Church Road, Northop, CH7

Built in 1826, Lislea House celebrates its 200th year, marking the next chapter in a truly remarkable history. An iconic former vicarage set in the heart of the sought after village of Northop, this Grade II listed Georgian villa exudes space, character and a genuine sense of grandeur.

This magnificent home beautifully combines period elegance with timeless architectural features, including exquisite original coving, large sash windows and impressive ceiling heights, all contributing to an abundance of natural light and a feeling of space rarely found in modern homes.

The ground floor accommodation is both generous and versatile. A dual aspect living room enjoys a beautiful frontal outlook, centred around a striking marble open fireplace, while the grand drawing room, with its elegant canted bay window, provides the perfect setting for entertaining. The spacious kitchen is complemented by a highly practical pantry and larder, and an additional reception room, currently arranged as a home office, offers flexibility for a variety of uses, whether as a snug, study or playroom. A separate utility room caters to everyday practicalities.

Ascending the staircase, a wonderful view of the historic St Eurgain and St Peter’s Church unfolds, adding to the home’s sense of heritage and setting. The first floor offers four bedrooms in total, alongside a recently upgraded family bathroom fitted with high quality Burlington fixtures. The centrally positioned principal bedroom benefits from a cleverly designed en suite, while two further double bedrooms provide ample space, with a fourth bedroom or study completing the accommodation.

Externally, the property sits within grounds of just under 1.5 acres. Approached via gated access and a gravelled driveway, the walled garden to the left creates a natural division between two distinct outdoor spaces. Surrounding the house are formal lawned gardens, interspersed with mature trees and complemented by a traditional ha ha, a subtle reminder of the home’s historic origins. Beyond the arched entrance of the walled garden lies a more private and productive space, ideal for embracing a countryside lifestyle, with orchards, a vegetable garden, seating areas and open lawn for family enjoyment.

Lislea House is perfectly positioned within the centre of the village, offering convenient walking distance access to local amenities including a village shop, the Red Lion pub and Northop Country Park Golf Club across the road, allowing residents to fully immerse themselves in this vibrant and welcoming community.

Inside The Home

Entering through the elegant arched doorway, crowned with a fanlight window, natural light is drawn into the home while setting a refined Georgian tone from the outset. Stepping inside, you are welcomed into a beautifully proportioned entrance hall where soft tones and impressive ceiling heights immediately create a sense of light and space. The classic black and white tiled floor provides a timeless first impression, perfectly reflecting the home’s period character.
From here, you are drawn forward into the central hallway, where original timber flooring brings warmth and continuity. The staircase rises gracefully to the first floor, forming a subtle focal point, while a conveniently positioned ground floor shower room provides WC and basin facilities.

More on the Ground Floor

The living room forms the heart of the home, with three striking sash windows filling the space with natural light and framing seasonal views across the front lawn. High Georgian ceilings enhance the sense of volume, while a marble fireplace with open fire creates a striking focal point. There is also space for dining, making it ideal for relaxed, sociable living.
For more formal occasions, the drawing room offers grandeur with intricate coving, impressive ceiling heights and a central canted bay window. A detailed foliate frieze adds further elegance making this room ideal for entertaining or formal dining. At Christmas, the bay window becomes a standout feature for a large tree, visible from the road and forming a much-loved festive highlight.

The Kitchen & Further Potential

The kitchen provides a practical family space with a Range cooker and walk in pantry, along with access to a covered rear area and utility room. The property also benefits from planning permission to extend the kitchen offering exciting potential for a future open-plan kitchen-dining space. The third reception room, currently used as a home office, adds flexibility as a snug, library or playroom.

First Floor

The staircase reveals a beautiful framed view of St Eurgain and St Peter’s Church, reinforcing the home’s historic setting. The landing leads to four bedrooms and a recently updated family bathroom.

The principal bedroom enjoys elevated views over the front lawns and open fields beyond, with morning light enhancing its bright, uplifting feel. It also benefits from a private en-suite shower room.
Two further double bedrooms share similar front-facing outlooks with high ceilings and character features, while the fourth bedroom offers flexibility as a single room or home office.

The family bathroom has been beautifully designed with high quality Burlington London fittings, featuring a freestanding bath positioned by the window and a spacious walk in shower, combining period charm with modern comfort.

