More than 1,000 years of history are woven into the fabric of Grade I-listed Morwell House at Morwell Barton, near Tavistock, parts of which pre-date the Domesday Book.
For sale through Strutt & Parker at a guide price of £4.5 million, the beautifully-restored, medieval stone manor with its adjoining courtyard and outbuildings set in 243 acres of woods, pasture and farmland, was the country seat of the Abbot of Tavistock from the late 13th century until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539, when the estate was granted to Lord John Russell.
He chose to live at nearby Crowndale, the birthplace of Sir Francis Drake in 1542, and the Morwell Barton estate was let over several centuries. In the mid 1800s, the Russell family, by then Dukes of Bedford, established a pattern of model farmyards on their estates and the traditional farm buildings at Morwell House were probably built around that time.
In the mid 20th century, a somewhat neglected Morwell House was sold off from the estate – only the second time that the freehold had changed hands in 800 years.
‘Not everyone wants to live in a Grade I-listed house, with all the commitment that entails,’ observes selling agent Mark McAndrew, ‘but, by and large, those that do, tend to stay there for some considerable time.’ The current owners, he reveals, who have maintained the property ‘to the highest of standards’, are only selling to be closer to expanding business interests in East Anglia.
The previous owners, who carried out a major renovation of the house and buildings, had owned the estate since 1969.
Morwell House is a wonderfully compact and peaceful place, which sits in a private and secluded spot in the centre of its land, with astonishing views to the south and west over the surrounding woodland and the Tamar Valley.
The main house, cottage and traditional farmstead are arranged around a central quadrangle to provide three reception rooms, five bedrooms and an integral three-bedroom cottage.
The present owners have converted part of the enchanting gatehouse above the entrance archway into a wine cellar and a long barn running along the east side of the courtyard serves as a splendid party venue.
Dreamy Cotswold farmhouse complete with excellent equestrian facilities and a party barn
Bosmere Farm is a wonderful family house in a stunning rural setting.
A superb 16th century Cotswolds manor with a very 21st century party barn
The Old Rectory is a quintessential Cotswolds house dating back to the 16th century – with a very 21st-century attraction that's
Credit: Strutt & Parker
A beautifully restored Wiltshire parsonage with a swimming pool, a party barn and 20 acres of enchanting formal gardens
After a 37 year odyssey, the once-dilapidated The Grange as been lovingly restored to its former glory - with the
Credit: Alamy
The best things to add to to your house to increase its value, from party barns to dressing rooms
-
Suit yourself: I’m a 49 year-old man-about-town and I’ve never owned a suitWhen Hugh Smithson-Wright turned up to Country Life's annual Gentleman's Life party sans suit, it sparked a passionate conversation about why the formal fashion just isn't for everyone.
-
'The ugliness and craziness is a part of its charm': The Country Life guide to BangkokWhere to stay, where to eat and what to do in the Thai capital.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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'.
-
'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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
