If you’re after a bucolic bolthole, cast your eye over Belgate House. This six-bedroom country house is nestled in just over nine acres of rolling Herefordshire countryside, offering panoramic views and plenty of privacy from prying eyes.
The sprawling property is on the market with a guide price of £2.75 million. That's a lot for this part of the world — the 14-bedroom North Manor Park is listed at £2m, for example — but Belgate's agents, Strutt & Parker, call this house 'one of Herefordshire’s finest', citing its ‘spectacular views' and the fact that it's a 'beautifully-finished country house.'
We certainly can't contradict them on those views: from inside and outside, this is clearly a place which has been built from the start to make the most of the location.
Inside, Belgate House has been restored and extended to create a modern, family home with high-end fittings and interiors. Think bespoke joinery, marble fireplaces and bold wallpaper... and there's no point ignoring the fact that for some, it might be overly bold. It has to be said that there is a fair bit of lilac.
Still, at least you won't have to worry about changing it: the property is not listed, so there is plenty of scope to make it your own — and even develop it further, assuming you get the green light for any necessary consents.
Belgate House has a spacious drawing room and library as well as an open-plan dining, sitting and snug area, all of which lead off the main hall.
It also has a fully kitted out kitchen, complete with mahogany units, granite worktops and an electric three-oven Aga. Tucked away beyond the kitchen is a walk-in larder, utility room with a freestanding island, two cloakrooms and an office, plus a wine cellar downstairs.
The property has been modelled to make the most of its picturesque surroundings. One of its standout features is a unique two-storey orangery, which has a cast iron mezzanine floor installed to create a walkway that leads to a seating area with spectacular views of the countryside.
Meanwhile, several rooms on the ground floor, including the drawing room, library, kitchen and orangery, boast double doors that open outside.
Belgate House has six bedrooms upstairs, one of which has been transformed into a generous dressing room packed with custom-made joinery.
Beyond the main house, there’s an indoor swimming pool — surely one of the most sought-after features in a property? And for those with green fingers, there’s landscaped gardens, a potting shed as well as a greenhouse and fruit cage adjacent to a small orchard.
Belgate House has various outbuildings, including large oak-framed barns that are ripe for development. The grounds also include south-facing terraces, two enclosed courtyards, and stables alongside woodland and paddocks.
The main house and outbuildings sit at the end of a long private drive. Shobdon village is two miles away, while Leominster train station is around 10 miles away.
Belgate House is located in a particularly scenic part of the country, sandwiched between the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales.
Belgate House is on the market via Strutt & Parker with a guide price of £2.75 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further 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
-
'To exist in this world relies on the hands of others': Roger Powell and modern British bookbindingAn exhibition on the legendary bookbinder Roger Powell reveals not only his great skill, but serves to reconnect us with the joy, power and importance of real craftsmanship.
-
Spam: The tinned meaty treat that brought a taste of the ‘hot-dog life of Hollywood’ to war-weary BritainCourtesy of our ‘special relationship’ with the US, Spam was a culinary phenomenon, says Mary Greene. So much so that in 1944, London’s Simpson’s, renowned for its roast beef, was offering creamed Spam casserole instead.
-
A mini estate in Kent that's so lovely it once featured in Simon Schama's 'History of Britain'The Paper Mill estate is a picture-postcard in the Garden of England.
-
Hidden excellence in a £7.5 million north London homeBehind the traditional façades of Provost Road, you will find something very special.
-
Sip tea and laugh at your neighbours in this seaside Norfolk home with a watchtowerOn Cliff Hill in Gorleston, one home is taller than all the others. It could be yours.
-
A Grecian masterpiece that might be one of the nation's finest homes comes up for sale in KentGrade I-listed Holwood House sits in 40 acres of private parkland just 15 miles from central London. It is spectacular.
-
Some of the finest landscapes in the North of England with a 12-bedroom home attachedUpper House in Derbyshire shows why the Kinder landscape was worth fighting for.
-
Could Gruber's Antiques from Paddington 2 be your new Notting Hill home?It was the home of Mr Gruber and his antiques in the film, but in the real world, Alice's Antiques could be yours.
-
What should 1.5 million new homes look like?The King's recent visit to Nansledan with the Prime Minister gives us a clue as to Labour's plans, but what are the benefits of traditional architecture? And can they solve a housing crisis?
-
Welcome to the modern party barn, where disco balls are 'non-negotiable'A party barn is the ultimate good-time utopia, devoid of the toil of a home gym or the practicalities of a home office. Modern efforts are a world away from the draughty, hay-bales-and-a-hi-fi set-up of yesteryear.
