Tag: 4 reception rooms

Making a Manor

Refurbished Surrey manor house with connections to Detmar Blow and Gertrude Jekyll for sale for £2.55 million

Reduced in price by £200,000 since when it was previously on the market in June 2015, a Surrey manor house is again for sale – but this time for £2.55 million ($3.32 million, €2.96 million or درهم12.20 million).

First mentioned in association with Robert de Upbroke in 1282, Osbrooks at Capel, near Dorking was built as a hall and smoke bay house in the 15^th and 16^th centuries. Subsequently redeveloped in the 17^th century and then extended by Detmar Blow (1867 – 1939) – an architect, contemporary of Edwin Lutyens and disciple of John Ruskin – in the arts and crafts style in the early 20^th century. The building was given Grade II listed status in November 1966 and more recently had a swimming pool, gym and garaging added.

Osbrooks in 1890

Osbrooks today (with 20th century extension to left)

Standing in 14 acres of gardens and grounds designed by amongst others the especially prolific Gertrude Jekyll (1843 – 1932), Osbrooks now provides 4,987 square foot and features 4 reception rooms, a bar, 8 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. It includes such details as oak joinery, leaded windows and tall, diagonal chimney stacks and could very easily be used as a location in a Midsomer Murders or Miss Marple murder mystery television drama.

Of the property, in April, John Fisher of selling agents Sotheby’s International Realty told The Times: “It could be a house for entertaining as well as comfortable living. It has all the space you could require, as well as proximity to good schools”.

An adjoining 4-acre plot with stabling and planning permission for a 1,959 square foot, single storey dwelling is also available through Sotheby’s. It is offered for £450,000 ($586,000, €523,000 or درهم2.2 million).

May 22, 2017
A Highly Priced Hall

Queen Anne house in South Yorkshire for sale for punchy sum of £1.2 million

An architecturally striking four-storey Queen Anne house in South Yorkshire is for sale for £1.2 million ($1.6 million, €1.4 million or درهم5.7 million) in spite of standing on a small plot that is overlooked by its now converted former outbuildings.

Originally built circa 1720 and Grade II listed since 1968, The Hall at High Hoyland, near Barnsley is built of coursed squared stone with ashlar dressings and has a stone slate roof. It has many original features, provides 4 reception rooms, 7 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms and has gardens to both front and rear.

The Hall is offered by the England Residential Estate Agency.

May 19, 2017
I Capture the Castle

12^th century castle and romantic ruin in Herefordshire for sale for £1.495 million; a title to go with it is available also

A part restored castle on the English-Welsh border is back on the market after its buyer pulled out at the end of last year. Wilton Castle-on-the-Wye at at Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire’s story somewhat echoes that of the fictional castle in the 1949 novel I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith – adapted to a film starring Bill Nighy and Henry Cavill in 2003 – and now, it presents an opportunity for someone wanting to own either a truly unique private home or somewhere to create a most romantic boutique hotel and events venue.

Now offered for £1.495 million ($1.94 million, €1.77 million or درهم7.12 million) and providing a total of 4,036 square foot of internal accommodation, Wilton Castle-on-the-Wye dates to the 12^th century but was largely destroyed in the English Civil War (1642 – 1651).

An aerial view of Wilton Castle-on-the-Wye, Wilton, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 6AD, United Kingdom with the River Wye beyond

The castle as a ruin

Kestrels are amongst those that make Wilton Castle-on-the-Wye their home

Subsequently abandoned until 1731, when bought by the trustees of Guy’s Hospital, the castle was bought by the legendary retail and property magnate Sir Charles Clore (1904 – 1979) in 1961 and then restored from 2002 onwards. It includes elements of architecture from the Norman, Tudor, Elizabethan, Georgian and Victorian periods and is Grade I listed Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Standing in 2 acres of gardens, primarily within the rampart walls themselves, the castle house comprises of 4 reception rooms, a galleried former chapel, 2 kitchens, 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. There are three original towers (out of the five originally built inside a now dry moat) and whilst two are already back in use, the third, ‘The Great Tower’ could potentially be converted to provide 3 bedroom suites, a new glass entrance and a drawbridge.

In March, of his eccentric home, current owner Alan Parslow told the Evening Standard: “It was a bit of a wreck when we bought it, but after ten years of restorations it’s a lovely family home. We’ve loved living here. It’s a delight to wake up to, surrounded by history”.

Of the future, Parslow added: “We haven’t enough money or time to do The Great Tower up so we’d like to pass it on to someone else”.

Previously, his wife, Sue, was interviewed by The Ross Gazette about the sale. She remarked: “It is quite different from other ruined castles as it is really a garden around a castle”.

Wilton Castle-on-the-Wye is on the market through Jackson-Stops & Staff. The title ‘Lord of Wilton Castle’ is available by separate negotiation.

