Despite having lived in some of the grandest residences, in the mid-1980s, Sir Edward Heath, aged 69, was house-hunting for the first time. Like any prospective homeowner, he had a tick list: it had to be close to London, as he was still an MP, but not too far from the sea – Heath was a renowned yachtsman; it also had to feel cosy but be spacious enough for entertaining.
It was Robert Key MP, Sir Edward’s one-time parliamentary secretary, who found the perfect match: Arundells, tucked away in Salisbury’s leafy Cathedral Close. The only downside was it lay 20 miles from the coast. Unsure, Sir Edward drove down for a look, but it only took a glimpse through the car window for him to fall for it.
Who could blame him? Arundells lies in the lea of
