Property muse: Nine-bedroom Shaftesbury manor house owned by aristocrat Lady Agnes Grove – who inspired a Thomas Hardy novel – goes on sale for nearly £5 million

• Country house that was home to Lady Agnes Grove, who was mentored by Hardy, is on sale for £4.95 million
• Essayist who met the author in 1895 lived in Sedgehill Manor, near Shaftesbury, as a young woman
• The nine-bedroom manor has 55 acres of land and spectacular views over the surrounding countryside
• The house has over 8,400sq ft with a large entrance hall, library, nine bedrooms and five bathrooms

An impressive country house that was once home to an aristocrat who inspired the Thomas Hardy novel Concerning Agnes has gone on the market for £4.95million.

Sedgehill Manor, near Shaftesbury on the Wiltshire/Dorset border, was the home of Lady Agnes Grove, an aristocratic diarist and essayist who met Hardy in 1895 and adopted him as a mentor. 

The historic but unlisted nine-bedroom manor has 55 acres of land and spectacular views over the surrounding countryside.

Sedgehill Manor, near Shaftesbury on the Wiltshire/Dorset border, which was the home of Lady Agnes Grove, an aristocratic diarist and essayist who met Hardy in 1895 and adopted him as a mentor is on the market for £4.95 million

Lady Agnes lived at the property in the late 19th and early 20th century. She and the Victorian author met regularly in her morning room at Sedgehill, and also by letter, to discuss her work. Hardy dubbed Lady Agnes a ‘good little pupil’ during their mentoring sessions.

He also advised her on what topics to write about for her periodical publications and helped her to get her works published. She wrote to support women’s suffrage and was anti-vivisection and anti-vaccination.

The dining room is a large and bright space with five glass doors letting plenty of light pour into the room; the doors lead out into the sprawling gardens

The long hallway still has a traditional feel with vintage furniture and opulent  large windows which are framed with long, cream curtains 

Another stunning traditional room in the manor is the master bedroom which is bright and spacious and has an ensuite bathroom attached 

Lady Agnes Grove wrote to support women’s suffrage and was anti-vivisection and anti-vaccination and Hardy referred to her affectionately as his ‘Good Little Pupil’

The third bright spacious bedroom in the stunning manor home has a large window over looking the sprawling green countryside 

The second bedroom in Sedgehill Manor is also flooded with plenty of natural light thanks to the huge window which overlooks the garden 

After her death in 1926, Hardy wrote a poem, Concerning Agnes, about the night they met at an event at her father Augustus Henry Lane Fox’s Rushmore estate.

The site was owned by Shaftesbury Abbey in the early 12th century, then passed to the Crown with Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries and was bought by Sir Thomas Arundell, who was connected by birth and marriage to the crown and several of the most important families in England.

But he was accused and charged with conspiring to overthrow the government and convicted and beheaded at Tower Hill in 1552 and his properties confiscated.

It was acquired by William Grove in 1573 and stayed in the Grove family for almost 400 years.

The spacious kitchen in the stable cottage has modern hard wood counter tops and a freshly varnished natural wooden floor 

The sitting room in the stable cottage has a cosy atmosphere with plenty of comfortable arm chairs and couches dotted around the room 

The double doors in the drawing room lead out into the 55 acres of land and spectacular views over the surrounding countryside

Another opulent room in the manor is this beautiful study where guests can relax in front of a fire place in the comfortable room 

The gorgeous entrance hall is bright and spacious with dark wooden furniture keeping in theme with the homes traditional interior 

An impressive view from the entrance hall down the drive way of the manor house through the large opulent doorway of the house 

In the 1890s Lady Agnes Grove designed one of the bedrooms as her morning room, where she would write her books and discuss improvements with Thomas Hardy.

The current owner bought the property in 1980 and has maintained and improved it in their 40-year tenure.

The house has over 8,400sq ft with a large entrance hall, dining room and drawing room, as well as a cosy sitting room, kitchen/breakfast room, library, nine bedrooms and five bathrooms.

It also has a party barn, stabling, workshops and garages, bringing the total square footage to more than 12,000.

The current owner bought the property in 1980 and has maintained and improved it in their 40-year tenure keeping all the old features intact 

Large steel gates open at the end of the drive way and lead to the beautiful manor home which has a total square footage to more than 12,000

The house has over 8,400sq ft with a large entrance hall, dining room and drawing room, as well as a cosy sitting room, kitchen/breakfast room, library, nine bedrooms and five bathrooms

The kitchen in the main house is spacious and has a traditional AGA cooker where you cook food and boil the kettle on a hot plate

The upstairs landing in another bright room with another large window overlooking the garden and the wooden stair case is a stunning feature

The Dining room in the stable cottage is a cosy space with comfortable seating for all the family to gather around the dining table for meals 

The main bathroom features his and hers sinks and a large bathtub where you can overlook the garden while relaxing in a bubble bath 

Oliver Custance Baker, from Strutt & Parker, who are handling the sale, said: ‘Sedgehill is a very nice house with a lots of history to it.

‘But it is not just an impressive house, it has also got some stunning views.

‘The property flows very well and it sits in a great position on the Dorset/Wiltshire borders – it’s so easy to get to but you’re also out in the countryside.

‘It’s been a great family home for the owners, their children have grown up there and they have maintained and improved it over the years.

‘We’ve done it so buyers can get it as a whole or in four lots, so they can have as much or as little land as they want.

‘The main plot is the house, garden and a parcel of woodland that is a riot of bluebells in the spring and a great spot for family picnics. Then there’s extra parcels of pasture land if people would like it.’

Source: Read Full Article