Namesake Wilton Castle, Bree, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland has similarities in that it is also part-home, part-ruin

Curiously, an unconnected Irish castle of the same name, Wilton Castle in County Wexford has had a similarly chequered history. Built first in 1247, expanded into a mansion in 1847 and burnt to the ground in 1923, this vast landmark has, like its Ross-on-Wye namesake been subject of a major renovation project since 2004 by its owners, farmers Seán and Antoinette Windsor.

May 7, 2017
A £5 Million Fixer-Upper

17^th century Buckinghamshire farmstead requiring complete renovation for sale for £5 million

A 17^th century farmhouse just 28 miles from Central London has gone on sale for £5 million ($6.5 million, €5.9 million or درهم23.7 million) in spite of being “in need of updating” through agents The Frost Partnership.

Dean Farm at Jordans, near Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire was built on the site of a 12^th century farmstead and includes not only a listed 4 reception room, 5 bedroom main house but also a 2 bedroom annexe and a 2 bedroom and a 1 bedroom cottage. Within the grounds are a 117-foot long listed tithe barn, a listed granary, a gardener’s studio and a double garage.

The semi-rural freehold property stands on a plot of 6.4 acres of gardens and paddocks and comes with a further 3.7 acres of leasehold land.

May 4, 2017
Checkmate

Former Lancashire farmhouse for sale for £1.69 million complete with giant chessboard

Until recently used as a holiday cottage rental, Low House at Eskrigge in Lancashire is described by selling agents Matthews Benjamin as “a joy to behold”.

Low House, Eskrigge, Gressingham, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA2 8LX

Fancy a game of chess?

Or a dip in the hot tub?

Dating to the late 17^th century and originally a farmhouse and barn, this 4,490 square foot Grade II listed property stands in 1.5 acres of gardens, 2.5 acres of woodland and 4 acres of paddocks. It has 4 reception rooms, 2 kitchens, 6 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and comes with a number of follies, a hot tub and a giant chessboard.

Reduced in price from £1.79 million ($2.24 million, €2.11 million or درهم7.78 million) to £1.69 million ($2.12 million, €1.99 million or درهم8.24 million), Low House is just seven miles from Lancaster.

April 17, 2017
Billionaire Battersea

Historic Battersea mansion for sale for the same sum it was marketed for in 2011; it has been mostly empty throughout the intervening period and was renovated by the late billionaire Malcolm Forbes

Billionaire publisher Malcolm Forbes was a man who liked to live large. He had a huge yacht named The Highlander, threw lavish parties across the globe and counted Gianni Agnelli, Gordon Getty, Calvin Klein, Robert Maxwell, Rupert Murdoch, Henry Kissinger, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump as friends. This “mysterious collector” also owned numerous residences and one of these, Old Battersea House in London, is for sale for the same sum as it was marketed for in 2011.

Often seen with Elizabeth Taylor at his side and described as “living life in the fabulous”, Forbes purchased Old Battersea House in 1971. It had previously been home to and saved from demolition by Battersea Council by the eccentric author and ghost hunter Wilhemina Stirling. She took up a lifetime tenancy on the building in 1931 and used it to house artworks by her sister, Evelyn de Morgan (1855 – 1919).

Businessman and publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990) with seven times married actress Dame Elizabeth Taylor DBE (1932 – 2011) at his lavish 70th birthday party at the Palais Mendoub, Tangier, Morocco in 1989

Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom

A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) owned the house prior to Malcolm Forbes

Christopher ‘Kip’ Forbes (born 1951) assisted his father restore Old Battersea House and later oversaw the family selling its art collection in 2003 and 2009

Grade II* listed since 1954 and adapted during Forbes and subsequently his son Kip’s ownership to showcase a vast collection of Victorian art and antiques, Old Battersea House was built on Tudor foundations in 1699 and was at first known as ‘Terrace House’. It originally had gardens extending down to the River Thames and is rumoured to have been designed by Sir Christopher Wren (1632 – 1723).

Featuring “handsome classical proportions throughout” and standing within a 110-foot wide walled garden, the 10,100 square foot house includes 4 reception rooms, 10 double bedrooms and 7 bathrooms. It has off-street parking and a garden store but it is sadly overlooked by the adjoining housing estate that was built in its grounds in the 1930s.

Savills seek £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) for Old Battersea House.

The impressive hallway of Old Battersea House

Another entertaining space

Elizabeth Taylor and her then husband Larry Fortensky at Old Battersea House in 1992

Images of the house as it was furnished during the ownership of the Forbes family

April 6, 2017
Barbed Manors

Grade II* listed Kent manor house for sale for £3.95 million; the purchaser will get a controversial £107.9 million EuroMillions jackpot winner as their neighbour

Sold last in 2009 for £1.9 million (the equivalent of £2.3 million, $2.8 million, €2.2 million or درهم 10.3 million today), Waystrode Manor at Cowden, near Edenbridge in Kent is a Grade II* listed manor house.

