An elegant 17th century Manor House in Devon with royal connections, an ornate dining hall, rose garden and private lake

(Image credit: Strutt & Parker)

published 10 November 2021

The life and times of Job as he was tested to prove his loyalty to God may not be your average fireplace fodder, but the carvings over the fireplace in the 16th-century panelled drawing room at The Manor House, Bradninch — some 12 miles north-east of Exeter and surrounded by Duchy of Cornwall farmland — will certainly inspire stimulating conversation, as will the en-suite master bedroom or King Charles Room, where Charles I slept in 1644.

With more than 9,000 sq ft of unique living space, the property is on the market via Strutt & Parker for offers in excess of £2.5 million.

The Manor House, Bradninch — Magnificent gardens meet extraordinary interiors at this Grade I-listed house

Penny Churchill took a look at the place last year, calling it 'one of mid-Devon’s most captivating country houses'. It's gained new momentum on the market now as the vendors have changed agents, and agreed a generous £1m trim to the asking price since last June.

Beyond that striking master suite there are four further bedrooms, plus a self-contained apartment on the second floor.

The seven-acre grounds are dotted with mature trees, including an ancient Lucombe oak, plus a rose garden, lake, stream and indoor swimming pool.

The Manor House is currently on the market via Knight Frank at a guide price of £2.5 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.

Bradninch: What you need to know

Location: About three miles south of Cullompton, in Devon. Exeter is 12 miles to the south where Great Western trains connect to Penzance and London Paddington. Access to the M5 is just a few miles from the property.

Atmosphere: The town has a great range of facilities including a doctors surgery, several pubs, a cricket club, an excellent primary school, several churches and shops.

Things to do: The South West is a haven for those who love the outdoors. The East Devon AONB is a couple of miles away, and beaches at Seaton, Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton are popular spots along the coast. Walk the South West coast path or head to Exmouth for sailing and water sports. The Cathedral city of Exeter also offers plenty to do in terms of culture, food and shopping.

Schools: The Duchy School Bradninch is rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted, and Silverton Church of England Primary School and Cullompton Community College are both rated 'good.'

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

Annunciata grew up in the wilds of Lancashire and now lives in Hampshire with a husband, two daughters and an awful pug called Parsley. She’s been floating round the Country Life office for more than a decade, her work winning the Property Magazine of the Year Award in 2022 (Property Press Awards). Before that, she had a two-year stint writing ‘all kinds of fiction’ for The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, worked in internal comms for Country Life’s publisher (which has had many names in recent years but was then called IPC Media), and spent another year researching for a historical biographer, whose then primary focus was Graham Greene and John Henry Newman and whose filing system was a collection of wardrobes and chests of drawers filled with torn scraps of paper. During this time, she regularly gave tours of 17th-century Milton Manor, Oxfordshire, which may or may not have been designed by Inigo Jones, and co-founded a literary, art and music festival, at which Johnny Flynn headlined. When not writing and editing for Country Life, Annunciata is also a director of TIN MAN ART, a contemporary art gallery founded in 2021 by her husband, James Elwes.

Country houses for sale

Bradninch: What you need to know

Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter

Best country houses for sale this week