The Gold BBC: house where gold bars stolen in Brink’s-Mat robbery were melted down is now a £5,000 rental

The country estate where criminal mastermind John ‘Goldfinger’ Palmer smelted gold bars from the £26million Brink’s-Mat bullion heist is now a rented family home.

The Georgian property was home to Palmer - once one of Britain’s richest men - who became infamous for his involvement in the 1980s Brinks-Mat operation, and his wife Marnie. Palmer and Marnie shared Grade II-listed The Coach House, at Battlefields, Bath, throughout the 1980s police investigation into the robbery.

The property, which has since been renovated to include five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a utility room and a gym, was being marketed by estate agents recently. The advert said it would be available from early 2023, with a monthly rent estimated at £5,000-a-month.

A woman at the house on 23 February said she was aware of the property’s history when she moved in, but didn’t want to comment further. The listing describes the property as: “An impressive Grade II Listed house situated just outside of Bath.

“The 33 acres of grounds and paddocks are tucked away behind the property and enjoy some spectacular views over the unspoilt surrounding valley. The Coach House provides a rare opportunity to own a unique residence which blends a tranquil country retreat with the convenience of Bath City Centre minutes away.”

The idyllic home is known for its connection to the Brink’s-Mat gold bullion robbery - and has a cottage, eight paddocks, eight stables, and a summer house on the land. One of Britain’s largest robberies took place when six men broke into the Brink’s-Mat’s warehouse on 26 November 1983, and stole £26 million worth of gold bullion, cash and diamonds.

The gold was later taken to Palmer’s home and smelted down in a makeshift forge in a lean to-to behind a stable block. Police were originally tipped off by a couple who Palmer smelting metal, but it took officers 14 months to launch a full investigation.

Palmer was charged with smelting the gold, but denied all knowledge of where it had come from, and he was acquitted. He was later convicted of a £20 million timeshare fraud in 2001 and jailed for eight years.

Palmer was shot six times by a hitman and died in the back garden of his home in South Weald, in June 2015. There have been no arrests for his murder.