Britain's largest stately home Wentworth Woodhouse on sale for £7m Wentworth Woodhouse has five miles of hallway and one part is called 'the village' because it takes so long to get to Owned by Fitzwilliam family who inspired Fitzwilliam Darcy in Austen's novel, and King George V once stayed here It is being sold for £7million but the new owners could also inherit a £42million repair bill due to subsidence It is twice as wide as Buckingham Palace, has more than five miles of corridors, and has one room for every day of the year - and now Wentworth Woodhouse, Britain's largest privately owned stately home, has gone on sale for £7million. Former residents include the first Earl of Stafford and the second Marquess of Rockingham, who later went on to become Prime Minister. The house has featured in several period TV dramas, and plays a prominent role in the film biopic of artist J M W Turner. However, as well as getting their hands on a piece of history, the new owners will also inherit a huge repair bill, thought to be somewhere in the region of £42million, to fix subsidence caused by mining in the area and to repair older parts of the building. Grand: Wentworth Woodhouse is wider than Buckingham Palace, has more than five miles of corridors, and was once visited by King George V - and has now gone on sale for £7million Vast: The property is the largest stately home in private hands, and even has a section dubbed 'the village' by the Newbold family who currently own it, because it takes so long to get to Historic: The house was originally owned by Thomas Wentworth, administrator to King Charles I, and has since been owned by the Watson family and the Fitzwilliams. As well as inheriting a slice of history, the new owners could face a repair bill as high as £42million The home is suffering from subsidence after the fourth Earl Fitzwilliam established mines around the home. Work continued there until 30 years ago, and the owners say the work has damaged the property The current owners, architect Clifford Newbold and his wife, has been seeking compensation of £100million from the Coal Authority, but the case has yet to be resolved, according to The Times. After the coal pits were nationalised following the end of the second world war, Labour minister for power and energy Manny Shinwell, an outspoken critic of the aristocracy, allowed mining virtually up to the back door. The local miners protested, and threatened to go on strike over the poor treatment of the Fitzwilliam family, who owned the home at the time, because of their reputation as a generous employer who built schools, invited villagers to parties in the grounds and paid workers handsomely. Mr Newbold, who bought the home for just £1.5million along with his three sons in 1999, has spent £5million upgrading the plumbing, electrics and heating, but even that investment has left much more to be done. Speaking to The Times, the family said in a statement: 'We fell in love with Wentworth Woodhouse 15 years ago, buying it to save it from neglect and to try and find a sustainable future for this wonderful piece of history. Our father is nearly 90 and he does not have the energy he once had; it is his and our greatest wish to find someone to carry on our work. The most important thing is to see the house in safe hands and secure the preservation of the finest Georgian interiors in the country for future generations to enjoy. Up to date: In modern times the house has made a name for itself as the backdrop to various period dramas, and features as the Royal Academy in the new film Mr Turner Action: Timothy Spall as artist JMW Turner films a scene in one of Wentworth Woodhouse's 365 rooms Within the 250 acres of grounds are 22 listed buildings. The house itself dates back to the 17th century, although little of the original building now remains, having been largely replaced in the 18th century. The property was perhaps the largest of the estates in the country at the time of its creation and was home to Thomas Wentworth, administrator for Charles I, who was executed in 1641 for treason and is buried nearby. The estate passed to his son and heir, and on his death in 1695, was inherited by the Watson family, who later became the Watson-Wentworths. Thomas Watson-Wentworth, the second Earl of Rockingham, made the home into a Whig political stronghold in the mid-1700s and served as Prime Minister twice, though died during his second term. In 1782 the ownership again changed hands, this time being inherited by the fourth Earl Fitzwilliam who established mines and factories in the surrounding area during the industrial revolution, making the family the sixth richest in the country. Sprawling: The house and its out-buildings stretch over three acres to themselves, covered by 22 Grade II listings, and sit in 250 acres of grounds Luxurious: The house expanded greatly under the Fitzwilliam family, who rose to became the sixth wealthiest in Britain, and at one point employed more than 1,000 people, including a rat catcher and a state bed maker Prestigious: Thomas Watson-Wentworth, the second Earl of Rockingham, made the home a Whig political stronghold in the mid-1700s and served as Prime Minister twice As a sign of their wealth, at one time in 1841 there were more than 1,000 people employed at the house, with jobs including 'rat catcher' and 'state bed maker', with the local village being almost entirely dependent on the house for survival. In 1912, the house was visited by King George V and his wife Queen Mary, with the Royal family taking up a grand total of 76 bedrooms. The Fitzwilliam family, along with their magnificent house, were also thought to be the inspiration for Fitzwilliam Darcy - otherwise known as Mr Darcy - from Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice. According to legend, guests were once guided back to their rooms using coloured confetti because the property was so large, and the current owners have dubbed one part of it 'the village' - because it takes so long to get to. The house passed into private hands after the death of the tenth Earl Fitzwilliam in 1979. Since then it has gained fame as a backdrop to TV series including the 1999 show Wives And Daughters, and will feature in the upcoming BBC series Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Wentworth Woodhouse also stands in for London's Royal Academy in Mr Turner, the new biopic of J M W Turner that won Timothy Spall a best actor award at Cannes for his portrayal of the artist. Crimbling: The current owner, architect Clifford Newbold, bought the house in 1999 with his wife and three sons in order to preserve it - and has spend £5million on upgrades, but the new owners could still face a bill for £42million after moving in Inspirational: The Fitzwilliam family, and Wentworth Woodhouse, were thought to be the inspiration behind Fitzwilliam Darcy - otherwise known as Mr Darcy - from Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice