Widely recognised as England’s quietest county, Shropshire boasts some of the least-cluttered landscapes in the country. Here, Savills is handling the sale — at a guide price of £1.85 million — of exquisite Grade II*-listed Marche Manor, near the village of Halfway House, two miles from Westbury and 10 miles from Shrewsbury, in picturesque south Shropshire.
For locals, Halfway House is said to be midpoint between Shrewsbury and the Welsh border town of Welshpool; outliers see it as halfway between Birmingham and the Welsh university town of Aberystwyth.
The classic black-and-white, Elizabethan manor house offers 4,778sq ft of living space on three floors, including four main reception rooms — sitting room, dining room, drawing room and garden room — plus a study and a David Orton fitted kitchen/breakfast room on the ground floor.
The principal bedroom suite overlooks the gardens and there are three further bedrooms and a family bathroom on the first floor, plus three more bedrooms and a box room on the floor above.
According to its listing, the manor, which dates from the late 1500s with early- and late-17th-century additions, was the Gough family home from the late 15th century until the 18th century and it was probably Thomas Gough who added the early-17th-century cross-wing. Divided into farm cottages in the 19th century, it was restored in about 1898 by F. W. Wateridge, who bought the estate in 1892.
The manor stands in 17 acres of gardens, grounds and paddocks, the whole beautifully restored and renovated by the present owners, who have created an impressive new walled garden. The main lawn area, originally tennis courts, now serves as a helipad. A summer house, tucked away behind an arbour, has a 43ft rose arch that frames magnificent views towards the Stiperstones National Nature Reserve and the Welsh hills.
There’s also a range of traditional farm buildings arranged in an L-shape around a grass courtyard. Currently used as storage, they have planning consent for conversion to seven residential dwellings.
In 2001, the owners built a large, steel-framed farm building with scope for a variety of uses, including American-barn stabling or to house a classic-car collection.
Marche Manor is for sale at £1.85 million via Savills — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
Westbury: What you need to know
- Location: Westbury sits a little more than nine miles away from Shrewsbury
- Atmosphere:An agricultural village with a long history — it was part of a Roman outpost — Westbury today has a village shop, ost office, doctor’s surgery and pub
- Things to do: Walking, cycling, orienteering, climbing and riding are all available at Nesscliffe Hill Country Park. Plus, of course, Shrewsbury has a wide range of shops and restaurants, the Theatre Severn, and the annual Shrewsbury Flower Show and the food festival.
- Schools: Brynhafren C.P. School, Long Mountain CofE Primary School and Buttington Trewern C.P. School are all rated good by Ofsted, and Shrewsbury has an excellent selection of schools, including Shrewsbury School, Shrewsbury High School, Moreton Hall, Packwood Haugh and Meole Brace Academy.
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