London [UK], August 18 (ANI): A luxury penthouse overlooking the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground in London has attracted interest from prospective buyers in India, adding an unusual Indian angle to the sale of one of the world's most exclusive cricket-related properties.
Known as the Lord's View Penthouse, the St John's Wood residence was offered through a confidential sealed-bid process with a minimum reserve price of £10 million. The property is being sold by the family of its late owner, Laurence Silman, a long-standing life member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), with the net proceeds earmarked for charitable causes.
What makes the property particularly distinctive is its location directly overlooking the Lord's wicket and the iconic MCC Pavilion. The residence, situated on the 11th floor of Lord's View Two, has around 3,000 sq ft of internal living space, along with a nearly 100-foot private terrace and a glass-fronted viewing lounge capable of hosting more than 100 guests on match days.
The property offers an exceptionally close and unobstructed view of the Lord's pitch, Pavilion and the Future Systems-designed Media Centre. It is understood to be the only privately owned residence offering such a direct residential view of the famous cricket ground.
Why India is emerging as a key buyer market
The sale has generated particular interest in India, where cricket has a unique cultural and commercial significance and where several prominent business families have deep connections with the sport.
According to the family, one of India's prominent business families has already sought a viewing, while other international buyers and sports collectors have also expressed interest.
Explaining the decision to look towards Indian buyers, the family said India's wealthy business community has become deeply involved in global cricket through IPL ownership, sponsorships and other investments in the sport.
"India's enthusiasm and excitement for cricket is almost a kind of religion," the family representative said, adding that a property overlooking Lord's could appeal to an Indian buyer looking for an asset combining cricketing history, exclusivity and hospitality.
"Lord's is not just any cricket ground. It is the Royal Temple of cricket, as it were, and I believe that a potential Indian buyer would actually be able to do justice to the kind of scale and opportunity that it provides," he said.
From unfinished rooftop to cricketing landmark
The penthouse was created by the late Laurence Silman after he acquired an unfinished rooftop level from a bankrupt developer and transformed it into a private residence centred around his passion for cricket.
Silman worked with architect and designer Max Clendinning, whose previous clients included Christian Dior and Liberty London, to turn the bare rooftop into a contemporary home designed for entertaining and watching matches at Lord's.
For decades, the apartment served as a gathering place for Silman's family and friends during Test matches, ODIs, World Cups and county fixtures.
His brother, Robert Silman, said Laurence had seen potential in the unfinished rooftop that others had overlooked.
"Laurence saw something in that unfinished rooftop that nobody else did: a place to bring together the people he loved, around the game he loved," Robert said.
He added that the decision to sell the property was ultimately linked to the family's desire to continue Laurence's philanthropic legacy.
£10 million sale to fund charity and grassroots cricket
The sale is also unusual because of what happens to the money after the property changes hands.
The net proceeds are to go to The Launan Charitable Trust, a grant-giving charity established by Laurence Silman and his wife Nancy. A dedicated portion of the funds is intended to support amateur and grassroots cricket across the UK, including equipment, practice nets, pitch maintenance and youth coaching.
The arrangement also gives the eventual buyer an opportunity to direct a portion of the charitable proceeds towards a charity of their choice.
For the Silman family, the sale is therefore less about simply disposing of a valuable London property and more about converting an asset associated with a lifelong passion for cricket into a long-term philanthropic legacy.
"Giving and reaching out to those in great need have always been values we have lived by as a family," the family representative said. "Putting it on sale was the simplest and most credible way of ensuring that my brother's legacy would carry on living in the form of an active and well-funded charity."
The property's combination of Lord's, a £10 million-plus price tag, Indian business interest and a charitable mission makes the sale an unusual intersection of luxury real estate, Indian cricket culture and philanthropy. (ANI)
GBP 10 Million Lord's Penthouse Draws Interest From Indian Business Families; Sale Proceeds to Fund Grassroots Cricket
