On the edge of the Forest of Bowland AONB – a rugged upland area of gritstone fells and vast tracts of heather-covered moorland – immaculate Hay Carr, in 54 acres of formal gardens, parkland, paddocks and woodland near the hamlet of Bay Horse, six miles from Lancaster, offers grandeur, comfort and splendid isolation in equal measure.
Last seen on the market in 2014, the imposing stone house, impressively reconfigured and extended by its previous owner, is now for sale through Strutt & Parker and Knight Frank at a guide price of £3.95 million.
Once part of a large estate that included most of the surrounding farmland, the main house was reputedly built in 1750 by the agricultural pioneer Thomas Lamb and extended by William Lamb in about 1850.
Subsequent owners of Hay Carr include the Sandeman family of Port and sherry fame and Lt-Col Michael Birtwistle of the 7th Gurkha Rifles, later High Sheriff of Lancashire, who bought the house in the 1950s for about £5,000.
From 1997 to 2014, Hay Carr was the family home of businessman Martin Higginson, who not only renovated the house, but also bought in additional land, the original gate lodge and a cottage alongside the Lancaster Canal, which runs through the grounds.
Its long drive meanders through mature parkland, passing over the canal via a charming, Grade II-listed bridge (Hay Carr itself is unlisted) before arriving at a gravel turning circle in front of the house, where the front porch opens into a grand reception hall, with a limestone fireplace and a solid-oak floor.
The hall leads through to the south-facing drawing room, a snug and a beautifully proportioned dining room with a deep bay window. From there, a library linked by a glazed walkway to the main library leads to a magnificent palm house, whose multiple French windows give access to outer terraces and the walled rose garden.
The kitchen/breakfast room is a designer’s dream, with cabinetry by Edwin Loxley of Nottingham, and a splendid cantilevered staircase leads to a sumptuous master suite, four further bedrooms and four bath/shower rooms on the first floor, with a cinema room on the second floor.
The professionally landscaped gardens and grounds include a pristine stableyard built next to a beautifully laid out kitchen garden and, beyond it, an all-weather tennis court. Sleek white estate fencing forms the boundary with the paddocks and parkland, where a cross-country circuit provides a test of equestrian expertise; a lake and boathouse within the parkland allow for lazy afternoons on the water.
Despite its enviably private and peaceful location, this rural idyll remains closely connected to the outside world, thanks to the nearby M6 motorway, which provides easy access south to Preston and Manchester and north to Lancaster, the Lake District and Scotland.
Hay Carr is on the market with Strutt & Parker and Knight Frank at a guide price of £3.95 million. Click here for more information 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
Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale
A look at the finest castles, country houses and estates for sale in Scotland today.
Credit: ReMax
Country Life's best property stories of 2018: Castles, cottages and pocket-sized perfection
Every week we feature dozens of the finest and most beautiful properties to come to the market in Britain –
-
The Georgian rectory that you've (probably) been waiting for has come on to the market in a bucolic spot just outside CheltenhamClassic Georgian rectories in the Cotswolds are hard to find, says Penny Churchill, so this example in Gloucestershire is a real treat.
-
Don't be a (beauty school) dropout, come and do the Country Life Quiz of the Day, September 18, 2025Today's quiz is the word.
-
The Georgian rectory that you've (probably) been waiting for has come on to the market in a bucolic spot just outside Cheltenham
Classic Georgian rectories in the Cotswolds are hard to find, says Penny Churchill, so this example in Gloucestershire is a real treat.
-
A classic oast house on the outside, a wild architectural fantasy inside, and just down the road from one of Kent's best grammar schoolsAnnabel Dixon steps inside Joldwyns, a house where even seasoned property professionals admit to being 'blown away by the incredible juxtaposition and the importance of the architectural feats'.
-
A perfect country house in 'the most beautiful and unspoilt town in the Cotswolds'Penny Churchill takes a look at the wonderful Kingcombe, on the outskirts of the charming town of Chipping Campden.
-
The dream home that never was for one of Britain's greatest film stars, back on the market for the first time in half a centuryAnna White takes a look at the beautiful Wallers Mead, in the Buckinghamshire village full of links to Hollywood movies from James Bond to Star Wars.
-
A 500-year-old cottage in West Sussex that's as beautiful as you could ever hope to see, with a pool ringed by flowers, stables and a croquet lawnJames Fisher was in need of some balm for the soul when he came across Woodshill House.
-
A Clarkson's Farm of one's own: Five properties with just enough farmland for you and your family, from under £1 millionMoving to the country is one thing; moving to the country and being able to grow and rear all your own food is another level entirely, and all these properties offer exactly that.
-
Six superb homes, from chocolate box cottages to grand Tudor mansions, as seen in Country LifeOur regular round-up includes charming home counties houses and superb grand country house in Ireland.
-
A billionaire's thatched cottage is for sale in Surrey, once owned by the oil magnate J. Paul GettyChestnut Cottage is a joyous little home — albeit one with the most unusual bedrooms to acreage to price balances we've ever seen. Toby Keel takes a look inside.
