Looking for all the world like a miniaturised castle, Lypiatt Lodge is actually a striking gatehouse, first built by Sir Jeffrey Wyatville in 1820 to provide access to Lypiatt Park, in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. And now it's looking for a new owner — one who won't be afraid to roll up his or her sleeves.
The lodge has been launched onto the market as a 4-5 bedroom property via Knight Frank, who are seeking offers over £700,000. Unique it may be, but there is no denying that the lodge is in serious need of some TLC, money, time and a skilled eye, to turn it into what could be a truly spectacular property.
The lodge has undergone several alternations since its construction, and currently stands as a three-storey tower, with a single storey west wing.
Although restoration work is needed, the property retains many period features, including a Tudor arched doorway and oriel and trefoil headed mullion windows.
The downstairs space is currently configured as a kitchen/breakfast room, three bedrooms, a study and sitting room.
The picture of the kitchen here tells the story: this is a place which really needs top-to-bottom work, but it's not hard to see the potential with the space. And how many houses come with a stone spiral staircase?
The first and second floor each house a bedroom, and stairs from the second floor bedroom lead out onto the battlements — okay, then, the roof terrace. You know what we mean.
Outside is a mostly south-facing garden, and an adjacent 'yard' area with several outbuildings.
Lypiatt Lodge is currently on the market via Knight Frank for offers over £700,000 — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.
Stroud: What you need to know
Location: In the middle of Gloucestershire, in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Roman town of Cirencester is approximately 12 miles away, as is Cheltenham.
Atmosphere: The market town of Stroud benefits from excellent independent restaurants, shops and weekly farmers markets. There is a strong art community and acts as a hub for contemporary arts, thanks to Laure Lee's 'Cider with Rosie.'
Things to do: There are plenty of walks and trails to explore in the surrounding area, plus numerous sports, including golf, racing and polo at Cirencester, Bath and Cheltenham.
Schools: Thomas Keble School and Eastcombe Primary School both received 'good' reviews from Ofsted, and there are a number of private schools in the area, including Wycliffe College, King's School and Cheltenham College.
See more property for sale in the area.
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
-
Suit yourself: I’m a 49 year-old man-about-town and I’ve never owned a suitWhen Hugh Smithson-Wright turned up to Country Life's annual Gentleman's Life party sans suit, it sparked a passionate conversation about why the formal fashion just isn't for everyone.
-
'The ugliness and craziness is a part of its charm': The Country Life guide to BangkokWhere to stay, where to eat and what to do in the Thai capital.
-
The wave of downsizing about to hit the property market in the UKThe Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget — and specifically the 'Mansion Tax' — has fired a starting pistol for downsizers, and the waves will wash across the entire property market. Annabel Dixon spoke to property experts across the country to gauge how it will play out.
-
A Georgian farmhouse that's an 'absolute gem' in an ancient village on Salisbury PlainJulie Harding takes a look at the beautiful West Farm in a gorgeous Wiltshire village.
-
It'd be crazy to buy this 500-year-old farmhouse just because of its utterly gorgeous Aga — so thank goodness that the rest of this place is also really nicePerry Mill Farm is an immaculate yet characterful four-bedroom dream home in the country at a price that will make city dwellers immediately start Googling 'working from Worcestershire'.
-
'A masterpiece of timeless elegance' for sale on the charmed Surrey estate once owned by Henry VIII and the Guinness familyThe Manor House in Burwood Park is a grand, enormous and undeniably impressive. Annabel Dixon takes a look.
-
A grand hall in Yorkshire with 400 years of historyCarlton Hall is a wonderful family home amid glorious gardens in a quaint village location. Penny Churchill looks inside.
-
Why don't more of us live in brightly coloured homes?It's not often that you see a home sporting the colour palette that you'd get if you hired a four-year old as your interior designer. But why not? The Blue House in Bethnal Green asks this and many more questions.
-
Five magnificent mansions, from a former monastery to an Art Deco wonder in the South Downs, as seen in Country LifeWonderful homes, including a superb beach home in Cornwall, all fresh on the market via Country Life.
-
A 14-bedroom 'miniature Downton Abbey' to call your own — and there's not a penny of Mansion Tax to be paidNorton Manor is an incredible period home that's on the market for £1.3 million.
