THE manor house home of Prince Charles' friend and neighbour Mrs Claire Tomlinson - Britain's top woman polo player - was destroyed by fire yesterday.
Nine fire crews from six towns fought for more than four hours to bring the blaze at the rambling, 10-bedroom mansion under control.
But Down Farm, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire, a traditional Cotswold stone house dating from Georgian times valued at #750,000, was burned to the ground.
Mrs Tomlinson, 50, and her husband, farmer and estate agent Captain Simon Tomlinson, 52, were on holiday with their younger son Mark, 13, when the blaze broke out.
Yesterday, the family cut short a skiing trip to Austria and was on the way home after being contacted by estate workers.
Down Farm, home of the revived Beaufort Polo Club, is a regular haunt of the rich and famous, including Prince Charles.
The estate is just a stone's throw from girls' school Westonbirt.
The alarm was raised at 12.40am by a passing motorist who smashed down the front door to free the Tomlinson's three pet dogs trapped inside.
Police Inspector David Brooks said: ``We sent scenes of crimes officers to the scene to carry out tests to establish the cause.
``But at this stage it looks like nothing more than an accident.''
The original Beaufort Polo Club folded in the 1930s as the sport waned in popularity.
But Mrs Tomlinson re-started the club six years ago after a resurgence in support for the sport.
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