An Insight To Life

We first discovered Lislea House in late 2016, after searching across North Wales and the border regions for a home that offered that perfect blend of countryside living and village charm, while still being within easy reach of major towns and cities. The moment we saw it, it was truly love at first sight. Its striking front elevation immediately stood out, but it was only once we stepped inside—taking in the beautifully proportioned rooms, high ceilings, original features, and the walled garden—that we knew this was the one.
Each season brings its own charm—spring with its banks of daffodils, summer when the gardens are in full bloom, and autumn with its rich colours. But Christmas is when the house truly comes into its own. Each year, we place an 11-foot Christmas tree in the large front window, visible from the main road, which has become something of a local festive landmark.

An Insight To Life Continued

There’s also something incredibly special about the view of the floodlit church spire at Christmas; it adds a magical quality that’s hard to put into words.

This year, the house celebrates its 200th anniversary, having originally been built as the vicarage for the nearby St Eurgain and St Peter Church, which itself dates back to the 13th century. There are so many features we’ve come to love, but the full-length front window is particularly special, as is the exquisite listed cornice in the same room. The ha-ha wall is another standout feature, creating that elevated feeling of looking out across open countryside while still being nestled within a charming village setting.

Day-to-day life here feels incredibly special. We’re naturally drawn to the triple-aspect living room, which overlooks the gardens to the front and side of the house.

An Insight To Life Continued

Every room enjoys views of the surrounding greenery, with the tree-lined setting alongside Northop Country Golf Club adding to that sense of tranquillity. Watching the sunrise through the front living room window is a daily highlight, and no matter how many times we see it, it never loses its impact.

For families, it’s an exceptional place to live. The balance between countryside and accessibility, combined with excellent local schools and activities, makes it ideal for raising children. The village of Northop itself has a strong sense of community, with regular events and a welcoming atmosphere. There are two local pubs, a village shop with a post office, and nearby you’ll find the Celtic Arms restaurant within Northop Country Park, along with the golf club. For those who enjoy the outdoors, there are countless walks to explore right on the doorstep.

An Insight To Life Continued

Despite its peaceful rural setting, we’ve always appreciated how conveniently located it is, with Chester, Liverpool, Llandudno, and the stunning landscape of North Wales all within easy reach.

As we prepare to move on, it’s not just the house we’ll miss, but the life that comes with it. The memories we’ve made over nearly a decade, the wonderful neighbours who have become lifelong friends, and the village and surrounding areas that have brought us so much joy. Lislea House has been more than just a home—it’s been a truly special chapter in our lives.

Garden

Set within approximately 1.38 acres, Lislea House reveals gardens that are as private as they are beautiful, offering a rare combination of space, seclusion and year round interest. The grounds wrapped gently around the property, creating a natural sense of privacy while still feeling open, light and connected to the surrounding countryside.

To the front a more formal approach presents beautifully maintained manicured lawns that flow effortlessly towards open farmland beyond, creating a striking and ever changing rural backdrop. The outlook transforms with the seasons: spring brings a vibrant display of daffodils and fresh greenery, summer sees the borders mature into full colour and texture, autumn introduces rich gold and copper tones across the trees and winter provides a crisp, quiet landscape with far reaching views and a sense of calm stillness. This ever-evolving setting ensures the home feels connected to nature throughout the year.

Garden

To the side, a more secluded walled garden offers a completely private and tranquil retreat, ideal for relaxation and outdoor living. Formerly in orchard, the space retains its character with several mature trees still in place, providing natural shade and structure throughout the garden. It now serves as a safe, enclosed environment perfect for entertaining, children at play, or simply enjoying a peaceful moment outdoors away from the main house.

Practicality is well considered, with a detached garage providing useful storage in everyday convenience while blending discreetly into the setting. Beneath the home, the substantial cellar extends to over 100 square feet and presents exceptional potential. Whether used in its current form or transformed, it offers exciting opportunities for conversion into a gym, leisure suite, bar wine cellar or additional storage adding valuable versatility to the property's footprint.

Rear Garden

Planning Permission:
The property benefits from existing planning permission to extend the kitchen, offering an exciting opportunity to create a stunning open plan kitchen dining space, perfectly suited to modern family living and entertaining. Alternatively, the current layout allows for the seamless integration of a utility room into the kitchen, enhancing both flow and functionality. In addition, the extension cellar presents significant scope for conversion, with the potential to create multiple rooms such as a games room, leisure suite, gym or cinema room, further increasing the versatility and appeal of this exceptional home.

Parking - Driveway