A 'rare and exceptional' medieval estate with an Elizabethan-style house, a string of cottages, and a location an hour from London
The Allexton Hall Estate comes to the market, and Penny Churchill tells its story.


One of the great properties in the East Midlands has come up for sale: the prestigious 955-acre Allexton Hall estate, which straddles the border between Rutland and Leicestershire — four miles west of Uppingham and 13 miles north of Market Harborough, from where there is a regular fast train service to London St Pancras (under an hour).
The agents, Savills Farms & Estates, quote a guide price of £17m for the ‘rare and exceptional’ residential and amenity estate.
Allexton’s existence dates from medieval times, when it was part of the Royal Forest and the first manor was a moated fortalice on the banks of the Eye Brook.
This was superseded in the 16th century by the original Allexton Hall, of which little is known apart from the fact that the house was downgraded from a manor to a farmhouse in 1843, and the old house was probably ‘a hall house with four bays of structure’.
It was unoccupied in 1899 when the Wilson family decided that the Allexton Hall estate should be sold and, in July 1900, it was bought by George Pauling, a wealthy engineering contractor and director of a railway company that built a line between Newark and Market Harborough.
In 1902, Pauling had Allexton Hall almost totally rebuilt in the ‘Elizabethan Manorial style’ to designs by the architect William J. Shearburn. Local Ketton stone was used and the work was done largely by local craftsmen.
According to historian Vivian Anthony, ‘all the rooms were on a grand scale, including, on the ground floor, the Hall, Lounge Hall, Billiard Room and 50ft-long Lounge.
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.
On the first floor, there were eight family and guest bedrooms and the private chapel. There were also three maids’ rooms and three manservants’ rooms. Other estate workers lived in the three timbered cottages near the gates to the village’.
Pauling died in London in 1920, after which various attempts were made to sell the hall, manor and land. The estate passed through several hands in the in 1930s, 1950s and 1990s, before being acquired by technology investor Sanjay Mehta in 2008.
During his ownership, both Allexton Hall and its estate have been restored to their imperial glory, with the installation of a biomass boiler to service the estate properties.
The purchase includes the converted former stables and coach house, two stable cottages and the east and west gate lodges, all currently let on Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs).
Allexton Hall and Estate are for sale at £17 million — see more pictures and details.
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
-
Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expect
The four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
By James Fisher Published
-
Sign of the times: In the age of the selfie, what’s happening to the humble autograph?
When Ringo Starr announced that he was no longer going to sign anything, he kickstarted a celebrity movement that coincided with the advent of the camera phone and selfie. Rob Crossan asks whether, in today’s world, the selfie holds more clout than an autograph?
By Rob Crossan Published
-
Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expect
The four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
By James Fisher Published
-
About time: The fastest and slowest moving housing markets revealed
New research by Zoopla has shown where it's easy to sell and where it will take quite a while to find a buyer.
By Annabel Dixon Last updated
-
A wisteria clad hall built by one of the founders of the Bank of England
Come for the history of Old Hall. Stay for the interesting interiors.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A gorgeous Scottish cottage with contemporary interiors on the bonny banks of the River Tay
Carnliath on the edge of Strathtay is a delightful family home set in sensational scenery.
By James Fisher Published
-
Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country Life
We take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
By Toby Keel Published
-
380 acres and 90 bedrooms on the £25m private island being sold by one of Britain's top music producers
Stormzy, Rihanna and the Rolling Stones are just a part of the story at Osea Island, a dot on the map in the seas off Essex.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
A home cinema, tasteful interiors and 65 acres of private parkland hidden in an unassuming lodge in Kent
North Lodge near Tonbridge may seem relatively simple, but there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
By James Fisher Published
-
A rare opportunity to own a family home on Vanbrugh Terrace, one of London's finest streets
This six-bedroom Victorian home sits right on the start line of the London Marathon, with easy access to Blackheath and Greenwich Park.
By James Fisher Published