IT was once a preferred meeting place of King Edward VII and his mistress Lilly Langtry.

German emperor Kaiser Wilhelm and Winston Churchill's father Randolph were also among regular visitors to the quiet country retreat.

Now a two-and-a-half-acre walled section of Newlands Manor, complete with a manual wind 45ft listed clock tower, is on the market - for a cool £1,375,000.

Pia Seymour-Morris, owner of the much modified head gardener's cottage, is selling the 18-room property and moving to Spain.

The luxurious New Forest property boasts features from 14-carat gold painted radiators and silk tented ceilings to a space for a helicopter landing pad.

Newlands Manor in Milford on Sea was built in Strawberry Gothic style in the late 1800s and early 1900s and was occupied by the Cornwallis-West family.

Since arriving in 1989, Pia has extended and improved the property so it is a much grander property than it was originally.

She said: "It's a wonderful wildlife haven here and of course there's very little traffic. We see herds of up to 11 deer here sometimes. We feed the foxes and the badgers every night. We have buzzards, bats, pheasants and barn owls.

"The central feature is the Grade II listed clock tower which has been restored with a working clockwork mechanism, dated 1932, with a cupola and gold leaf covered weathervane.

"The tower itself was obviously to let workers in the field know what the time was. It stands in the middle of the rear garden."

Winding up the clock in the tower, which must be done weekly, means stepping inside the building and climbing a 20ft ladder to the first floor.

Other outdoor features include a 100ft brick pavior terrace, a water feature, a self-contained annexe, a double garage and electric gates at both the north and west entrances.

Inside, visitors will find a bathroom with jacuzzi, gold-plated fittings and painted murals on the walls while the dining room has a silk tented ceiling and walls covered in silk brocade.

Pia said: "I've loved every minute of living here. I searched for a property for three years and when I came up the driveway to this one it just spoke to me. It's one of those places where you know you've come home. It's a shame to leave but I think it's time to move on."

Inquiries should be addressed to Jeremy Caldwell of Caldwells Estate Agents of Lymington on 01590 675875.