11 bedroom stately home for sale

Tenure: Freehold

GROUND FLOOR
From the gravelled courtyard a charming stone bridge leads to the part glazed front door which opens to

ENTRANCE LOBBY with painted panelled walls and stone flagged floor. A part glazed inner door opens to the

INNER HALL with moulded stone arch and fan light above opening to the staircase hall and a wider stone arch opening to the

RECEPTION HALL with open fireplace with stone surround and hearth, magnificent 17th century carved oak over-mantel, three quarter length windows with shutters and boxed-in radiators below, door to walk-in storage/drinks cupboard with sink unit, oak boarded floor, door with ornate carved oak casement to

LIBRARY with open fireplace with stone surround and hearth, extensive built-in bookcases with cupboards below, large square bay to the west overlooking the library garden and two picture windows to the south with boxed-in radiators below, oak boarded floor, door to

Lobby with heavy oak door opening to the garden, stone flagged floor and door to CLOAKROOM with basin and WC.

From the inner hall a door and steps down to

DINING ROOM with open fireplace with stone surround and hearth, heavily carved oak over-mantel with Ionic columns and arcading, fine oak panelling to the walls featuring date plaque of 1616 and a small Latin inscription, door to wine cupboards, built-in shelved cupboards, serving area, door to rear corridor.

From the staircase hall a door with fanlight above opens to

DRAWING ROOM with ante area with panelled walls, small stone fireplace to one corner, part glazed French doors opening to the south facing terrace and gardens. A wide arch opens to the main area of the drawing room with open fireplace with elegant marble surround and stone hearth, painted panelled walls with two arched and shelved display alcoves, sash windows with shutters and window seats.

Steps down from the staircase hall lead to a part glazed door opening to the rear corridor with heavy pine fitted cupboards to one side, cloaks cupboard and doors to

SITTING ROOM with Inglenook fireplace with heavy bressumer beam over, smoke hood and fire basket, exposed stone to two walls, high window with window seat.

KITCHEN with full height vaulted ceiling with large skylight and exposed roof trusses, extensive range of maple base and wall units by Woodstock with matching work surface incorporating a one and half bowl stainless steel sink unit with mixer tap, island unit with granite work surface incorporating butchers block and attached breakfast table, tiled floor, four-oven oil fired Aga, further fitted appliances including Miele dishwasher, microwave and fridge. Doors to a walk-in larder cupboard and utility room. A staircase, also in maple, to the first floor. The kitchen opens to the

BREAKFST ROOM fitted with a matching maple dresser, glazed door opening to the terrace and garden; further door to the rear corridor.

UTILITY ROOM with base and wall cupboards sink unit with mixer tap; plumbing for American style fridge/freezer, tiled floor, door to rear courtyard.

CELLAR with separate boiler room housing Potterton oil fired boiler; the remainder of the cellar is divided into four main areas.

A door at the east end of the rear corridor opens to an entrance lobby for the ‘back’ door, fuse and meter cupboard, door leading to the leisure complex and staff/guest apartment.

LEISURE COMPLEX

A lobby opens up to

RECEPTION AREA comprising kitchen with fitted base and wall units, sink unit with mixer tap, electric oven with hob and hood over, fitted bar with slate surface and a cupboard housing Calor gas fired boiler. Doors open to

GYMNASIUM with fuse and meter cupboard, Junkers wooden gymnasium floor and door to outside.

BILLIARD ROOM/STUDY with exposed roof trusses, glazed double doors to outside, panelling to half height.

CLOAKROOM with basin and WC.

A lobby with glazed doors to either side and further door to

POOL ROOM with deck-level swimming pool with circular Jacuzzi to one end, three pairs of double doors opening to outside, vaulted ceiling with large central skylight, mainly tiled floor with decking to one end, seating area, door to

CHANGING AREA with sauna and steam room, two changing rooms, one with fitted benches and dressing table, the other with bench and cupboard housing hot water cylinder; shower cubicle with Nordic Jetronic impulse shower unit; WC.

In a separate stone built building across a stone flagged courtyard from the leisure complex is the

BARBECUE ROOM with vaulted ceiling, two pairs of glazed doors opening to the courtyard, stable door to side.

To one side of the pool room the building extends to house the swimming pool heating and filtration plant.

FIRST FLOOR

A beautiful oak staircase with turned balusters rises from the stone flagged staircase hall. The main landing with painted panelled walls leads to:

PRINCIPAL BEDROOM South and West aspects with views over the gardens and idling countryside.

BATHROOM 1 Panelled bath, wash basin and WC

BEDROOM 2 Fireplace with stone surround and hearth, door to Dressing Room fitted with hanging cupboards and storage cupboards over.

