Oh Lordy! Viz magazine creator sells his 17th century country mansion for just £750,000 - complete with 10 bedrooms and enough space to watch Roger Mellie, the man on the Telly
- Viz founder Chris Donald has put Northumberland mansion on market 17 years after moving there with his family
- Property, which costs less than a two-bed flat in Shepherds Bush, has grand reception hall and ten acres of land
- Donald's comic magazine Viz won national acclaim in the 1980s with its black comedy and toilet humour
It may be surrounded by beautiful countryside, set in ten acres of land, boast ten bedrooms and date back to the 17th century - but the creator of Viz magazine is selling his stunning mansion for just £750,000.
The property, which costs less than a two-bedroom apartment in Shepherds Bush, London, is situated at the foot of the Cheviot Hills close to Northumberland National Park.
It was put on the market by Viz founder Chris Donald - whose magazine won acclaim in the 1980s with its black comedy and toilet humour parodying British comics such as The Beano and The Dandy.
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Grand: The 17th century mansion has ten bedrooms and is situated at the foot of the Cheviot Hills close to Northumberland National Park
Plenty of room for horses: The beautiful countryside mansion comes with tennis courts, a vegetable garden and paddocks
Donald's publication was famed for its 'Better than Nothing' slogan and satirical stories, which often took place in the fictitious town of Fulchester. Famous characters include the Fat Slags, Sid the Sexist and Roger Mellie, The Man on the Telly.
His property, Breamish House, has an illustrious history and has had a number of famous guests through its doors over the years including Princess Margaret.
The farmhouse was previously a hotel renowned for its fine cuisine and comes with tennis courts, paddocks, a stream and a vegetable garden.
The beautiful building, which is a 40-minute drive from Newcastle, was renovated and converted into a hunting lodge by Major Alexander Browne of Doxford in the early Victorian era.
It was later home to Browne's daughter Isabella and her husband General Lambert, of the Royal Bengal Fusiliers.
Huge success: After founding Viz in his bedroom at his parents' house, Chris Donald saw the magazine reach a million sales in the 1980s
Games room: The property also features a drawing room and its gardens have provided the setting for a number of charity events
The house, which is approached by a long tree-line drive, was bought by Donald in 1997 when he was editor of Viz magazine.
The property features a reception hall, a stunning drawing room, a garden room and a games room and its huge gardens have provided the setting for a number of charity events.
Speaking to The Times, Donald said: It's been ideal because I need both solitude and access to the city for my creative inspiration.
'Here I can have total seclusion in my studio in the west wing but I have also commuted to Newcastle, which is a beautiful and mostly non-stop 40-minute drive away.
'The house is fantastic for entertaining. We had 27 guests staying one New Year's Eve. We thought about doing holiday lets but decided we didn't need the extra work - there's great potential for anyone who is keen to build a business though.'
Summing up his time in the house, the 54-year-old told The Journal: 'It’s been a life of luxury. We’ve been lords of the manor, that’s what we’ve been.
'In a jokey way of course. We’ve opened the garden up to the public to raise money for charity. We had a duck race in the stream. It’s a very community-minded little village.
Controversial: Publisher James Brown poses with Viz's 'Fat Slags' characters after buying the magazine in 2001
Memorable strip: Another character in the British magazine was known as Johnny Fartpants (pictured above)
The Viz team: The magazine's founder Chris Donald (right) poses with his brother Steve and Simon Thorp in 1999
Pretty setting: The beautiful building was converted into a hunting lodge by Major Alexander Browne of Doxford in the early Victorian era
Quiet corner: The house, which is approached by a long tree-line drive, was bought by Donald in 1997 when he was editor of Viz magazine
Summing up his time in the house, the Donald told The Journal: 'It’s been a life of luxury. We’ve been lords of the manor
'I’ll miss the gardens and the sweeping tree lined driveway. It’s a lovely house to arrive at. It’s always a bit sad when you leave a house and I’ve never lived in a house this long before. But you’ve got to move on I suppose.'
Donald founded Viz in 1979 in his bedroom while living at his parents' house in Jesmond, Newcastle.
In previous interviews, he has claimed he doesn't remember exactly how the name came about but believes he came up with it because it was easy to remember and write.
After a few years of steady sales, mostly in the North East of England, circulation had grown to around 5,000.
As the magazine's popularity grew, the bedroom became too small and production moved to a nearby Jesmond office, with Donald also hiring freelance artist, Simon Thorp, whose work had impressed him.
What a bargain! The farmhouse was previously a hotel renowned for its fine cuisine and comes with tennis courts (pictured)
Happy in-between: Despite appearing secluded, the property is just 40 minutes drive from Newcastle
In 1985, a deal was signed with Virgin Books to publish the comic nationally every two months and sales exceeded a million by the end of 1989, making Viz for a time one of the biggest-selling magazines in the country.
Sales steadily declined from the mid-1990s to around 200,000 in 2001, by which time Donald had resigned as editor and passed control to an 'editorial cabinet' comprising his brother, Simon Thorp and several others.
The comic no stranger to controversy and was once reprimanded by the United Nations after featuring a strip called 'The Thieving Gypsy B-------'.
During the resulting court case, The Sun ran a story revealing that the principal Roma man who initiated the action against Viz was in fact also being tried for (and was later found guilty of) handling stolen property.
In 2002 Johnny Vegas sold the exclusive rights to his wedding photographs to Viz for £1 in an apparent dig at other celebrity weddings.
Sad to leave: The cartoonist has lived in the Northumberland mansion for 17 years and said he is sorry to say goodbye to the place
A river runs through it: Donald said the peaceful setting of the house has helped him with creative inspiration over the years
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