_Athelhampton House: One of the UK's finest Tudor country homes comes to market
Jointly instructed to market, the country mansion near Puddletown, Dorset, offers 12 bedrooms and eight reception rooms alongside numerous snugs, workshops, outbuildings, a vast auditorium/cinema room and two separate cottages.
Of particular note is the Great Hall, one of the finest examples of 15th-century domestic architecture in England, the King’s Room, the original 15th-century solar and the State Bedroom, with its 15th-century fireplace and the rebuilt main staircase
History buffs will delight in Athelhampton's fascinating and rich heritage that reads like a condensed English history book; owned by a throng of illustrious owners that have preserved and enhanced over the years, the stone mansion was originally constructed by the Martyn family in the late 15th and mid 16th Centuries.
After passing into various hands and falling into disrepair, antiquarian Alfred Cart de Lafontaine extensively restored the country home, commissioning Inigo Thomas to create its magnificent formal gardens and 'outdoor rooms' in the late 1800s.
Perhaps its most famous visitor is English novelist and poet Thomas Hardy whose father was a stonemason and worked on the house.
The most recent owners - the Cooke family - acquired the property in 1957, building on the legacy of previous owners by opening parts of the house and grounds to the public. The estate has been run as a successful business since and includes a restaurant.
Owners that have a keen nose for additional income streams will make note of the wedding business opportunity; the substantial three bedroom coach house has been converted into a wedding venue with additional accommodation for paying guests.
Who will be next the owners of this remarkable home? Luke Pender-Cudlip, Partner in Knight Frank's Sherborne office, says: "This is without doubt one of the most beautiful properties in Dorset. It will appeal to a number of buyers; it's an attractive prospect to someone wanting a serious heritage asset that offers the added bonus of a ready made income stream.
"It might be someone wanting to run it as luxury hotel or a full time home and wedding venue. Or it may be a multiple home owner taking the 'hands off approach' and occupying the house part of the year, while benefiting from the income stream in their absence."
Athelhampton House sits on 29 acres of grounds near Puddletown, six miles from the county town of Dorchester and 11 miles from the coast. Rail connections are accessed at Dorchester, Poole and Bournemouth.
To find out more, contact the agent of request a private tour: