A 12,000sq ft Georgian fantasy mansion has come up for sale in the rolling hills of Wiltshire
Penny Churchill takes a look at the spectacular and imposing Sandridge Park.


With global uncertainty still clouding the outlook for the country house market in 2025, leading agents expect demand to remain strongest in established local hotspots. That said, good houses in spectacular settings will continue to find buyers, whatever their location — and that leads us to the sale of Sandridge Park, which is on the market with Knight Frank for £6 million.
This imposing house is set in some 27 acres of gardens, parkland and woodland, 2½ miles from Melksham, a Wiltshire town just south of Chippenham, and an easy drive to the east from Bath.
The pristine 12,389sq ft Georgian-style house, which is unlisted, was built on Sandridge Hill between 1858 and 1860 by Ralph Ludlow Lopes, a successful barrister who was the High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1869. According to British History Online, Lopes’s grand new house replaced Lord Audley’s Sandridge Hill House, which previously stood on the site.
In the mid 1970s, the Lopes family decided to sell Sandridge Park, which stands in a sheltered south-facing spot on high ground with views towards the Vale of Pewsey, Salisbury Plain and the Mendip Hills. It was bought by Andrew Hoogeweegen, a former managing director of Heineken UK, who established the property as a venue for weddings, private parties and conferences.
In 2019, Sandridge Park was acquired by the present vendor, who embarked on an extensive refurbishment that included the addition of a new porch and entrance hall and saw Sandridge Park revert to its original status as a grand family home. And 'grand' really is the word: the furnishings, fittings and finish are all impeccable; this is a sort of Georgian fantasy mansion made real.
Immaculately presented throughout, the main house offers no fewer than seven impressive ground-floor reception rooms — reception hall, entrance hall, drawing room, dining room, library, sitting room and study — plus a vast bespoke kitchen and various utilities.
The first floor houses a luxurious principal bedroom suite and seven further double bedrooms, with bathrooms or shower rooms en suite.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Two further bright and spacious double bedrooms, both equipped with en-suite shower rooms, are located on the second floor. With fast-moving modern living in mind, the house has been re-wired with cat 6 cabling to each room run by a 50+ port matrix system. We're not even going to pretend to know what that means, but it's probably a really good thing, or the agents wouldn't have mentioned it.
Excellent secondary accommodation includes The Apartment, a two-bedroom annexe, and The Lodge, a self-contained, two-bedroom cottage.
Outbuildings include a workshop, gym and stores, and a new, four-bay garage with electric sectional doors, each bay pre-wired with charging stations for electric vehicles.
Sandridge Park is for sale at £6 million — see more details and pictures.
'An inspirational renaissance': The house and gardens of Sandridge Park
A historic house has been saved from ruin by sympathetic owners, who have mixed modern planting with tradition to create
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
I've seen the light: How a dark and gloomy kitchen in the Scottish Borders was reconfigured for 21st century living
When a family home passed to a new generation, Guild Anderson was asked to create a kitchen suited to modern living.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
Once threatened with extinction, the peregrine falcon has made a remarkable comeback
In the latest instalment of Mark Cocker's 'Winging it' column, he looks at the peregrine, a bird of prey with astonishing speed and super strength.
By Mark Cocker Published
-
Where Venice once ruled: The roving Venetians left handsome imprints across the Greek world, from its religion to its rambling villas
Matthew Dennison explores the lingering traces of Venice's vanished empire — and the best places to buy where it once stood.
By Matthew Dennison Last updated
-
A delightful 16th century home with some of Kent's most beautiful gardens has come on to the market
The Grange puts the 'garden' into the Garden of England.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
A pristine Scottish island for sale at the price of a garage in Fulham
A dot on the map of the west coast of Scotland has come on to the market, where you'll be surrounded by sea, living off grid and be neighbours with the local seal colony.
By Toby Keel Published
-
18 beautiful homes, from charming cottages to a Highland mansion with unbeatable views, as seen in Country Life
Our look at some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in the past week includes Georgian manor houses, charming commutable homes and the grandest home in Newcastle.
By Toby Keel Published
-
The gorgeous Somerset home of the designer behind one of Glastonbury's chicest spots
The Manor in Hinton Blewitt is a glorious Georgian home that ticks every box.
By Toby Keel Published
-
A 600-year-old National Trust property that you can call home
This blooming property in Kent showcases the original garden of England. Penny Churchill takes a look.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
A wisteria-clad delight with lawns running down to the Thames is the prettiest riverside home for sale in London today
Deodar Road, near Putney High Street, offers unrivalled views of the Thames and is characterful in excess.
By James Fisher Published
-
Five of the most majestic properties for sale in Britain today, from a 1,700-acre estate to a private island, as seen in Country Life
Our look at the best homes to come to the market via Country Life this week includes some genuinely breathtaking places.
By Toby Keel Published