A breathtaking house and garden for sale that was created by one of Britain's greatest landscape architects as a playground for his family
Thomas H. Mawson, one of the 20th century's most renowned landscape architects, created this place for his family to enjoy. A century later it's looking for a new owner.

The landscape immediately south of the Lake District 'tends to be bypassed by people belting up the M6 to join the queues of traffic into Windermere and Ambleside,' wrote Fiona Reynolds of Arnside & Silverdale in a piece for Country Life in 2020. Yet this is no poor relation: it was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1972, which — as Fiona points out — makes it 'equal to the Lakes and other national parks in its beauty and significance.'
It's in this peaceful and idyllic setting that Thomas H. Mawson, founder of the Institute of Landscape Architecture, created a masterpiece. After a career spent making landscapes for royalty across the world — from the Maharajah of India to Queen Alexandra of Denmark — Mawson brought his family to Silverdale, and the Grey Walls Estate.
The garden he laid out here is thought to be his last, and made purely for his family; and a 5.75 acre portion of it is up for sale with an 'offers over £1m' asking price.
The natural limestone here supports rare trees and shrubs, with terraces offering glimpses of the sea, an orchard and woodland glades, within the Silverdale National Landscape.
As you might expect for your £1m, there is more than just a garden for sale here: it also includes the pretty, one-bedroom summer house you see in the pictures — and, crucially, planning permission to expand the house into a proper three-bedroom family home.
Having a chance to specify your own home exactly as you'd wish it to be is part of the appeal, but of course it's the grounds that are the main draw. As the images on this page show, it looks stunning at the moment — but it's not always been that way since it was first made in 1926. As few as 10 years ago, it was overgrown, but rescuers have restored ‘the gardens, now a truly magnificent finding,’ say the agents Armitstead Barnett, in ‘a patchwork of hills, woodland and ever-changing tidal reaches’.
For sale at offers over £1m via Armitstead Barnett — see more details and pictures.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
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
Toby Keel is Country Life's Digital Director, and has been running the website and social media channels since 2016. A former sports journalist, he writes about property, cars, lifestyle, travel, nature.
-
The most expensive postcodes outside of London have been revealed
Some are not so surprising. Some are quite surprising. Most are still quite close to London. All are costly.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
Meet the willow weaving artist whose work is popular on both sides of the pond
This summer, Laura Ellen Bacon's work stars in two different exhibitions.
By Carla Passino Published
-
The most expensive postcodes outside of London have been revealed
Some are not so surprising. Some are quite surprising. Most are still quite close to London. All are costly.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A £1.5 million flat on the street where wig and pen once met
It doesn't get more central London than Fleet Street.
By James Fisher Published
-
A spectacular coastal estate in Dorset set on its own private peninsula
This 160-acre estate is part nature reserve and part country home, with a beautiful Arts-and-Crafts home at its heart.
By Arabella Youens Last updated
-
A converted bothy on the shores of Loch Tay from which to enjoy the fresh tastes of Spring
Waterfall Cottage offers four bedrooms and a garden that stretches right down to the lapping waters.
By James Fisher Published
-
An idyllic home in Hampshire that's perfect for the musical mind
Lyewood House sits in 3.5 acres and comes with a purpose built recording studio and an outdoor heated pool.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
A well-connected rural playground with 23 acres on the edge of the South Downs National Park
Old House Farm is an impressive family home with a wealth of amenities that would inspire any rural passion.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
18 magnificent homes for sale from £550k to £20 million, as seen in Country Life
From a charming thatched cottage to a 300-acre estate with its own vineyard, here's our pick of places to come to the market via Country Life of late.
By Toby Keel Published
-
A converted monastery for sale where the chapel has become the most incredible swimming pool we've seen in years
You can't help but wonder what the Trappist monks who once owned this 80-acre site in Devon would make of how the place has turned out.
By James Fisher Published