The country house where gold from the £26million Brink's-Mat robbery was melted down is now a family home available to rent. The Georgian property was once the residence of John ‘Goldfinger’ Palmer, who smelted the stolen bullion in a makeshift forge in a lean to behind a stable block.
Palmer and his wife Marnie shared Grade II-listed The Coach House, at Battlefields, Bath, throughout the initial police investigation into the 1983 robbery. He was charged after he was spotted carrying out the smelting - but he denied all knowledge of where it had come from, and he was acquitted.
The property, which has since been renovated to include five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a utility room and a gym, was being marketed by estate agents recently. The advert said it would be available from early 2023, with a monthly rent estimated at £5,000-a-month.
The listing describes the property as: “An impressive Grade II Listed house situated just outside of Bath. The 33 acres of grounds and paddocks are tucked away behind the property and enjoy some spectacular views over the unspoilt surrounding valley.
"The Coach House provides a rare opportunity to own a unique residence which blends a tranquil country retreat with the convenience of Bath City Centre minutes away."
The home has a cottage, eight paddocks, eight stables, and a summer house on the land. A woman at the house today (February 23) said she was aware of the property's history when she moved in, but didn't want to comment further.
The Brink's-Mat heist remains one of Britain’s largest robberies. It took place when six men broke into the Brink’s-Mat warehouse on November 26, 1983, and stole £26 million worth of gold bullion, cash and diamonds.
Subscribe here for the latest news where you live
Police were originally tipped off by a couple who saw Palmer smelting metal, but it took officers 14 months to launch a full investigation. Palmer was later convicted of a £20 million timeshare fraud in 2001 and jailed for eight years.
He was shot six times by a hitman and died in the back garden of his home in South Weald in June 2015. There have been no arrests for his murder.
