Spectacular beams, wondrous gardens and a vaulted party room in the house where Capability Brown's mother used to live

Coming across a house like Moor Hall — in the village of Stoke-by-Clare, on the Suffolk-Essex border — it’s hard not to wonder what the residents of former years would think if they could see it now.

The house — which is up for sale with Fenn Wright via OnTheMarket at £1.675 million — is a 17^th century home full of character and original details. The beams in the ceilings and walls have been turned into a real feature throughout almost all the house.

The high point of the beams — in both the literal and metaphorical sense — is the striking, vaulted space marked down on the floorplan as ‘bedroom 6/party room’. If that modest description alone weren’t enough to get you intrigued, discovering that it’s a 43ft space that’s most like being in a marquee than a bedroom should be enough. The modern art that currently festoons the walls highlights how the present owners have blended old and new — something which can be seen in the choice of furnishings throughout.

For a 400-year-old house, of course, change is always part of the history. The property’s Grade II listing at Historic England notes that the windows are 18^th century and that the roof was tiled in the 20^th century, while the agents add that the house was remodelled in the early 19^th century.

What is very much 21^st century, however, is a feature that will doubtless be one of the big draws for buyers: the indoor pool in its own separate complex, which also includes a sauna and Jacuzzi.

The house is arranged as an L-shape, with one wing having the kitchen/breakfast room, study, dining room, drawing room and music room all accessed off the hallway, and five bedrooms above.

The other half — the north wing — includes boot room, utility room, workshop and a sitting room that leads up to the aforementioned party space.

There’s also an extra bedroom above the boot room and utility, currently accessed via a linking staircase from the main house, though the floorplan suggests it could potentially be reconfigured to split the wing off as an entirely self-contained living space — a granny flat or a holiday let, perhaps.

Outside, the 5.5 acres of gardens are a real joy, with mature trees, rolling lawned areas and a pair of lakes, one of which is overlooked by a wooden jetty.

The appearance of a swan in one of the agent’s photos makes it look like something from a National Trust property, and indeed it’s possible that Moor Court has a historic claim to fame. According to local legend, Capability Brown’s mother used to live in the house, and the great man himself may have had a hand in laying out the grounds.

The village of Stoke-by-Clare itself is a pretty little spot (fewer than 500 people at last count) with a shop and pub; a couple of miles away is Clare, which has a few more shops and doctor’s surgery. It’s probably just about commutable, particularly for those only needing to be in London a couple of days a week: the station at Sudbury is a 10-mile drive.

Moor Court is for sale via Fenn Wright via OnTheMarket at £1.675m — see more details and pictures.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

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