6 bedroom detached house for sale

History
A 15th Century Priors Hall – once attached to the 12th Century Benedictine Priory, with its impressive Romanesque church tower – forms part of Little Malvern Court; nestled in the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and home of the current owners family by descent since the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s. The priory and its buildings dates back to circa 1126 when linked to the Benedictine Monastery in Worcester but it is some 300 years later, after a visit from Bishop and Lord Chancellor, John Alcock, that the Priory, Priors Hall and Little Malvern Court started to form something akin to what stands today. The Victorian additions were designed and overseen by the renowned architect Joseph Hansom who specialised in ecclesiastical buildings and the Gothic Revival style. More recent restoration and renovation was under taken during the late 20th Century in which the house was sympathetically improved and modernised.

The property
Little Malvern Court is first and foremost, a family home and has been for well over 4 centuries. There is good flexibility to the house which boasts some brilliant reception rooms and bedrooms which enjoy views over the gardens and beyond. The rooms flow very well through various access points to the reception hall, back hallways, landings and staircases and all offer interesting architecture and style. The kitchen and breakfast room has an adjacent dining room and the space can be opened up via double doors to create an open plan feel. Further adjoining utility areas are also incredibly useful. There is a patio, overlooking the gorgeous gardens, running along this side of the house.

The Priors Hall is an impressive and dramatic space, rich in history and with wonderful character and detailing, this is the heart to Little Malvern Court. The medieval oak roof of the hall is particularly noteworthy, with its cusped wind braces, double purlins and secretive history. After Henry Vlll’s dissolution of the monasteries, a secret chapel was created in the roof space above the once barrelled ceiling of the Priors Hall.

Other intriguing elements such as en suites in the tower and hidden rooms behind panelling, create interest whilst sitting comfortably alongside the other traditional rooms such as kitchen, dining room, sitting room, formal reception spaces and bedroom suites.

The gardens
Little Malvern Court and its grounds provide a perfect blend of history and horticulture; being the extraordinary house, cottages and about 22 acres of formal gardens, woodland and grassland. See Lot 1 on the land plan.

There are approximately 10 acres of exceptional gardens, formally monastic grounds, with breathtaking views over the Severn Valley. The grounds offer an intriguing layout of garden rooms and terraces, with a water garden below which feeds into a chain of beautiful lily ponds; originally dug by the monks as fish pools. Following a plan dated 1720, these pools - like much of the garden – were restored in the 1980’s. The more formal offerings immediately flank the house with delightful rose garden and an ancient topiary yew hedge which has been lovingly shaped and cared for.

The fundamental layout of the garden has remained but there have been many additions by the head gardener and his team over the last decade; including the re-discovery of the stream garden and replacing the cascades between the 2nd and 3rd ponds. There is an impressive collection of trees, including magnificent cedar trees; planted from seeds brought back from the Holy Land, as well as many shrubs and flowering plants, such as flowering magnolias, a notable collection of old fashioned roses, spring bulbs and carpets of wild flowers.

Outside
The aforementioned gardens surround the main house. There is also a wonderful 3 sided walled garden with glasshouse, potting shed and a tennis court, which can be accessed on foot through the gardens or via the separate access lane. On the other side of the lane are about 10 acres of parkland and mature deciduous woodland with a mix of native broadleaf trees which run into the gently sloping grassland fields.

Land
An adjoining block of productive arable land of circa 35 acres is available by separate negotiation. See Lot 2 on the landplan. This is currently let on a Farm business tenancy. There is a footpath running across part of Lot 2.

The cottages and outbuildings
There are two black and white timber framed, semi-detached cottages (3 and 2 bedrooms respectively) set at the end of the drive which can provide additional accommodation for guests and/or staff, or indeed as an income stream. In the courtyard there is a range of garaging and carports with rooms above.

The Malvern Hills, designated an Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty, are the dominant
feature of the landscape. The hills themselves link
Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire.

The Victorian spa town of Malvern is a renowned
cultural centre with an excellent theatre and cinema and several highly regarded state and private schools including the Wyche and Wells Primary, The Chase Secondary, Malvern College and Malvern St James Girls School.

Malvern has good shopping facilities including a
Mark’s and Spencer’s, a Waitrose superstore and a
wide range of independent retailers, cafes, pubs and restaurants on the bustling High Street. Ledbury is within striking distance, offering further amenities.

In the cathedral city of Worcester are extensive
shopping and recreational facilities including County cricket in the setting of Worcester Cathedral and horse racing on the banks of the River Severn. The area is well served by an excellent choice of schools at primary and
secondary levels and in both the state and private
systems including the Royal Grammar School, The
King’s School and Tudor Grange Academy.

Cheltenham is easily accessed via the M5, which is also home to numerous prestigious schools including Cheltenham College, Cheltenham Ladies
College, Dean Close and Pates Grammar. There is a fabulous range of restaurants, stylish shops, museums and galleries as well as a thriving cultural scene encompassing festivals of literature, science, food and drink. A sporting highlight is the annual Cheltenham Gold Cup which draws in visitors year after year.

There are excellent links to the M5, and M50.
Worcester Parkway, a brand-new train station outside Worcester has extensive parking, as does
Malvern Link. Fast train services go direct to
London and Birmingham from both stations.
Birmingham Airport is about an hours drive away
and Heathrow is about 2.5 hours.