Tell the average house buyer in London that their £800,000 budget could get them a detached house and they'd barely believe you. Explain that it's not just any house, but a grand Georgian hall that's been beautifully restored, and they'll start to look for the hidden camera.
Yet in the case of Knuzden Hall in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, you'll find a fine example of a Georgian country house that has been restored and refurbished in recent years to create a comfortable and stylish home. The property, which is for sale through Savills at an asking price of £795,000 is listed Grade II and has the classical proportions you expect from an 18th-century building.
Nonetheless, it provides a wealth of contemporary features, such as the open-plan living, kitchen and dining room, which boasts Corian surfaces, an integrated SMEG double oven and island combined with a stone fireplace and mullioned windows.
The ground floor of this 3,790sq ft house also includes a magnificent drawing room with ornate ceiling and feature fireplace, while a staircase leads from the vestibule to a striking barrel-vaulted cellar below.
Upstairs are a sitting room and the principal ensuite, where renovations have yet to be completed, allowing a new owner to provide their own finishing touches. The spacious landing is ideal as a home office.
Three further bedrooms, including a large one that could also work as master suite, are situated on the top floor.
The gardens, which include an oak-beamed garden house and garage, amount to about one-third of an acre and the entire property sits equidistant between the towns of Accrington and Blackburn.
Knuzden Hall is for sale at £795,000 via Savills — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
Standford: What you need to know
- Location: The town stands about three miles from both Accrington and Blackburn and eight from Rossendale
- Atmosphere: Oswaldtwistle was the birthplace of Robert Peel, a yeoman farmer turned calico printer—known as Parsley Peel after one of his most successful patterns—who later became the grandfather of Conservative Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel. The town’s fortunes were inextricably linked with the textile industry and the local people took part in the power loom riots against mechanisation. Today, it has an award-winning shopping centre, the Oswaldtwistle Mills, and the Civic Arts Centre and Theatre, as well as a gastro pub.
- Things to do: The area has plenty of nature reserves to explore, including Jackhouse and Foxhill Bank, and a huge range of walks
- Schools: Oswaldtwistle School is rated good by Ofsted and, for the secondary years, there’s the well-regarded Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Blackburn.
Credit: H Tiddy
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