'One of the finest manor houses to come to the market in recent years', in a Dorset village that's been inhabited for 2,500 years
The Ashmore Estate is a wonderful stretch of England for sale in an ancient, unspoilt landscape. Penny Churchill takes a look.
In Dorset, the pristine, 127-acre Ashmore Manor estate at Ashmore, 6½ miles south-east of Shaftesbury, revels in a panoramic vista over its own land and the surrounding Cranborne Chase National Landscape. Now, following a meticulous refurbishment and renovation programme, the estate is for sale through James Toogood of Savills country department at a guide price of £12 million.
Situated at 700ft above sea level, Ashmore is the county’s highest village, and it's as ancient a place as you'll find. Forget mentions in the Domesday Book, or Roman remains: Ashmore is one of a tiny number of villages in England that's been continuously inhabited since Celtic times.
The focal point of the estate, which was bought by the current owners in 2008, is imposing Ashmore Manor, the core of which was designed by London architect William Curtis Green.
It has been altered and extended by Dorset-based Adrian Morris Architecture, with the addition of a new farmhouse, new farm buildings and a link to an existing oak-frame annexe next to the indoor pool.
The main house provides 16,673sq ft of elegant accommodation on three floors, including an entrance hall, five reception rooms, a snug, kitchen/breakfast room, six bedrooms and four bathrooms.
The gardens have been thoughtfully designed and lovingly nurtured, each distinct area carefully positioned to capture the best of the surrounding landscape.
The estate land is farmed, but not intensively, but carefully planted to enhance the bio-diversity of both flora and fauna. This is a superb house in a setting that is simply magical, with lakes, meadows, woodland, walled gardens, a bluebell wood and more. No wonder it has the agent waxing lyrical: Savills describe it as 'one of the finest manor houses to come to the market in recent years.'
The Ashmore Estate is for sale through Savills at £12 million — see more details.
