Jason Roberts of Strutt & Parker’s Morpeth office quotes a guide price of £3.95m for magnificent, Grade I-listed Milbourne Hall, ‘a hidden gem’ set in 24 acres of wooded gardens and grounds near the peaceful small hamlet of Milbourne, four miles from Ponteland, 12 miles from Morpeth and just under 12 miles from Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Built between 1807 and 1810 of the local Belsay stone under a Lakeland slate roof, Milbourne Hall is a striking country house with an attached stable court and west gate tower linked to the rectangular main block.
It was designed by the Scottish architect John Paterson, who trained with Robert Adam, for Ralph Bates, a member of a long-established Northumbrian landowning family, who was High Sheriff of the county in 1812 and later Deputy Lieutenant. In 1891, Georgiana Elliott (neé Bates) left the estate to her grandson, Ralph Mortimer, who was High Sheriff in 1916 and died at Milbourne Hall in May, 1955.
Built in a style reminiscent of Adam, the symmetrical layout of oval rooms, oval staircase hall and octagonal library is of notable interest and was described by Pevsner as ‘ingeniously worked out so that nearly every room inside is oval’.
Unusually, the house is arranged around an octagonal courtyard and, in addition to its own guest apartment (presently in mid refurbishment), has secondary accommodation in the shape of three self-contained carriage houses in the north, south and west wings, which provide perfect boltholes for visiting guests or offer the option to generate a substantial income stream.
The present owners, who bought Milbourne Hall in need of refurbishment in 2007, have done most of the heavy lifting in terms of structural repairs, including of electrical and heating systems. A long, sweeping, tree-lined drive leads to a large parking area and a stone portico that sets the scene from the moment you cross the threshold.
Three opulent reception rooms radiate from the central rotunda, which also opens onto the kitchen with its central island and breakfast bar. Bedrooms in the main house include a master suite, three further bedrooms and the four-bedroom guest apartment.
Outside, the gardens and grounds are a mix of formal lawns, areas of mature trees and deep borders, a secluded walled garden with traditional planting and sections left to natural growth, and a freshwater flight pond that attracts wildfowl at dusk.
The octagonal courtyard with its decorative paving and original cobblestones, is accessed through a tall water-tower entrance that leads to the stables, garaging, stores and apartments.
Milbourne Hall is for sale via Strutt & Parker at £3.95m — see more details and pictures.
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
-
Art Deco: The striking design style that embraced it allArt Deco, with its exuberant passion for geometry, luxury and shiny chrome, cocooned troubled times in a layer of glitz. A century after the style gained its name, Gavin Plumley surveys one of the 20th century’s most all-encompassing movements.
-
What the hedge can tell us about the countryside, with Richard NegusThe hedge is much more than just a barrier between one field and the next. Richard Negus joins the Country Life Podcast to discuss his work, his latest book and how he's being tapped up to switch cricket clubs.
-
A 17th century farmhouse in Surrey with one of Britain's oldest squash courtsFords Farm is on the market for the first time in over half a century.
-
The 15 best-value commuter towns for people working in London, according to new research from one of Britain's top estate agentsSavills have released their list of the best-value commuter towns in Britain. But do the sums add up? Toby Keel takes a look.
-
What everyone is talking about this week: Where are the new Cotswolds?The appearance of American Vice President J. D. Vance in the Cotswolds is a sure sign that they're saturated, but where else can you escape to that has the same charm?
-
19 outstanding country homes, from £450,000 to £20 million, as seen in Country LifeA spectacular country house in Yorkshire and an enormously impressive Channel Islands retreat are among the stand-out homes on the market this week.
-
Three homes down by the Thames, perfect for those who love messing about on boatsThis summer’s scorching temperatures will no doubt have endorsed the perennial appeal of Thames-side houses with frontage and private access to the river. Penny Churchill and Toby Keel pick out some prime examples.
-
A pavilion, pool and pleasure gardens at this Devon country house 'with not another building in sight'Ebberly House is a majestic country house in Devon built by one of John Soane's pupils — and as it comes to the market, it's a place Penny Churchill knows well.
-
Take over the world or throw a great big party on this private fort for sale in PembrokeThorne Island, dubbed the British Alcatraz, has been a £2 million labour of love. Now it could be yours.
-
The perfect summer house? A country home, beach house and rural escape rolled into one in a prime spot in SussexIf there's a finer house than Grangewood House in which to enjoy the summer, we'd love to see it. Penny Churchill takes a look.
