Britain's most luxurious mansion sells for ?70m

While most homebuyers fret about a potential rise in mortgage rates, the only concern for Updown Court's purchaser will be which of its five swimming pools to sample first.

The four-storey mansion at Windlesham, Surrey, has just been sold for £70m, making it the most expensive house in Britain and quite possibly the most ostentatious.

Set in 90 acres of landscaped gardens, it boasts 30 self-contained apartments, a 28 seat cinema and a marble clad shooting gallery. Its buyer, a foreign head of state, plans to entertain official guests as well as friends in its 30 seat banqueting hall and wine cellar. They will be able to choose from one of two bowling alleys.

There are substantial staff quarters, stables and even the cars are well catered for; the marble driveway has underground heating to stop it freezing up in the winter.

The Georgian neo-classical mansion, 25 miles from central London, was commissioned by a developer in the mid-1990s. It was originally estimated to be worth £35m, but the estate has doubled in size and there have been substantial alterations. The maintenance and staffing bill alone is expected to at least £1m a year.

"This is a fantastic property which keeps growing and growing," said John Scholz III, the Arizona-based architect. "It is probably the most fun project we have ever worked on.

"It has been bought by a foreign head of state for entertaining in this country, but we have been sworn to secrecy over who it is."

One of the hundreds of builders and decorators who has been working at the site said: "The house is beyond belief. It is vast. No corners have been cut on this one; everything is of the finest craftmanship and quality. Even the stables are good enough for a human to live in."

Rumours in the village - where Brian May, the guitarist from Queen, and the actor Brian Blessed live - suggest the buyer could be the crown prince of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum. The multi-billionaire racehorse owner already owns property in nearby Chertsey and the house is close to Ascot racecourse, where he once tipped a waiter £1,000.

"Everyone around this area believes it is Sheikh Mohammed who has bought the place," a local woman said.

"It really is right up his street; he has wonderful and extravagant taste and yet has a fun side to him. We would welcome him into the community with open arms."

Des res with mod cons

What you get for £70m at Updown Court

• 30 luxury self-contained apartments

• 30 seat banqueting hall.

• Kitchen large enough for 10 chefs

• Five swimming pools. One of the three indoor pools features an aquarium and marble mosaic

• Floodlit tennis courts, basketball court and squash courts

• Five-a-side football pitch

• Multiplex gym and whirlpool bath

• Marble-clad shooting gallery

• Two bowling alleys

• 28-seat cinema

• Wine cellar

• 90 acres of landscaped gardens, including huge ornamental lake and fountain

• Car park with space for eight limousines

• Heated marble driveway

Other ways to spend £70m

• 400 Ferrari 456m GT cars at £175,000 each

• Nearly eight Mouwad Splendour diamonds, approximately 101 carats and internally flawless. The last one on the market was valued at £8.8m

• Two Shepperton film studios, which sold to its rival Pinewood in February this year for £35m

• Three and a half Rembrandts - Old Lady aged 62 sold last year for nearly £20m