[ad_1]
Luckington Manor is every inch the picture-perfect Cotswolds country house, with a history that adds to its charm says Penny Churchill.
Sitting on the Gloucestershire/Wiltshire border, in the South Cotswolds AONB, historic Grade II-listed Luckington Manor stands in 14 acres of enchanting gardens and grounds on the edge of idyllic and vibrant Luckington village.
The house commands spectacular views over the north Wiltshire countryside and the neighbouring Badminton estate; it is for sale through Knight Frank’s Cirencester office at a guide price of £4m.
The present seven-bedroom manor house, built of the local cream-coloured Cotswold stone, dates from the 17th century, although its history can be traced to 1066, when the Saxon Earl Harold, later King of England, is said to have housed his troops on the site of the original Luckington Manor. In the early 20th century, the present house was extended by joining it to a converted barn at the rear.
The house has seen its share of drama and intrigue over the years. In 1937, the manor was leased to a Captain Robert Treck who claimed to be a Latvian landowner whose property had been confiscated by the Bolsheviks.
The locals didn’t believe a word of his story, and reckoned that he was a spy — a fact confirmed by a real spy, Colonel Stewart Menzies, a British intelligence officer who lived at the nearby Luckington Court.
The colonel was a keen follower of the hunt, which Treck also joined, paying generously for the privilege in the 1937-38 season. He is alleged to have approached Menzies on the terrace of Badminton House, where hunt members were taking sherry after a meet. The offer of a link to the Nazi leadership was reputedly declined and, the following year, Treck mysteriously disappeared.
In 2006, Luckington was bought as a UK family home by Mrs Susan Al-Said, who is now downsizing. In 2012, when the family were absent, a fire swept unnoticed through Luckington Manor, leaving a huge trail of destruction throughout the house. Since then, it has been painstaking rebuilt, with the installation of a new roof and wiring and refurbishment throughout.
The romantic 7,570sq ft house, comprising a reception hall, four reception rooms, a kitchen, six bedrooms, six bathrooms/dressing rooms and a guest annexe, comes with a cottage, swimming pool and a stone stable barn.
Luckington Manor is for sale through Knight Frank at £4m — see more details and pictures.
Luckington Court has returned to the market after 70 years.
Welcoming a film crew into your home can bring fame and a little fortune, says Flora Watkins.
Credit: Robert Harding / Alamy
Where in the Cotswolds should you move to? The answer will depend on what is more important to you and
Catch up on the best country houses for sale this week that have come to the market via Country Life.
[ad_2]
Source link
