A picture-perfect home in the Lancashire countryside that is on the market for the first time in 350 years
Higher Lee is an exceptional country home where unique architecture and stunning surroundings combine.


For sale for the first time in 350 years, Higher Lee is a Grade II*-listed country home of some considerable charm. With six bedrooms, the property offers the ideal mix of peaceful seclusion, set as it is at the base of Lee Fell in the Forest of Bowland AONB, and connectivity, with hyper-fast broadband and the county town of Lancaster a 15-minute drive away.
Now on the market via Davis & Bowring for £1.45 million, the property is one of a handful in the area not owned by the Duke of Westminster, giving it the benefit of being marooned in a very private and well-managed estate, and was once owned by the Earl of Sefton, who left it to his land agent when he died without an heir in 1972.
As well as six bedrooms in the main house, the property also has a former coach house and six acres of grounds that feature a croquet lawn, ornamental streams and direct access to the surrounding AONB.
The coach house is located opposite a charming stone courtyard and is currently used as a games room. Attached to this is a two-storey former cottage which could provide excellent ancillary accommodation with all the right planning approvals.
The interiors, although now slightly dated, are undoubtedly unique, and it wouldn’t take much to modernise the property.
The setting is truly spectacular. Rolling hills flanked by mature tree lines surround the property giving the sense of a secret idyll hidden within the Forest of Bowland AONB.
The vibrant city of Lancaster is approximately eight miles to the north west of Higher Lee, home to Medieval Lancaster Castle and the highly-rated Lancaster University. The buzzing riverside city offers plenty to do, from visiting the Maritime Museum, following the meandering footpaths to St George’s Quay or relaxing in Williamson Park.
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There are also a number of quirky boutiques and independent shops and galleries to explore, plus a twice-weekly market.
Schooling in the area is excellent, with Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School, Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy and St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School, to name a few.
Higher Lee is currently on the market via Davis & Bowring for £1.45 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
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James Fisher is the Deputy Digital Editor of Country Life. He writes about property, travel, motoring and things that upset him. He lives in London.
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