The likelihood is that you’ve never heard of John Taylor, but he is the man you have to thank for your cuppa this morning. The 86-year-old is the inventor of the revolutionary kettle switch that turns off once the water starts boiling.
So he’s a pretty clever guy. He is also a skilled yachtsman, pilot, philanthropist, horologist and puzzle enthusiast. And you only need to see his Isle of Man home, now on sale for a whopping £30 million, to realise the full extent of his puzzle passion. Taylor claims it is the ‘most complicated house ever built’.
Arragon Mooar Estate is reminiscent of a Bond villain’s lair, with a floorplan in the shape of a dahlia flower, a network of secret passages, a domed copper roof and Thai carpets handcrafted out of bamboo fibre.
The oval-shaped mansion also features stone stairs cantilevered to give the illusion that they are floating and a 5,000-year-old neolithic quartz circle that gives the estate its name. Taylor built it on a hill on the seafront, so it has panoramic ocean views best experienced from its 360-degree roof terrace.
You might wonder why anyone would want to give up a house that feels straight out of a child’s imagination. Well, Taylor lives there alone with his miniature schnauzer and is now looking to downsize somewhere else on the island.
The new owner will be able to enjoy six ensuite bedrooms, a drawing room, a library and an orangery. Prospective buyers can either purchase the 283-acre estate as a whole or separately as two lots: the house, Arragon Mooar, which has 180 acres and three cottages, and Ballafurt Farm, with around 100 acres.
You can find out more about the property on Cowley Groves.
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