One of the country's most important Jacobean houses that has been used as a police training college for decades has been put up for sale by the Home Office for £25m. Built in 1612, Bramshill House, near Hook in Hampshire, boasts a lake, two chapels and world-class training facilities, not to mention the 329 bedrooms. The Home Office says it is selling because the historic mansion and its 300-acre grounds cost £5m a year to run, but the police have been heavily criticised for their lavish spending on the historic estate. Bramshill House in Hampshire, which the Home Office is selling for £25m, was built in 1612 and sits in 300 acres . The Home Office bought the Jacobean mansion in 1953 and have used it as a police training college . In 2011 the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) was slammed for spending more than £18,000 of taxpayers' cash on the mansion and its grounds, including £1,800 on a beehive and cultivator for the kitchen garden, and £147 on rhododendrons. And the year before that, the agency was revealed to have spent £750,000 on restoring an ornamental bridge - a 1940s folly - in the grounds. The NPIA also spent £2m resurfacing a mile-long stretch of the drive there, and spent £31,000 on a black tie dinner for officers at Bramshill in September 2007. The Home Office has used the Grade I-listed property, which at 43,000sq ft would be one of the largest homes in the UK, since 1953 as a training centre for police. The site also houses the British National Police Library, the largest policing library in Europe, the National Missing Persons Bureau, and the Serious Crime Analysis Centre. The mansion, which was built between 1605 and 1615, has 15 bedrooms, a long gallery, chapel, lounges, a mezzanine and a number of 'magnificent state rooms' which have now been converted into banqueting halls. Grandeur: But such elegance comes at a price: the Home Office says Bramshill costs £5m a year to run . Away from the Jacobean mansion, there . are a number of purpose built buildings which include two bars, 58 staff houses, two . restaurants, a sports hall and 231 en-suite bedrooms. The address dates back to the Domesday Book when it was known as the estate of 'Bromeselle' and held by Hugh De Port. By the 14th century the Foxleys owned the estate and in 1347 Sir Thomas Foxley Constable of Windsor Castle was granted permission to enclose 2,500 acres of land as a deer park at Bramshill and Hazeley. Between 1351 and 1360 Sir Thomas also 'erected a noble mansion at Bramshill', possibly using tradesmen from Windsor. In 1605, the estate was acquired by Cambridge-educated Edward, 11th Lord Zouche of Harringworth. As the ambassador to Scotland and Lord President of the Council of Wales, Zouche needed a large country mansion to make a statement that he was a force to be reckoned with, and so reconstructed the house between 1605 and 1615. King James visited in 1620 and the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1621 and it was also used for a first class cricket match between England and Hampshire in 1823 with the county side winning by five wickets. Bramshill was used as a maternity home during World War Two and afterwards as a shelter for the exiled King of Romania. Emma Cleugh of estate agents Knight Frank, who are selling the house and grounds, said: 'Bramshill's rich history is part of its appeal but also its modern facilities bring it right into the 21st century. 'Bramshill represents an unequalled opportunity to the market - whether for continued institutional/training/educational uses or alternative uses and further development.'
Grade I-listed Bramshill House in Hook, Hampshire, was built in 1612 .
It has been a police training college since the Home Office bought it in 1953 .
The National Policing Improvement Agency has lavished cash on mansion .
It spent £2m on the drive, £750,000 on a bridge, and £1,800 on beehives .
One of the country's most important Jacobean houses that has been used as a police training college for decades has been put up for sale by the Home Office for £25m. Built in 1612, Bramshill House, near Hook in Hampshire, boasts a lake, two chapels and world-class training facilities, not to mention the 329 bedrooms. The Home Office says it is selling because the historic mansion and its 300-acre grounds cost £5m a year to run, but the police have been heavily criticised for their lavish spending on the historic estate. Bramshill House in Hampshire, which the Home Office is selling for £25m, was built in 1612 and sits in 300 acres . The Home Office bought the Jacobean mansion in 1953 and have used it as a police training college . In 2011 the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) was slammed for spending more than £18,000 of taxpayers' cash on the mansion and its grounds, including £1,800 on a beehive and cultivator for the kitchen garden, and £147 on rhododendrons. And the year before that, the agency was revealed to have spent £750,000 on restoring an ornamental bridge - a 1940s folly - in the grounds. The NPIA also spent £2m resurfacing a mile-long stretch of the drive there, and spent £31,000 on a black tie dinner for officers at Bramshill in September 2007. The Home Office has used the Grade I-listed property, which at 43,000sq ft would be one of the largest homes in the UK, since 1953 as a training centre for police. The site also houses the British National Police Library, the largest policing library in Europe, the National Missing Persons Bureau, and the Serious Crime Analysis Centre. The mansion, which was built between 1605 and 1615, has 15 bedrooms, a long gallery, chapel, lounges, a mezzanine and a number of 'magnificent state rooms' which have now been converted into banqueting halls. Grandeur: But such elegance comes at a price: the Home Office says Bramshill costs £5m a year to run . Away from the Jacobean mansion, there . are a number of purpose built buildings which include two bars, 58 staff houses, two . restaurants, a sports hall and 231 en-suite bedrooms. The address dates back to the Domesday Book when it was known as the estate of 'Bromeselle' and held by Hugh De Port. By the 14th century the Foxleys owned the estate and in 1347 Sir Thomas Foxley Constable of Windsor Castle was granted permission to enclose 2,500 acres of land as a deer park at Bramshill and Hazeley. Between 1351 and 1360 Sir Thomas also 'erected a noble mansion at Bramshill', possibly using tradesmen from Windsor. In 1605, the estate was acquired by Cambridge-educated Edward, 11th Lord Zouche of Harringworth. As the ambassador to Scotland and Lord President of the Council of Wales, Zouche needed a large country mansion to make a statement that he was a force to be reckoned with, and so reconstructed the house between 1605 and 1615. King James visited in 1620 and the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1621 and it was also used for a first class cricket match between England and Hampshire in 1823 with the county side winning by five wickets. Bramshill was used as a maternity home during World War Two and afterwards as a shelter for the exiled King of Romania. Emma Cleugh of estate agents Knight Frank, who are selling the house and grounds, said: 'Bramshill's rich history is part of its appeal but also its modern facilities bring it right into the 21st century. 'Bramshill represents an unequalled opportunity to the market - whether for continued institutional/training/educational uses or alternative uses and further development.'
Bramshill House, near Hook in Hampshire, boasts a £25m, was built in 1612 and sits in 300 acres . The Home Office bought the Jacobean mansion in 1953 and have used it as a police training college . In 2011 the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) was slammed for £750,000 on restoring an ornamental bridge - a Home Office has used the Grade I-listed property,