A stone-built millhouse in a perfect Cumbrian village where Wordsworth helped run a pub
The Mill House is a delightful property with salmon and trout fishing rights, set in lovely grounds in Sockbridge and Tirril, the parish where William Wordsworth's nephew once ran an inn — and persuaded his famous uncle to help him.
Near the thriving village of Sockbridge stands The Mill House, a substantial six-bedroom stone house situated in a private and picturesque setting within an AONB on the edge of the Lake District National Park.
The property dates back to the 17th century and has been renovated to provide flexible family accommodation over two floors, while leaving intact features such as the wooden doors that lead to the drawing room, which are thought to come from Lowther Castle.
The interiors have many other charming details, from the Aga in the vast kitchen to the dining room’s feature beam and flagstone floors, and the reclaimed wooden balustrade on the steps leading to the bedrooms upstairs.
But perhaps The Mill House’s true highlights are the gardens paddocks and land that surround it. Extending to about five acres, they include a lawn and terrace overlooking the millrace, which is now a water feature, plus an orchard with apple, greengage, pear, damson and walnut trees, a soft-fruit and vegetable garden and a belt of woodland incorporating a riverside walk. Another terrace with a pizza oven, situated outside the garden room. is great for alfresco dining in summer.
The paddock fronts the River Eamont, to which the property has single-bank fishing rights for both trout and salmon over a quarter-of-a-mile stretch. Also on the grounds is a range of outbuildings, currently used as gym, smokehouse and workshop, which could be developed subject to planning consent.
The Mill House is for sale at £1.395m via Finest Properties — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
Sockbridge and Tirril: What you need to know
- Location: Sockbridge sits in the Eden Valley, ten minutes' drive from Penrith and 14 from Ullswater. It's separated by a river from Tirril, with which it forms a single parish
- Atmosphere: Tirril has strong Quaker ties —it had a Quaker Hall and was home to home Quaker mathematicians, John and Thomas Slee. Both Sockbridge and Tirrill also have strong links to Wordsworth. The poet's grandfather, a Yorkshireman, came to live in Sockbridge (at what's now called wordsworth House), while his brother owned the local pub, the Queen’s Head, in Tirril. After Richard passed away, his one-year-old son inherited, and William Wordsworth helped manage the inn until his nephew grew up.
- Things to do: A pint at the Queen's Head, which has been serving punters since 1719, is a must, as is the Heritage trail around Sockbridge and Tirril and the circular path named after the artist Charles Gough. And, of course, the area has plenty of beautiful places to explore and things to do, from visiting the magnificent Lowther Castle and Gardens to boating on Ullswater. Children will enjoy the Lakeland Bird of Prey centre.
- Schools: Nearby Yanwath and Stainton both have primary schools and, at secondary level, there's Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Penrith.Find more properties in the area.
Credit: H Tiddy
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
12 stunning character properties for sale at under £400,000
Thatched homes in Cornwall and West Sussex are among the many highlights of these gorgeous character cottages for sale.
Carla must be the only Italian that finds the English weather more congenial than her native country’s sunshine. An antique herself, she became Country Life’s Arts & Antiques editor in 2023 having previously covered, as a freelance journalist, heritage, conservation, history and property stories, for which she won a couple of awards. Her musical taste has never evolved past Puccini and she spends most of her time immersed in any century before the 20th.
-
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.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
Meet the British perfumers squeezing landscapes into scentsThe nuances of modern perfumery now allow a single drop to evoke an entire landscape. Amie Elizabeth White explores the native houses hitting the right notes
By Amie Elizabeth White Published
-
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.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
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.
By Julie Harding Published
-
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'.
By Toby Keel Published
-
'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.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
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.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
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.
By Toby Keel Published
-
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.
By Toby Keel Published
-
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.
By Toby Keel Published
