Tuesday 26 November 2013

Country mansion, nr Kirby Stephen, Cumbria

I've been having a mare of a month - topped by hubby spending last week in hospital with pneumonia. Anyway, things are crawling back to normal so I thought I'd treat myself today.
The fire's lit, I have chocolate, and I have this extraordinary property to show you - sent to me by Wreck reader India.
It's pretty remote - at North Stainmore, a huddle of homes off the A66, on the border between Cumbria, North Yorkshire and County Durham, around seven miles from Kirby Stephen. It's in the district of Eden, with its wild and lovely countryside and fab walks.
Having spent a couple of hours doing  a bit of online detective work, what I find weirdest about the property is the lack of information*.
There's very little on the agent's site and it's not on the listed buildings register (which may explain the ugly additions). I can't find any record of it's former use in the local press (it has a patina of ex-care home); and the stripped-out fireplaces suggest someone trying to make some fast cash.

It has seven bedrooms, couple of bathrooms, three reception rooms, sitting room and kitchen. Plus the second floor tower room with cast iron fireplace (too heavy to remove...?).
Outside are decent gardens, a small paddock, two big stone barns and several smaller stone buildings.
The decor is, well, eccentric but the views from the back of the house are fabulous (Google isn't helpful on what else is nearby)

It's on the market through PFK with a guide price of £389,950 - a reduction of £110k since it went on the market in July. More details and pix here.

*I think the property is/was Borrenthwaite (or Barrenthwaite) Hall - pic source here. If it is, Google brings up some rather more interesting stuff about one of its previous owners.