“One of Britain’s finest 20th-century country houses” has been placed for sale for £20 million; it comes with 530 acres and was built by the late businessman Sebastian de Ferranti in the 1980s
One could imagine being in the early 18th century or in Italy even on first taking a look at the Palladian style Henbury Hall, near Macclesfield in Cheshire. However, as Moliere said: “One is easily fooled by that one loves” and in reality this 12,496 square foot beauty was actually constructed between 1980 and 1986.
The vision of the buccaneer businessman and patron of the arts Sebastian de Ferranti (1927 – 2015) and based upon Palladio’s Villa Rotunda at Vizenza, the 6-bedroomed main residence stands on the site of an earlier mansion demolished in the 1950s. It was designed by the architect Julian Bicknell in conjunction with Felix Kelly and David Mlinaric, was constructed by Tarmac Construction and is faced with warm-toned limestone from north east France. The estate also includes a Grade II listed dower house, five further houses and cottages, a Grade II listed and stable block and courtyard.
Aside from 12 acres of immaculate gardens with a series of lakes, there is a 200 year old landscaped park, woodland, agricultural land, a beautifully designed swimming pool, a tennis court and a polo field.
Selling agents Savills offer the Henbury Hall Estate as a whole for a guide price of £20 million – a world away from the £9,000 sum the estate sold for in 1872 (the equivalent of £934,000 today).
I love it and if I won the EuroMillions I’d definitely buy it. No alterations required even. It is just perfection – sheer perfection.
WTF would anyone build such a monstrous carbuncle in the modern age???????????? Seriously —- WTF???????????? Why not embrace modernity and build something cool and unusual??????? Not worth AUD 50 in my view!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wrecking ball urgently required —– HIT IT FOR SIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why have you not written anything about ROLF HARRIS’S upcoming retrial? Typical bias from this publication and focus on things unobtainable by real ordinary good people. The woodworm women who lied about Rolf are going to get the shock of their lives and Rolf will and should sue their knickers off. You will have to eat your words and apologize also and to all those who’ve made Rolf and Bindi’s life hell for all these years – YOU WILL GO TO HELL. Rolf Harris all the way. #Teamrolfharris
You seem to admire a paedo. He should have been deported.
Well Rolf Could be innocent.
Why would anybody want to write about his upcoming trial, the guy is a sleazy pervert and Pedophile, and was found guilty as charged. He can go through the motions of trying to get his convictions overturned. The fact remains he will always be remembered as just another pervert that abused his position, and got away with it for years. As for suing their knickers off, not an apt choice of words, seeing has he’s already had the knickers off of most of them you moron.
But Epstein didnt kill himself
One of the best houses you’ve ever featured
As a property professional I would observe that this could be the country house sale of the year. It has it all – a fine residence, land, facilities, guest accommodation, parkland, etc. I predict a bidding war whatever the price. There is a lot of wealth in ‘The Golden Triangle’ in Cheshire and they will definitely favour this over the naff residence of Dawn Ward – still for sale for around £12 million and completely overpriced by comparison – https://www.onthemarket.com/details/3086152/
Yolanda, dear, you are clearly very aspiring middle class. Coming as I do from a very ancient Cheshire family I would suggest that this sort of parody is better suited to some parvenu.
Decent old Cheshire families own medieval piles. This one is for Mancunian textile people.
Beautiful ready to move in …just send me some euro’s !!
The house was actually built by Vincent de Ferranti who was Sebastians father. It is an amazing building which isn’t to everyones taste, but what a good job it is that we all like different things? It was certainly good enough for several members of the Royal Family to stay at. And I can say from personal experience that although the Hall is a deemed out of place by some, it certainly has huge character and interest. The other properties on the estate are oozing with history as are the breathtaking gardens. Before you judge I suggest you make it an informed judgement!
As the person in charge of the company that sourced the stone and fixed it during the building contract I can assure Rosa that the client was Sebastian de Ferranti
As the person who was the project Quantity Surveyor for the house acting for Sebastian in the early 1980s, I can also confirm that it was Sebastian de Ferranti who commissioned this beautiful building.
It looks as if it has aged exceedingly well.
OMG!!
I love it definitely want to buy it!!!
I love it, absolutely gorgeous!! Definitely want to buy it!!!
Oh be quiet you pompus git I bet the closest you’ve ever been to a medieval pile is as a paying tourist. I live in a medieval pile built by my ancestors and we still own the estate it sits in and I would never dream of sounding as pompous as you. I think its a lovely house and will remain so for generations to come and my ancestors fought at the battle of hastings…..
I grew up on this estate as a child, my grandmother was lady in waiting for late Lady Ferranti , and my father was Sebastians head Butler, I saw the build and the move and have some amazing memories of playing on the estate.