Nicholas van Hoogstraten, the controversial British property owner who began building the vast Hamilton Palace in East Sussex in 1985, says work on the estimated £41 million project was halted because of design problems and a turbulent period in his life that required his attention elsewhere.
The mansion, set on about 100 acres near Uckfield and long derided by neighbours as an eyesore, has stood partially finished for decades with rusting scaffolding, exposed construction materials and vegetation growing on parts of the structure. Van Hoogstraten and his son, Max, told British media this month that the project was paused in the late 1990s after two allegedly serious design shortcomings were identified and amid legal and business distractions.
Max van Hoogstraten said one problem was the positioning of a structural column that impaired an intended unobstructed view across the main building; the other was that a servants’ staircase was too narrow and winding to be practical for carrying heavy trays. Both father and son said those errors could have been rectified, but came at a time when Nicholas van Hoogstraten’s attention was divided.
The elder van Hoogstraten, who also uses the surname von Hessen, faced criminal proceedings related to the death of a business rival in the early 2000s. He was convicted of manslaughter in 2002 but later cleared on appeal. In civil proceedings, a judge subsequently found on the balance of probabilities that he had been involved in recruiting others in the killing, and the rival’s family was awarded damages. The family was later awarded costs in a separate ruling.
Van Hoogstraten has also maintained extensive business interests in Zimbabwe since buying a large estate there in the 1960s. He said his holdings were put under threat during Robert Mugabe’s land reform programme, and he spent increasing time managing affairs overseas. Max said their involvement in Zimbabwe and the legal case contributed to the decision to leave the Sussex site incomplete.
Neighbours and local officials have repeatedly complained about the condition of the property, which some residents have called "the biggest slum in Britain." They say the site has attracted anti-social behaviour, trespassing and drug use, and expressed concern that the partly finished buildings are hazardous. Local accounts vary: some residents told reporters they had recently seen diggers and workers on site, while the van Hoogstratens said no full-scale restart of construction had taken place and that much of the visible activity comes from trespassers and vandals.
Wealden District Council said the palace is not located in a densely populated area and that the nearest public right of way is to the east of the estate, separated by fields and woodland. The council added that reports of dangerous structures can be investigated and that anti-social behaviour is a matter for the police.
Van Hoogstraten and his family continue to control the property through Messina Investments, a company run by his eldest children. The father and son told the press they intend to finish the project eventually but provided no timetable. They said the estate is staffed and guarded and that signs designate the grounds as private, but acknowledged that trespassing remains a recurring problem.
The owner’s public statements about the palace and local critics have previously inflamed opinion. Van Hoogstraten has dismissed suggestions that the building is crumbling, saying it was built to last and that scaffolding was part of routine maintenance. In 2016 he called some neighbours "moronic peasants" after objections to the development. He has also made derogatory public remarks about homeless people and migrants, which drew criticism from local residents and activists.
Van Hoogstraten made his fortune as a landlord in Britain beginning in the 1960s and has been a polarising figure for decades. Early convictions and allegations of violent behaviour have followed him through his career; in his teens and early 20s he ran lending and property businesses that later formed part of his wealth, according to contemporaneous accounts. He has said in interviews that he spends time living between several properties worldwide, including an estate in Zimbabwe that he has described as a major focus of his activities.
Local calls for regulatory action have continued. Residents have urged the council to inspect the site for safety and to address recurring breaches of fencing and security. The council reiterated that it will investigate reports of dangerous structures and that the police are responsible for enforcing matters of unlawful behaviour.
The fate of Hamilton Palace remains uncertain. It stands as a partially completed, heavily scaffolded complex on rural land that has attracted sustained media attention, local frustration and periodic speculation about resale or redevelopment, even as its owners say they retain plans to complete it in time.