Hillesley, Gloucestershire

Why we love Hillesley House

Hillesley House with origins dating back to the 15th century is a perfect example of a Cotswold Manor house that has evolved through the centuries and provides for an intriguing and fascinating home.

With beautiful gardens and far-reaching views that are glimpsed from every window, this beautifully restored house wraps itself around you offering a sense of calm and peacefulness which is the defining characteristic of this wonderful home.

Situated at the edge of this friendly village on the edge of the Cotswold escarpment it is ideally placed being both away from it all as well as being super connected.

A driveway leads to a front courtyard where the imposing elevation is a mixture of soft red brick with stone quoins and render.  

The entrance hall is stone flagged and spacious with a welcoming working fireplace and open to a fine oak staircase. The ground floor suite of rooms that face onto the garden are all interconnected allowing for an easy progress and flow, ideal for a party.

All have working fireplaces and stone mullion windows with high ceilings and yet none are out of scale or proportion. The highlight of the ground floor space, which can be reached both from the superbly fitted family kitchen and dining room (through a secret door) is the magnificent Orangery which has two walls of glazing with French windows on the garden. This magnificent space lends itself to summer and winter always offering a sense of being part of the secluded and private garden.

The ’back of house’ gives an intriguing sense of a bygone age with a charming parlour, complete with servant’s bells and the original kitchen now used as a utility room. Access to the original cellar is also from the space.

The principal suite, on the first floor, can be approached by any one of three staircases and features a wonderful bedroom overlooking the garden along with a splendid and indulgent bathroom.

Further family and guest bedrooms with the requisite number of bathrooms can be found on this floor along with an impressive second floor set of bedrooms along with the tower room which would make a fun den or study.

The outside and outbuildings

The gardens at Hillesley House are one of its many treasures. Formed into distinct ‘rooms’ the first garden is enclosed by the house and outer walls of a further walled garden. Mature wisteria covers the walls with the wonderful scent in spring and close to the house, a wonderful magnolia grandiflora. A series of stylish garden gates reveal each of the spaces which include a large lawn ideal for croquet, guarded by fine yew and topiary. A more secret garden provides a less formal walk and leads to a private seating area which in turn leads to the swimming pool and summer house. As you would expect there are fine greenhouses for a garden of this quality.

Aside from the formal gardens there is an enchanting ‘natural’ area where in spring the bulbs and cow parsley predominate. This also affords one of the most splendid views across the property’s own paddock to the folly at Alderley nearly a mile away.  There is a further paddock which can be accessed from the village.

The Coach House and Barn

The coach house is a perfect compliment to the main house and like the house is very well maintained and decorated to a high standard. Formally a stable block, the owners have retained all the charm and features of the past life of the building which adds to the overall charm.

The Barn which can be accessed independently is a brilliant space that could be put to all sorts of uses. As well as somewhere to create a separate work space away from home, an artist or yoga studio or a performance space all come to mind.

Living in South Gloucestershire

Wotton-under-Edge 2.8 miles | Chipping Sodbury 9.2 miles | Tetbury 11 miles | Chippenham 16.4 miles | Bath 19 miles | Bristol 21 miles

(All distances approximate)

Hillesley is a pretty stone village within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty close to the Cotswold edge. The village includes its own C of E primary school, a cricket club, and an excellent pub The Fleece Inn, which won the southwest region Pub of The Year 2018.

Quietly tucked away off the A46 it is ideally located for the market towns of Wotton-under-Edge, Chipping Sodbury, Tetbury and Nailsworth. It is also well placed for Junction 18 of the M4 giving direct access to Bristol and the M5 in the West and London in the East. The village has excellent train links with both Kemble (approx. 18 miles) and Chippenham (approx. 16 miles) stations giving direct access to London Paddington in less than 70 minutes. 

It is also within easy driving distance of Cirencester and Stroud (both voted in 2023 and 2022 respectively by The Sunday Times as the best place in England to live). Heathrow Airport is 98 miles and Bristol Airport 30 miles. 

The countryside around Hillesley is very beautiful with the Cotswold Way passing nearby towards Bath in the South and Chipping Camden in the North. Often referred to as a walker’s paradise the Cotswold Way was officially inaugurated as a national trail in 2007. 

Numerous sporting activities are on your doorstep with racing and rugby at Bath and Cheltenham along with golf at Castle Combe and Minchinhampton. The world- famous International Horse Trials at Badminton are an annual fixture along with polo at Cirencester and The Beaufort Polo Club. 

Fantastic Schools

The many excellent independent schools in Bath, Bristol and Cheltenham along with St. Mary’s Calne, Westonbirt and Beaudesert Park are all considered to be within easy driving distance.