"When I bought the fouracre site 34 years ago, it just had a timber shack on it, which was used as a holiday home by a doctor, " explains Ryan, who built a 6,000sq ft house in its place, which he subsequently demolished a few years ago to build Thistlecroft. Why on earth knock an already substantial home only 30 years old?

"Well I'm a builder, " says Ryan, quite matter-of-factly, although he admits that he doesn't really use all the rooms in this extraordinarily large home. And considering it's about 14 times bigger than the average three-bed Irish house, one can only imagine the cleaning and dusting to be done!

Not that Essex folk have to worry about scrubbing their own floors or laundering their Gucci frocks. If the stereotype is anything to go by they can afford a whole team of 'little women' to keep hearth and home together.

A modern take on the grand mansions of old, Thistlecroft is completely secluded with a long driveway up to the front door. Even more private is the fact that the entrance gates are accessed via Hyde Chase, a private lane shared by just a few large homes in the neighbourhood.

"It's the perfect house for large-scale entertaining, " says Ryan. All of the bedrooms are like hotel suites with extensive dressing areas and private bathrooms, which has attracted quite a bit of attention from potential buyers.

"We've had a lot of interest from footballers, and from a Russian businessman. There's a lot of space here for people to entertain guests, " says Ryan.

Accommodation comprises a huge reception hall, drawing room, dining room, study, kitchen/breakfast room, nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms, home cinema, indoor swimming pool complex with Jacuzzi and steam room, and garage block.

Solid oak panelled front doors open into a hall of over 52ft by 18ft, complete with an oak staircase, marble flooring, guest WC, gallery landing overhead, and French windows out to a rear terrace. The drawing room is also very spacious, and has marble floor tiling and French windows to the garden, while beside the drawing room, there is the pool complex complete with tiled seating area, sunken Jacuzzi, seven-seater steam-room, changing room and showers, and double doors out to the terrace.

The dining room is yet another large room. Accessed via double doors from the reception hall, the dining room has a Minster-style stone fireplace with granite lining, and marble floors. French doors allow access to the garden.

The kitchen is fitted with top-brand appliances including one of those expensive built-in coffee machines that gives you cafe-style coffee quicker than you could open a jar of Nescafe, and which cost almost as much as a coffeebean plantation to install.

Basically anything that money can buy, Ryan has put into this house from Villeroy & Boch sanitaryware, underfloor heating and even a wine cellar.

The house is currently maintained by two cleaners and a full-time gardener.

Danbury is 7.5 miles from Chelmsford. There are seven exclusive golf and country clubs in the area and a rake of fee-paying schools.