This 12-bedroom house was originally built in 1760 as the dower house of nearby Stanage Castle, whose chief claims to fame are grounds landscaped by Humphry Repton and an appearance in the 1980s BBC drama Blott on the Landscape.
Milebrook — which sits in Knighton, on the Anglo-Welsh border — may not have Repton-designed gardens, but it has plenty of history of its own. It was once owned by the family of the adventurer, soldier and writer Sir Wilfred Thesiger, a friend of the iconic Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, and in 1936 Selassie stayed here for a while after being exiled during the war with Italy. He ended up spending five years in England — for most of which he lived at Fairfield House in Bath — before returning home to rule his homeland for many more years.
Today, Milebrook House isn't a grand family home with a guest room fit for an emperor — instead, it's a grand country hotel, with guest rooms fit for anybody who wishes to stay.
The character of the place, however, drips with old school charm: original features — including some splendid flooring and a beautiful staircase — make it feel like something of a timewarp, and the outgoing owner have lavished a lot of care and attention on choosing furniture and fittings to complement the place.
Ten of the bedrooms are used as guest rooms — two (both wheelchair-accessible) are on the ground floor, six on the first floor and two more above, while there's also a self-contained two-bedroom apartment on the second floor which is presently used by the owners.
The public rooms on the ground floor are the heart of this 7,192 sq ft house, however: the sitting, dining and lounge bar rooms have lovely views of the 2.5 acres of gardens, which have a mix of lawns, woodland and a vegetable patch.
While the house is presently run as a successful business — it was named Welsh Hotel of the Year in 2015 — it could be returned to its former life as a family home. It's advertised as 'price on application', but a look at similar properties in the nearby area suggests that the asking price is likely to be entirely reasonable, and akin to the cost of a detached home in the suburbs of London. The idea of swapping such a home for a beautiful country hotel — and one that generates a sound income — will surely make this a tempting prospect for those dreaming of getting out of the city.
Milebrook House is for sale via Fine & Country and McCartneys — see more details and pictures.
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
Credit: Alamy
The most haunted houses that you can visit in England and Wales
Ghosts and country houses go together like strawberries and cream. We name some of the country's best known haunted houses
Credit: Carter Jonas
Seven spectacular houses for sale in Wales, from majestic mansions to ruined farmhouses set in their own valley
In honour of St David's Day on March 1, we've collected some of the most beautiful houses for sale right
-
At the Bonneville Salt Flats, the only currency is speedCharlie Thomas reports from Speed Week, and talks to those with a bad case of 'Salt Fever'.
-
The Irish red and white setter: The rare beauty brought back from the brinkA history of Ireland’s original setter — the elegant, intelligent breed saved from extinction by devoted breeders and cherished as a symbol of the nation’s sporting heritage.
-
Rock stars and the country house: Liam Gallagher's life in the Cotswolds is in the finest tradition of music A-listers, from The Beatles to BeyoncéWhat is it about the British countryside that draws A-listers from every walk of life? With Liam Gallagher's Cotswold former home on the market, Toby Keel takes a look.
-
Life on Portugal's Coast of Kings, where Ian Fleming met the triple-agent whose gambling inspired 'Casino Royale'Once a quiet fishing village west of Lisbon, Cascais became an unlikely hive of activity during the Second World War, attracting regal refugees and intelligence operatives in equal measure. Russell Higham investigates its enduring glamour — and its connection to Casino Royale.
-
An extraordinary Italian palazzo built in the heart of Oxfordshire is up for sale at £16 millionThe Palazzo Pallavicini in Genoa inspired the creation of Newington House, which is on the market for the first time in 35 years.
-
A bum deal on a bog-standard property? The former public conveniences being sold off for a songLondon has several affordable properties with enviable postcodes and great lighting... so long as you're happy spending more than a penny on a Victorian loo.
-
A castle for sale just down the road from Gleneagles, where everyone from George VI to a farmer and his pigs once roamed the grand hallsOrchil Castle has seen it all in a tumultuous century and a half — but it's getting back to its best, and now needs a brave new owner to take it on the next step of its journey.
-
Five homes with their own orchards that will be the apple of your eye (almost literally)If you've been looking enviously this year at neighbours with apple trees that have been heaving with fruit, here is the solution: five lovely homes for sale that come with their own orchards.
-
A beautiful Victorian vicarage that was home to one of the Cadbury family heiresses is on the marketPenny Churchill tells the tale of Monks Bridge in Warwickshire.
-
An outrageously opulent mansion in London's answer to Beverly Hills, with a gym that 'wouldn't look out of place in a 7* hotel''One of the finest houses in St George's Hill' is on the market. Annabel Dixon takes a look at what's on offer.
