Two BIG country manors to renovate

I haven't done stately (-ish) homes in a while. Let's go large this week.
Ribbesford House, above and below was sent to me by reader Andy, who wrote:

There are links to Charles De Gaulle as he stayed at Ribbesford House during the war with the Free French. I have a link to it also, as my mum is buried in Ribbesford church next to it. The images don't do it justice as is a beautiful building, there is a stunning avenue of huge conker trees lining the driveway in its curtillage. Wouldn't fancy the repair bill!

Stunning, definitely. A big job needing someone with deep pockets, certainly. But we're thinking big today.

Sub-divided into apartments after the war, the Grade II* listed house comes with over eight acres of land, including private woodland, plus outbuildings. There's also a four-bedroom cottage, currently let to tenants.

Parts of the house date back to the 16th century and the main house includes those two gorgeous towers.

It's in a lovely rural area, in between the Worcestershire village of Ribbesford and the River Severn, and about four miles from pretty Bewdley

Ribbesford House is up for auction on Tuesday, April 17th, with a guide price of £500k. On the market through Andrew Grant. Details, a tonne of history and some more pictures here.

And if a 20-bedroom country manor is bit too large, how about this five-bedroom country home? Newby Demesne (below) has been empty for some time.

The Scottish baronial style house is in a pretty rural setting, about five miles from the city of Carlisle.
The house needs a lot of work, and its current owner doesn't appear to have done much more than apply for a set of planning permissions (approved) to turn the outbuildings into homes.
It's also listed as POA, so clearly someone having a punt and seeing what - or rather who - turns up. These things bother me, my guess is the POA was probably against the advice of the two agents trying to sell Newby Demesne.

Anyway, it's a handsome-looking house that attracted the attention of regular readers Angus and Roger, each of whom emailed to tell me about the property. Roger wrote:

You  might be interested in this set of listed buildings at Newby East, a few miles east of Carlisle. Has the benefit of planning permission/lbc for conversion of the outbuildings to x3 houses, plus pp for a new build on the site of the steel portal barn. Mid C19 house is very impressive, in a Scots baronial style. Price is POA from PFK estate agents in Carlisle but I gather it is low. 

The Grade II listed house comes with an annex and outbuildings - the bits with planning permission - and there's another bit of land available at extra cost.

On the market through CD Rural and PFK. Details here and here, and PDF details here.

New uses for old buildings: a chapel and a "barn"

Couple of properties for you today that need "repurposing".
The first one is a former Methodist chapel, something I see on a fairly regular basis here on Wreck, but it's the location and the original features that makes this one attractive.
Gatehead Chapel is in the tiny North Pennines village of Garrigill, around six  miles from Alston. Once a bustling rural location, even the local pub has now closed down, although the area still attracts committed walkers and summer visitors.

Rear of property and, below, views

 

The Chapel has had planning permission in place since 2010 to convert it into a home, and works have already begun. There's no information on why the property is back on the market - and it looks like there was a previous attempt to sell it in 2013 (at £165k).
It's basically one big main hall and a two-floor extension. The chapel is gorgeous. Particularly the ceiling.

There's designated parking to the front and no garden but scope to demolish an outbuilding to create a courtyard.
Works done so far concentrate on the extension, adding new windows and first fix electrics.

On the market through Red Hot Property at £150k. Details here.
My next pick was sent to me by regular reader Tony. It's not for the faint-hearted and, where it not for the location, it wouldn't have made the cut.
This picture sums it up:

Yes, it's that building with the big red arrow. Nothing else.

Rightmove optimistically describes at it as a "barn for sale". The agent describes it as "A store with fishing rights". 

Let's be clear here, it's a former toilet block.

That anyone could ever have had the nerve to use these particular loos, perched as they are on the edge of Yorkshire's Aysgarth Falls and accessed by steps without a safety barrier, completely floors me. Unless it was a particularly devious bit of local authority tourism planning....

Anyway. Fishing rights and a shelter is what you're paying for. But I loved the creative thought that went into the agent's blurb:

It may perhaps be of interest to an artist or photographer in view of its strategic position in front of the Falls or indeed a small studio for musicians who may be inspired by this unique riverside location.

Up for auction through Robin Jessop on April 10th, at offers over £8k. Details here and here.

Two big Cumbrian village villas

Two chunky Cumbrian properties to show you today. The first, making its debut on the market having been in the same family since it was built. And what a building. 
Eden Bank consists of a five-bedroom house, with attached two-storey barn, plus a (derelict) two-bedroom cottage.

Outside is a decent-sized garden and a yard. There are houses around it and the property is in the growing village of Culgaith, around eight miles from Penrith and the M6.

There are a lot of rooms, some remodelling would help open up the space, and it's not clear how much work would be needed on incorporating that barn.

But the Black Swan pub is a wobbly walk away and there are lovely views in the other direction over the Eden Valley.
On the market through PFK at £350k. More here and here.
That was Eden Bank, this is Lambley Bank.

In the Cumbrian village of Scotby, just off the M6, it's similarly proportioned, although rather fewer "add on" buildings.
There are five bedrooms, a bunch of downstairs rooms (including this rather lovely living room with a touch of ballroom about it...).

There's an Abigail's Party feel to the decor, lots of arches, woodchip and pink. But nothing my Wreck readers couldn't cope with ; )

It looks like someone's recently tarted up the outside - that paintwork, the garden clearing, but not touched the inside.

On the market through BPK at £375k. More here and here.

Former Welsh courthouse for sale

 

I've just spent ten minutes trying to think of puns to introduce this handsome public building to you. But then I decided I'm not that sort of journalist. I'm more show and tell than quip and yell.
So, it's a former courthouse, in the conservation area of a Welsh market town. It has stunning windows, a lovely garden area, a beautifully proportioned court room, and its own holding cells.
And it's on the market at under £100k.
Here's the evidence.

The building is Grade II listed and in Dolgellau, within the Snowdonia National Park. The River Wnion sits across the road and there are views of Snowdonia's hills.
The property was sent to me by reader Tom who wrote:

I've just found the following ex court house in Snowdonia for under £100k. Still has the original holding cells! Must be of some interest....

Definitely of interest, Tom.
Rooms wise, it's basically one big room (the court room), plus a bunch of small offices, cells and a couple of toilets. Just over 4,000sqft in total.

No planing permission and you'd need to talk to planers at the Snowdonia National Park Authority about likely approval for conversion to residential use (although the agent does mention neighbouring buildings have been converted).

On the market through Warriners at £99,950. Details here and here.