An entire village used as the set for an ITV reality show is on the market for £7.5M. Darwin Lake, near Matlock in Derbyshire, includes 17 stone cottages, a three-acre fishing lake and around 20 acres of countryside.
The private holiday village served as the filming location for ITV's axed reality programme The Neighbourhood, in which households lived side by side while competing for a £250,000 prize. A single buyer could now own the whole TV neighbourhood, including its cottages, village green, gatehouse, chapel and events venue.
Property details and capacity
The buildings offer a combined 35,900 square feet of accommodation, with 34 bedrooms and 32 bathrooms. Darwin Hall is currently used for weddings, celebrations and other gatherings, while the cottages can sleep up to 127 guests in total.
Claudia Sylvester, managing director of the Private Client Group at Nest Seekers, suggested the unusual property could also become a secure private village for one wealthy family. Relatives could each occupy a separate cottage, with others converted into offices, wellness facilities or accommodation for household and security staff.
Development potential and history
Plans already exist for a hotel and leisure development, although a buyer could instead seek fresh permission to create a large principal residence at the centre of the estate. The village also carries a historical connection through its name, as Darwin Lake was named in honour of naturalist Charles Darwin, who had family ties to nearby Sydnope Hall.
The Grade II-listed mansion was owned by Sir Francis Sacheverel Darwin, a son of pioneering doctor and naturalist Erasmus Darwin and a half-uncle of Charles. Charles Darwin visited Sydnope and later recalled a “memorable and pleasant” stay in an 1859 letter.
The lake, formerly known as Flash Dam, is thought to have supplied water to fountains at Sydnope Hall. Darwin Lake is currently listed through Nest Seekers International.