BATHROOM 2 Free standing roll top bath with Edwardian style mixer tap with shower attachment, basin, W, understairs cupboard.

THE DIGBY ROOM Large fireplace with stone surround and hearth, fireback dated 1668 and fire basket, panelled walls, door to built-in hanging cupboard, door to:

A small landing with staircase rising to the Second Floor, leads to

BEDROOM 3 Fireplace with stone surround, wash basin

SHOWER ROOM Shower, basin set in vanity unity with cupboards below, WC, under floor heating.

BEDROOM 4 Built-in cupboard below window, views over front courtyard.

BEDROOM 5

BATHROOM 3 Panelled bath, shower cubicle, basin, WC, fitted cupboards.

From the Inner Landing is a door with stairs leading down to the Kitchen. Another staircase leads up from the Side Entrance Lobby to the Inner Landing and

STAFF/GUEST APARTMENT

SITTING ROOM

BEDROOM 1 Fireplace with cast iron grate, built-in cupboard

SHOWER ROOM Shower, basin, WC, airing cupboard.

KITCHEN Base and wall units, one and half bowl sink unit, electric oven, large built-in cupboard.

CLOAKROOM WC

UTILITY ROOM Space and plumbing for a washing machine.

Stairs to BEDROOM 2

From the Main Landing a staircase rises to the

SECOND FLOOR

BEDROOM 6 Fireplace with stone surround and cast iron grate, Dressing Room.

BEDROOM 7 Fireplace with stone surround, built in cupboard below window.

BEDROOM 8 Fireplace with stone surround, fitted pine cupboards

BEDROOM 9

BATHROOM 4 Panelled bath, washbasin, WC

LINEN ROOM and TANK ROOM

THE OUTBUILDINGS

Two imposing gate piers grace the opening to the stable courtyard on the north side of the Hall. This comprises two large stone barns forming an L-shape.

The first barn, bearing the date stone of 1555, has heavy double doors opening to a large open area with four cage boxes to one end. Attached to the barn is a garage with two up and over electrically operated doors to the rear and two stable doors to the front elevation.

The second barn is built mainly of stone and partly of timber and plaster, a method rarely used in the stone district of Rutland. This building possibly also dates back to 1555 but is conceivable that it may be even older and is the remains of a homestead of an owner previous to the Digbys.

The barn comprises four loose boxes, two pony boxes, a harness room, store and an external staircase rising to haylofts above.

GARDENS AND GROUNDS

The Hall is approached from the east through a round stone arch, flanked by Roman columns on tall pedestals. An Acer avenue with broad areas of lawn to either side, flanks the driveway, which forks right to the garages and other outbuildings, and continues straight on to the gravelled forecourt in front of the Hall.

A path leads to the west of the front door through a Yew arch to a formal parterre, topiary and rose garden, protected on two sides by a high mellow stone wall with three display niches. Formal flower and rose beds interspersed with grass and stone paths, enclose by clipped box and Yew hedges form ‘rooms’. An elegant pavilion stands to one corner with the empty Digby family crypt beneath.

On the south side of the house, stone steps lead down form the drawing room to a broad flagstone terrace and path. Two terraced lawns edged with clipped Yew hedges lead away and terminate in a ha-ha. From the south side of the Hall are outstanding views over the grounds and beyond to the attractive farmland.

Adjoining the lawns to the west is a sunken water garden with terraced, grassed paths edged with stone walls leading down to a rectangular pool with central fountain.

Overlooking the water garden and with views over to the main garden is a stone gazebo with a Collyweston slate roof.

A Yew arch opens to a further water garden with sunken octagonal pond surrounded by a grass terrace interspersed with stone paths and surrounded by a low stone wall. An opening leads through to a less formal wildlife garden with a large pond surrounded by a paddock with a small stone shelter, bordered with lime trees.

To the side of the barn is the north drive, which leads up past a well-stocked herbaceous border and clipped evergreen hedge to the ornamental iron gates with stone piers and ball finials.

Beyond the outbuildings are two greenhouses and a melon house. Adjoining the kitchen garden a fence encloses a privy and stone and tiled garden store.

To the north is the original walled-in kitchen garden, which is now an apple orchard, surrounded by espaliered fruit trees, including peach, apple, pear, fig, apricot and vines.

In one corner is an octagonal tower or gazebo, said to be built from the materials of a former chapel on the site.

To the south of the drive is a post and rail fenced grass paddock with mature trees to the far boundary.

All weather tennis court.

There is a pergola with olive trees and lavender.