A rare opportunity to own a penthouse apartment with unparalleled views of Lord's Cricket Ground has emerged, but it comes with a substantial price tag. The penthouse at Lord's View Two, featuring a 100-foot terrace overlooking the iconic venue, is being sold via sealed bid auction with bids starting at £10 million.
The Penthouse's Origins
Built in the 1990s by businessman Laurence Silman, a lifelong member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the apartment sits atop a residential block along the northern edge of the ground. Silman acquired the 11th floor from a bankrupt property developer and enlisted architect Max Clendinning—who previously worked with Christian Dior and designed Manchester's Oxford Road station—to design the penthouse from scratch.
Every window on the Lord's side stretches from floor to ceiling, offering uninterrupted views of the cricket ground. On the opposite side, residents enjoy a panoramic vista of London's skyline, including landmarks such as the London Eye, the BT Tower, the Shard, and the City.
A Legacy of Cricket Parties
Since its completion, the penthouse has been used for extravagant Test match parties, and it may have inspired the owners of the adjacent Lord's View One to build their own penthouses, albeit with shorter terraces. Robert Silman, Laurence's younger brother, hopes the new owner will continue this tradition. Laurence Silman passed away in 2023 at the age of 88.
Robert Silman stated: "Laurence saw something in that unfinished rooftop that nobody else did: a place to bring together the people he loved, around the game he loved. The terrace became the backdrop to decades of summers measured out in Test matches and ODIs; releasing it now feels like the right moment."
Charitable Proceeds
Laurence, a fervent supporter of the elderly loneliness charity Re-Engage, stipulated in his will that the sale proceeds would go to charity. The funds will benefit the Launan Charitable Trust, established by Laurence and his wife Nancy, which supports an independent charitable publisher and Bard of Pittsburgh, a theatre company dedicated to the works of playwright August Wilson. The trust grants to smaller charities include Keep Publishing Independent, which supports small authors, and the Bard of Pittsburgh.
Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated to the MCC Foundation, which supports grassroots cricket, and five percent will go to a charity of the buyer's choosing. The Launan Charitable Trust commented: "The decision to link this sale to funding for amateur cricket sends a powerful signal. The idea that a private terrace over Lord's can help sustain nets, pitches and coaching sessions across the country speaks to cricket's capacity to connect very different worlds."
Auction Details
The sale includes a smaller one-bedroom flat on the 10th floor. Interested parties can view the property by private appointment. The auction comes ahead of a busy summer at Lord's, featuring a full programme of men's internationals and major women's global tournaments. The summer's first international match, between England's men and New Zealand, is scheduled to begin today, weather permitting.
