The Taunton office of Humberts is handling the sale — for the first time in 30 years — of Grade II-listed Upcott Hall, with selling agent Caroline Ardley quoting a guide price of £1.6m.
It's a classic Georgian country house set in just under 3½ acres of delightful gardens and grounds within the pleasant rural hamlet of Upcott, between Bishop’s Hull and Bradford on Tone on the western outskirts of Taunton.
The house dates from about 1730 and belonged to a succession of gentry owners before being substantially altered in the middle of the 20th century. By that point Upcott Hall hall had been laid out as 10 flats.
That all changed, however, in the early 1990s, when it was bought by the Babington family, who reinstated it as a single, sumptuous country dwelling.
The house today is huge at 10,370sq ft, yet retains the feel of a gracious family home with accommodation on three floors, including eight reception rooms, seven bedrooms and three bathrooms.
There is work to be done here, as the pictures show, but it generally appears to be surface rather than structure. And anyone with a romantic streak will see straight past such things to appreciate that there is a real elegance and grace; the rooms and the proportions — ceilings, windows and indeed the footprint of the rooms — are utterly wonderful. With the light pouring in through the windows, this is the sort of fantasy Georgian house so many of us have dreamed of.
The Babingtons also undertook a comprehensive re-landscaping of the gardens and grounds surrounding the manor, which is approached from a quiet country lane through a gated entrance.
30 years on, however, the time has come for a fresh spot of upgrading and refurbishment. Yet it would seem to be more than worth the outlay for this home, since Upcott Hall seems keenly priced given the size and potential here. And not only is it a fine home, it's also supremely well placed both for access to London and to Somerset’s many excellent schools.
Upcott Hall is for sale at £1.6m — 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
-
Cocker spaniels: The indefatigable dog breed with medieval lineage that stole David Beckham’s heartOnce bred to flush out woodcock, now found in royal estates and Hollywood homes — the Cocker Spaniel’s charm knows no bounds.
-
20 breathtaking country homes for sale, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the finest houses to come to market via Country Life in the past week.
-
20 breathtaking country homes for sale, as seen in Country Life
We take a look at some of the finest houses to come to market via Country Life in the past week.
-
The elegant country home of a motor racing daredevil who drove round the world in a 1936 Bentley and crashed a Range Rover into his own front porchPeasemore House, with its collection of barns, workshops, stables and more, is an ideal home from which to plan an adventure — something that was a passion of its present owners. Penny Churchill explains more.
-
The wisteria clad cottage where Noël Coward and Ivor Novello held court at the height of their fameThe 17th-century Follejon Cottage just outside Windsor was a perfect escape from the city for Noël Coward and his circle of friends. As it goes on the market, Penny Churchill takes a look.
-
A Cotswolds property that's the strangest mix of old and new we've ever seen... and yet somehow, it all worksThe Gasworks is a house quite unlike anything you've seen before — or at least anything you've seen all in one place. Toby Keel takes a closer look.
-
A country house near Windsor that could be straight from the pages of a Jilly Cooper novelPenny Churchill looks at the beautiful polo-lover's sanctuary that is Barkham Square Park.
-
The factory that once fuelled the Victorians' insatiable appetite for pianos has become a set of gorgeous, characterful apartmentsChappell & Co were a huge name in 19th century music, even working with Beethoven. Today, one of their old factories in Camden has become a series of beautiful apartments.
-
What £1 million buys you across Britain, from a Cornish cottage to a miniature castle in the HighlandsSprawling country houses, a mini-estate in Scotland and homes where the sea almost laps up at your feet are among the property options open to those with a seven-figure budget. Here's our pick of the best £1 million houses for sale across the land.
-
The Hampshire home of a Victoria Cross-winning British WWI ace fighter pilot is for sale, with lake, chapel and some of the best fishing rights in EnglandPenny Churchill looks at Longparish House, a north Hampshire haven on the River Test.
