House For Sale £18,000,000
Pythouse is listed Grade II* and is undoubtedly one of the finest country houses in the South of England with its imposing facade and exceptional setting. The house is constructed of local Chilmark stone and sits in an elevated position surrounded by immaculate lawns, below which delightful mature parkland and farmland slopes gently down into the valley below.
The house has been in private hands for nearly 20 years. Whilst the present owners have carried out substantial works, the house has enormous potential for further improvement according to a new owners' requirements.
The property is entered through impressive entrance gates with large stone piers past the entrance lodge. An impressive tree lined carriage drive leads up to the main house. A flight of wide stone steps rises to a portico of 4 giant unfluted columns to the front door.
GROUND FLOOR
The entrance hall features diagonally laid marble flooring and has doors off the drawing room, situated in the southwest corner, and a morning room in the south east corner. Both are good sized double aspect state rooms which benefit from their south facing aspect and the stunning views.
The drawing room has a fine Italian fireplace with classical scenes. The morning room has a similarly impressive 1553 grey marble fireplace, with a floral frieze and a plaster ceiling frieze. A further door leads into the impressive staircase hall with its stone staircase that rises up to the first floor landing with marble lonic columns. To the west of the staircase hall is the dining room, with 3 sets of double doors leading out onto a loggia, a two columned 3 bay portico with steps leading down to the garden. There is an identical loggia on the east side of the house, set off the billiards room. The kitchen is situated in the west corner of the Victorian part of the house and is currently of a semicommercial specification.
The Victorian wing in the north part of the house accommodates the kitchen and domestic offices, together with 3 large ground floor guest suites.
LOWER GROUND FLOOR
Extending over a large part of the footprint of the house, the lower ground floor has a boiler room, extensive wine cellars and a range of
further storage rooms.
FIRST FLOOR
The first floor is arranged as 13 bedrooms/bedroom suites, all with good sized bedrooms, including a principal apartment which occupies the entire front elevation of the house, with two bedrooms (or bedroom and dressing room), two bathrooms, kitchen, dining room and lounge.
SECOND FLOOR
There is second floor accommodation above the central section of the main body and over both of the Victorian wings. These provide 2 further apartments and further ancillary staff rooms which are in need of modernisation.
In addition to the main house there are 3 further cottages providing ample staff or guest accommodation.
GARDENS AND GROUNDS
Pythouse is surrounded on three sides by large areas of formal lawn. The lawn at the south front slopes away from the house to exceptional mature farmed parkland interspersed with mature trees. To the north is an impressive backdrop of mature woodland interspersed with rhododendrons, magnolia and wild flowers. Hidden in this woodland, immediately to the north of the house, lies a Grade II* listed private chapel believed to have been built around 1827 but is currently derelict. The listed buildings register confirms that the private chapel as in a ruinous state before it was listed. Further to the west in the woods is an historic ice house, and off the rear drive a classic Grade II listed dovecote. The Palladian style orangery with its flagstone floor was built around 1750 and overlooks the west lawn. An old surviving well lies to the west of the house with a stone balustrade staircase rising up to a
terrace.
The house has been in private hands for nearly 20 years. Whilst the present owners have carried out substantial works, the house has enormous potential for further improvement according to a new owners' requirements.
The property is entered through impressive entrance gates with large stone piers past the entrance lodge. An impressive tree lined carriage drive leads up to the main house. A flight of wide stone steps rises to a portico of 4 giant unfluted columns to the front door.
GROUND FLOOR
The entrance hall features diagonally laid marble flooring and has doors off the drawing room, situated in the southwest corner, and a morning room in the south east corner. Both are good sized double aspect state rooms which benefit from their south facing aspect and the stunning views.
The drawing room has a fine Italian fireplace with classical scenes. The morning room has a similarly impressive 1553 grey marble fireplace, with a floral frieze and a plaster ceiling frieze. A further door leads into the impressive staircase hall with its stone staircase that rises up to the first floor landing with marble lonic columns. To the west of the staircase hall is the dining room, with 3 sets of double doors leading out onto a loggia, a two columned 3 bay portico with steps leading down to the garden. There is an identical loggia on the east side of the house, set off the billiards room. The kitchen is situated in the west corner of the Victorian part of the house and is currently of a semicommercial specification.
The Victorian wing in the north part of the house accommodates the kitchen and domestic offices, together with 3 large ground floor guest suites.
LOWER GROUND FLOOR
Extending over a large part of the footprint of the house, the lower ground floor has a boiler room, extensive wine cellars and a range of
further storage rooms.
FIRST FLOOR
The first floor is arranged as 13 bedrooms/bedroom suites, all with good sized bedrooms, including a principal apartment which occupies the entire front elevation of the house, with two bedrooms (or bedroom and dressing room), two bathrooms, kitchen, dining room and lounge.
SECOND FLOOR
There is second floor accommodation above the central section of the main body and over both of the Victorian wings. These provide 2 further apartments and further ancillary staff rooms which are in need of modernisation.
In addition to the main house there are 3 further cottages providing ample staff or guest accommodation.
GARDENS AND GROUNDS
Pythouse is surrounded on three sides by large areas of formal lawn. The lawn at the south front slopes away from the house to exceptional mature farmed parkland interspersed with mature trees. To the north is an impressive backdrop of mature woodland interspersed with rhododendrons, magnolia and wild flowers. Hidden in this woodland, immediately to the north of the house, lies a Grade II* listed private chapel believed to have been built around 1827 but is currently derelict. The listed buildings register confirms that the private chapel as in a ruinous state before it was listed. Further to the west in the woods is an historic ice house, and off the rear drive a classic Grade II listed dovecote. The Palladian style orangery with its flagstone floor was built around 1750 and overlooks the west lawn. An old surviving well lies to the west of the house with a stone balustrade staircase rising up to a
terrace.
Tisbury 3 miles
Salisbury 12 miles
London 104 miles
Pythouse is situated in some of Wiltshire's most beautiful countryside
3 miles to the west of Tisbury and about 12 miles due west of the cathedral city of Salisbury. The house stands in an elevated position at the end of an impressive tree lined carriage drive and enjoys stunning uninterrupted views over its own parkland and the Sem valley beyond.
There are no public footpaths over the estate.
The local town of Tisbury provides a good range of shops for every day needs. The larger centres of Shaftesbury and Salisbury are about 4 and 12 miles respectively offering a more extensive range of shopping, schooling and recreational facilities.
Although situated in secluded and unspoilt countryside, Pythouse has excellent communications by road and rail with the A303 just 4 miles to the north, bringing London within easy reach via the M3, as well as other business centres along the M3 corridor and the south west. Fast and regular trains run from Tisbury to London Waterloo with an approximate journey time of 105 minutes at peak times and London is usually reachable by road in 2 hours under normal conditions.
Heathrow airport is within 1 hour 45 minutes average drive and there are international airports nearby at Bournemouth, Southampton and Bristol.
The surrounding area provides an excellent selection of recreational and sporting activities with golf courses nearby at The Salisbury and South Wilts at Netherhampton, The West Wiltshire and The Rushmore near Shaftesbury; racing is at Wincanton (National Hunt) and Salisbury (flat); hunting with the South & West Wilts, Blackmore Vale or the Wilton packs.
There is an excellent selection of schools for girls and boys at all levels, both public and private, including Sherborne School, St Mary's Shaftesbury for girls, Bryanston, Canford, Milton Abbey and Clavesmore with prep schools at Leweston, Port Regis, Hazlegrove and Sandroyd.
