The manor house in Sussex that became a club for spies

After long enjoying hosting Russian diplomats, the pile was recently stripped of its special status, much to the relief of the locals, who have warned of suspicious activity for years

- MARK HOLLINGSWORTH

At first glance, Seacox Heath, an imposing 19th-century Gothic castle with its turrets, chiselled balconies, tennis courts and terraced lawns, doesn’t seem the likeliest secret base for Russian espionage operations.

Sitting in the sleepy countryside near Hawkhurst, Sussex, the grade-II listed 50-room mansion looks more like a country house for an eccentric tycoon. But in fact, since 1947 it has been used by Russian diplomats and their associates as a weekend retreat.

Since the Second World War, KGB and now FSB officers based at Seacox Heath have enjoyed diplomatic immunity from police prosecution. But last week, that special status was removed by the Home Office, which accused the Kremlin of using the castle and its 30 acres of grounds to plot espionage operations against Britain. Then, a military intelligence officer, Colonel Maxim Elovik, was expelled for undeclared spying activities.

The decision has major ramifications, and not just for Russian spies. It provides a legal opportunity for the government to take ownership of Seacox Heath, worth an estimated £20m, sell it and distribute the funds to the victims of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

After all, since 1999, Ukraine has a registered caution (beneficial interest) against the mansion as part of an unresolved dispute about the distribution of property after the Soviet Union was disbanded and Ukraine became an independent state.

The removal of its diplomatic status also means the castle becomes a Russian state asset and so vulnerable to being seized by an individual or company with a successful court judgement against the Kremlin.