For sale currently for £3.95 million ($4.81 million, €4.56 million or درهم 17.65 million) through Savills, the main 4,435 square foot house dates back as far, perhaps, as 1208. The present Tudor residence includes 4 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, but aside from that there is a 3 bedroom cottage, a converted oast house providing a recreation space, a Grade II listed double vaulted timber frame barn, an orangery and a coach house.

Within the 7.8 acres of formal and informal gardens and grounds of this attractive, restored property – which has been offered as a film and photo shoot location through the JJ Media agency – there is also an outdoor swimming pool, a hard tennis court, three ponds and an orchard.

Though the eventual purchaser of Waystrode Manor will of course be a multi-millionaire, they will most likely not be nearly as rich as their controversial neighbours, Neil Trotter and his partner Nikki Ottaway. Mr Trotter won £107.9 million ($131.4million, €124.6 million or درهم 482.4 million) on the EuroMillions lottery in 2014 and subsequently bought the adjoining 423-acre estate, Leighton Manor, for £5 million ($6.1 million, €5.8 million or درهم 22.4 million). In 2016, Trotter and Ottaway were “slammed” in the national press by locals after installing what was termed an “unsightly” barbed wire fence.

Neil Trotter was a garage mechanic before he won a EuroMillions jackpot

Waystrode Manor, Spode Lane, Cowden, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 7HW

A sitting room in the main house

A drawing room with an equally imposing fireplace

This hallway is used as a dining space

Whilst this is described as a breakfast room

The kitchen is one of the few “modern” rooms in the main building

The master bedroom has its own bathroom

This barn is Grade II listed

It features a double height, vaulted interior

An oast house stands in the grounds also

The interior of the building

A view of the gardens

This orangery is quite impressive from the outside

As is its interior

There is a tennis court

And a swimming pool

A further outbuilding

The setting

Another view of the main house

March 9, 2017
Forget flooding

Thameside boat house that will no longer suffer from flooding for sale for £3.75 million

A riverside home might be wonderful on a sunny summer’s day but when the water rises, they can be an absolute nightmare. The Boat House at Goring in Oxfordshire previously fell into that category, but thanks to a £200,000 food protection and waterproofing scheme, it’s now pretty much immune to the worst the Thames can throw at it and now it’s for sale.

Forget flooding – The Boat House, High Street, Goring, Reading, Oxfordshire, RG8 9AB – £3.75 million or $4.9 million or €4.42 million

The house was semi-submerged under water in early 2014

Offered by Savills, the 4,547 square foot two-storey house comes with not only a wet boathouse which has moorings suitable for a skiff but also a number of private mooring rings along its 245 foot frontage to the River Thames.

Standing in more than an acre of land, the house– which has been renovated since it was subjected to serious flooding in early 2014 – features 4 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. It comes with a detached 1 bedroom cottage, a brightly coloured gypsy caravan and a garage block with a gym and workshop.

Of the flooding prevention measures now installed at the property, Biocraft, the firm that carried out the work, commented:

“We developed an innovative and comprehensive flood defence scheme in collaboration with our structural engineer and succeeded in exceeding the clients’ expectations, providing them with security and peace of mind against future flooding”.

The selling agents seek £3.75 million or $4.9 million or €4.42 million for the property.

This room is described as “the river drawing room” and features a vaulted ceiling with exposed timbers, oak flooring and doors opening to a timber balcony overlooking the river

A dining area with doors that open onto the garden and overlooks the river beyond

It forms part of this kitchen with its vaulted ceiling

Another dining area

There are a total of four reception rooms

The master bedroom is one of five bedrooms in the main house

A view of the house from the garden

There is also a one bedroom cottage in the grounds

The garden has been professionally landscaped

Subscribe to our free once daily email newsletter here:[wysija_form id=”2″]

August 7, 2016
Fortunes and footballers

Gareth Southgate markets his £3.25 million Grade I listed Yorkshire home

Footballers are not generally noted for living in tasteful homes so it is somewhat surprising to find that the former England player turned Middlesborough manager Gareth Southgate’s current home is a Grade I listed “Elizabethan style” hall on the banks of Swinsty Reservoir, nine miles west of Harrogate. He and his wife Alison have owned it since 2006 but have been trying to sell it since June 2013. (more…)

October 24, 2014
Citizen of the Manor

Manor house owned by one of the McAlpine family comes to the market

The McAlpine family have construction in their blood. They’ve built everything from The Dorchester to the Millennium Dome and one of the current generation, Cullum McAlpine, is no different. His Cotswolds country house, Cold Ashton Manor, is currently for sale for £4 million and its architectural features are stunning. (more…)

August 21, 2014