.9million London mansion in 2021, and June Smith, 74, who won a £4.5million Cornish newbuild in 2023 – have followed suit, preferring to stay close to loved ones and use the money instead.
Omaze say winners can decide whether to stay, rent or sell on the day they get the keys.
The potential rental income of a property like this, according to Omaze, is between £10,000 and £12,000 per month.
But there are huge running costs – including bills, not to mention a cleaner and a gardener – to take into account.
Omaze estimates these at £3,350 per month, but property expert David Adams of David Adams Luxury Property says they could be as high as £50,000 a year.
‘This doesn’t cover the year when you have to put up scaffolding to paint and fix the roof,’ he adds. ‘These costs can add strain to a budget for a second home.’
And if you do choose to sell, there are steep conveyancing and estate agent fees to pay.
Indeed, experts say suddenly acquiring a multi-million-pound home may not be all it appears.
‘A property of this scale and heritage can present challenges,’ explains Peter Greatorex, managing director of Peter Greatorex Unique Homes, based across Bath, Bristol and the West Country.
‘As a Grade II-listed property, any repairs or modifications must adhere to strict regulations, which can increase maintenance costs.
‘Flood risks, if applicable, would also necessitate specific insurance and potential protective measures, adding to the overall expenditure.’
Simon Hawkesley, CEO of property consultants Mallory Irvine, agrees. ‘Batheaston House is undeniably a luxurious and desirable property with an enviable location, but it’s important to consider the practicalities,’ he says.
‘For some, the allure of a luxury lifestyle can quickly turn into a financial burden.’
But this hasn’t tarnished the appeal of Omaze’s draws, which continue to attract millions of entrants hoping it’s their lucky day.
Using a house as the trophy is clever marketing, says Simon, who’s bought tickets himself this month.
‘There is something ugly about stating your wealth as a ‘lottery winner’, whereas having the bragging rights to say you owned a multi-million-pound property is somehow better.’
Founded in America in 2012, Omaze originally organised fundraising competitions to meet high-profile celebrities, from George Clooney to Michelle Obama, with other prizes including a Virgin Galactic ticket into space, and a Lamborghini blessed by the Pope.
The houses came later – but so, too, did the scepticism.
Claims of Omaze running an ‘illegal lottery’ were dismissed by a federal US court in 2022, but it ceased operations in America in 2023 due to undefined ‘regulatory issues’.
It faced similar cynicism when it launched in the UK, something president James Oakes has battled to stamp out.
‘We raise … significant sums of money for our charity partners… some of the biggest and best-loved charities in the country,’ he says.
‘The average raise for Omaze charity partners since the increased minimum guarantee is more than £3.5million – and all in just six weeks.’
Of course, the big question is what are your chances of winning?
Omaze doesn’t publish the odds, but these can be extrapolated based on information the company does provide.
Seventeen per cent of money generated from entries, it says, will be donated to charity. At the same time it pledges a minimum £1,000,000 donation from each draw.
This means Omaze expects to make at least £5,882,353 from the Batheaston House Draw – a sum which will cover the price of the house (£4.25million), the furnishings (£170,000) and the winner’s ‘settling in’ fee of £250,000, while allowing for a small profit and business costs.
Its fees are based on people buying entries in bulk, ranging from £10 for 15 (66p per entry) to £150 for 320 (47p each).
There are also subscription options, or you can enter for free (bar the cost of a stamp) by post.
Depending on how many people choose the differently priced entries, the chances of winning – based on the minimum amount Omaze expects to raise – are estimated between 1 in 8.9million and 1 in 12.5million.
Though these may sound remote, they’re far better than the Lotto, which is 1 in 45million, and EuroMillions, which is 1 in 139million.
At £10 a pop, for a shot at becoming a multi-millionaire with your own Bridgerton-worthy mansion, it’s not hard to see the appeal, even if you might need an aristocrat’s budget to maintain it.