博鱼体育集团

Find a property
Find a property
Find a property

From modern apartments to character country houses, start the journey to your dream home.

Sell or let
Sell or let
Sell or let

As local experts with global reach, we’ll help you find the right buyer or tenant for your property.

Services
Services
Services

We offer a full range of property-related services. From financing to interiors, we’ve got you covered.

People & offices
People & offices
People & offices

Our team of more than 27,000 people operates across 740 offices in over 50 territories around the globe.

Insights
Insights
Insights

Delve into our publications and reports for lifestyle trends and on-the-pulse market knowledge.

博鱼体育集团 Frank launches rare opportunity to acquire historic Padworth College estate in Berkshire

博鱼体育集团 Frank has been instructed by Inspiring Futures Education to bring to market the former Padworth College, a remarkable Georgian mansion with extensive educational facilities, located near Reading, Berkshire.

Home / Newsroom / Press releases / 博鱼体育集团 Frank launches rare opportunity to acquire historic Padworth College estate in Berkshire
For more information, contact:
For more information, contact:

4 mins read

London, 14 May 2025 鈥� Global property consultancy 博鱼体育集团 Frank has been instructed by Inspiring Futures Education to bring to market the former Padworth College, a remarkable Georgian mansion with extensive educational facilities, located near Reading, Berkshire. The guide price is set in excess of £5 million.

Set within 11.04 acres of mature parkland, the estate offers more than 51,000 sq ft of built accommodation. At its heart is Padworth House, a distinguished Grade II* listed Georgian mansion extending to 21,600 sq ft across four floors. Period features are found throughout, including a dramatic double-height entrance hall with vaulted ceilings, original fireplaces, intricate cornicing, and French doors that frame sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. The wider grounds include clusters of mature woodland, lawned terraces and a pond, offering privacy and tranquillity.

Surrounding the main house is a range of specialist educational buildings and facilities, including extensive boarding and teaching accommodation, outbuildings, and leisure amenities such as a gym, heated outdoor swimming pool, and tennis courts. Together, they form a self-contained campus with clear potential for a wide variety of future uses.

Padworth鈥檚 origins date back to the Domesday Book of 1086, when the land was recorded as being held by William de Eu. The current house stands on what is believed to be the site of the medieval manor, once held by the Coudray family from the 13th century. The earliest surviving element of the current building is the eastern wing, where internal oak beams date from the late 15th century.

The estate was significantly remodelled in 1769 by London merchant and Governor of St Thomas鈥� Hospital, Thomas Brightwell, who commissioned architect John Hobcraft to redesign it in the prevailing Georgian style. Of note is the decorative plasterwork by Joseph Rose, a master craftsman famed for his work in the style of the Adam brothers. The house remained in private ownership until 1963, when it became Padworth College.

The college was founded by Oxford academic Peter Fison with a mission to bring a tutorial-style approach to sixth form education. Initially established as a girls鈥� boarding school, it became co-educational in 2005 and joined the Inspiring Futures Education group in 2018. After marking its 60th anniversary in 2023, a strategic decision was made in 2025 to close the school, bringing this unique estate to market.

Charlie Freer, Director of Inspiring Futures Education said: "It has been a privilege to steward Padworth College. With its extraordinary heritage and idyllic setting, we are confident that the next chapter will honour the site's legacy while unlocking its full potential."

Padworth College combines countryside seclusion with excellent connectivity. The estate is ideally situated just nine miles from Reading, with access to high-speed train services to London Paddington in under 30 minutes. The M4 motorway is only six miles away, providing swift road links to Heathrow Airport (approximately 40 minutes by car) and Central London.

Emma Cleugh, Head of Education and Charities at 博鱼体育集团 Frank added: 鈥淧adworth College is a truly exceptional opportunity, combining historical gravitas, architectural elegance, and extensive operational infrastructure in a stunning parkland setting.

鈥淥pportunities of this scale and heritage rarely come to market. While the site鈥檚 most recent use has been as a boarding school under the C2 planning class, the property presents potential for a range of alternative uses, subject to obtaining the necessary consents. These may include day or boarding education, senior living, residential development, healthcare or hospitality.鈥�

Notes to editors

博鱼体育集团 Frank LLP is the leading independent global property consultancy, serving as our clients鈥� partners in property for 128 years. Headquartered in London, 博鱼体育集团 Frank has more than 27,000 people operating from 600 offices across 50 territories. The Group advises clients ranging from individual owners and buyers to major developers, investors and corporate tenants. For further information about the Firm, please visit knightfrank.com.

Get in touch

Thank you
for getting in touch

A member of our team will be in touch with you as soon as possible to discuss your enquiry.

We look forward to speaking with you soon.

We take the processing and privacy of your information very seriously. Your data is collected and used in accordance with our terms and conditions and global privacy policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and apply.

Sorry!
An unexpected error has occurred.

Please try again later.

Sending your message...
Sending your message...