
A defiant farmer who conceded a decade-long legal wrestle to keep his illegally-built mock Tudor mansion has finally started tearing it down.

Robert Fidler, 67, has been given until June 6 to entirely demolish the property he built in secret after he was told he faces a prison term.

The cattle farmer, who owns the Honeycrock Farm in Salfords, Surrey, started building the home on green belt land for his family in 2002.

He kept the multi-million property hidden from neighbours behind hay bales and tarpaulin for four years before unveiling it in 2006.

And although he has been battling Reigate and Banstead Council since they told him to tear it down, he has vowed the authority will ‘never’ beat him.

Going down: Robert Fidler has got until June 6 to entirely demolish the property he built in secret after he was told he faces a prison term

Demolishing: The farmer, who owns the Honeycrock Farm in Surrey, started building the home on green belt land for his family in 2002

His pride and joy: Mr Fidler has been battling Reigate and Banstead Council since they told him to tear down the property in Salfords

However a High Court judge ruled last November that he needed to tear the house down, or could face jail.

Father-of-six Mr Fidler said: ‘Tearing down the house is completely pointless, it's completely ridiculous, and totally wrong.

‘There's supposed to be a housing shortage, but all they intend on doing is spending thousands of pounds getting one house demolished.’

He had hoped that concealing the house would see him exploit a loophole that if a construction lasts four years uncontested, authorities cannot touch it.

But he called the council’s decision ‘completely ridiculous’ given that he and his family have been living in the property for 15 years.

They have now been forced to live in rooms in the farm's office as their home is torn down.

Decision: A High Court judge ruled last November that Mr Fidler needed to tear the house down, or could face jail

‹ Slide me › Taken down in stages: Mr Fidler said he has spent thousands of pounds having the entire building torn down, by two workmen

Secretive: He kept the property hidden from neighbours behind hay bales and tarpaulin for four years before unveiling it in 2006

The council estimated that it has spent £50,000 in its nine-year battle against the building.

Mr Fidler said he felt the council is trying to ensure he is imprisoned for building the property, but vows that they will ‘never beat me’.

He added said: ‘All the council want to do is destroy me but they'll never beat me. They've gone to such lengths to get me to prison.

‘It feels like going into a boxing ring on fair terms but then the bloke you're fighting pulls out the gun and shoots you.’

Mr Fidler said he has spent more than £5,000 having the entire building torn down, by two workmen.

He added: ‘I've employed two blokes full time at £150 a day who have done nothing else for two months now.’

Country living: It is believed that the property, near the affluent commuter belt town of Redhill in Surrey, would have been worth £1million

Tudor: He originally hoped that concealing the house would see him exploit a loophole for constructions that last four years uncontested

Fit for a king: The main features of the four-bedroom property included a stained-glass dome above the stairwell

All that is left of the property are metal beams and corrugated iron which look like silos used as turrets before the brickwork was removed.

A Reigate and Banstead Council spokesman said: ‘We continue to monitor the situation at Honeycrock Farm.

‘We can confirm there has been some progress in the dismantling of the unlawful building and other unlawful structures.

‘For Mr Fidler to comply with the court orders he must demolish the structures completely before 6 June.

‘We've already given Mr Fidler advice about the options available to him for providing alternative accommodation in existing lawful buildings on his site.’