CROWN GHOULS
Deserted ‘ghost house’ bigger than Buckingham Palace left to rot as locals clash with millionaire owner
Multi-millionaire Nicholas van Hoogstraten hit out at locals calling them 'peasants'
A DESERTED "ghost house" bigger than Buckingham Palace has been left to rot as locals clash with its millionaire owner.
The creepy Hamilton Palace sits like a dilapidated property on the lavish Sussex lands after being abandoned.
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The huge home is owned by multi-millionaire Nicholas van Hoogstraten who said it was built to last 2,000 years.
But its decaying exterior shows it may never be finished in the first place.
What should have been one of the most spectacular properties in the country is now a sorry sight.
The incredible estate is reportedly bigger than Buckingham Palace.
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Built in 1985, the opulent house is hidden away off a junction on the A22 south of Uckfield in East Sussex.
The gated entrance onto the estate is covered in mud with a sign that reads "High Cross Estate, Private Property, Keep Out" written in capital letters.
It boasts a grand central staircase and a reception hall with lift shafts and lavish stone balustrades and pillars.
The roof has low-level lighting and a garden space for a fountain below.
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If that wasn't enough, an entire floor was due to house Van Hoogstraten's art collection.
Aerial footage shows the domed roof of the main building rising over the top of the treeline.
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The half-built house gained such a bad reputation in East Sussex that it was named by locals "The Ghost House of Sussex".
Neighbours previously complained about the grotesque state of the area.
But the owner hit out at locals calling them "peasants".
He said: "Even the most moronic of peasants would be able to see… that we have been busy landscaping the grounds of the palace to prepare for scheduled works."
Hoogstraten was also suggested that his neoclassical property should be given over to house the homeless.
Neighbour Richard Baxter said: "With all the housing problems we have in this country surely the building can be put to good use. It's a disgrace that it is just going to ruin," reported.
In a hate-filled rant, the owner replied: “The ‘homeless’ – the majority of whom are so by their own volition or sheer laziness – are one of the filthiest burdens on the public purse today.
Even the most moronic of peasants would be able to see... that we have been busy landscaping the grounds of the palace to prepare for scheduled works
Owner Nicholas van Hoogstraten
“The chance of my offering an opportunity for them to occupy Hamilton Palace is just ludicrous.
“Likewise, my offering accommodation to these Muslim ‘migrants’ and to encourage their besiegement of our country and the unwarranted plundering of its resources is ridiculous. We should remove them all.”
He also denied that the house was falling apart.
"Hamilton Palace is far from 'crumbling' and was built to last for at least 2,000 years. The scaffolding only remains as a part of ongoing routine maintenance such a property would require until completion," he added.
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Hamilton Palace is now thought to be owned by Messina Investments which is run by van Hoogstraten's four eldest children - Maximilian, Alexander, Britannia, and Louis.
The Sun has contacted Messina Investments for comment.
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