The prospect of residing in one’s very own manor house in the most beautifully scenic rural villages in the North Cotswolds of Gloucestershire – with all of your favourite people – conjures up an array of romantic images, flooding your mind with eager anticipation as you depict every perfect moment spent on the estate. Evenings spent around hearty open fireplaces, in hoggish armchairs that swallow you up with the wine, the music and conversation that gilds the cosy country night air. Afternoons spent languidly sipping tea in the rose garden with trays of the finest bakes, as you fly through chapters of a decent book and echoes of shrills and shrieks from the kids’ games on the lawn can be heard, as they swing beneath the walnut trees. Mornings spent walking through open fields and paddocks and parklands with the resident foxes, badgers and deer, as the robin, wrens and blue tits dart through the blue (of course, sometimes grey) and back to the branches of ancient oaks. Your mind’s itinerary has mapped together hours of everlasting moments and memories of idyllic countryside living before you have even arrived.
An element that cannot be created with one’s imagination is of course the heritage of the estate and its laudable sagacity that’s palpable from its books to its wooden beams. Its authenticity, its age-old charm, its own stories to share. One of the longest family run houses in the UK – having been occupied by the same family since 1456 – Ebrington Hall lives up to that merry montage you have in your mind of that country escape, and adds centuries of hallmarks set in its stone. Occupying 12 acres of parklands with beautiful views of the Cotswolds and Broadway Tower in the distance, an ever-blooming, beautifully nurtured rose and tortoise garden – where the 70-year old tortoise, Heather, mooches around – a spring-fed swimming lake, a working fruit farm that produces some of the most ancient varieties of apples, plums, pears and walnuts, this 15th Century hideaway takes you back to a time long, long ago whilst simultaneously affectionately embracing you in the very moment.
With so many of its original features having been lovingly restored and retained, Ebrington Hall embraces its older attributes whilst relishing in the luxury of modern appliances, central heating and lavish contemporary bathrooms. Eight grand ensuite bedrooms feed off from long corridors where a drawing room, a formal dining room, a chef’s kitchen, a cinema room and a stunning oak-panelled hallway occupy the living and entertaining spaces where open fireplaces and stocked bookshelves, study desks and drinks cabinets, centuries-old portraiture and family heirlooms hold the spaces together. Facing north west, light floods the home throughout the hours of the day, where you’ll lap up the sun’s early morning rays in the gorgeous rose garden with a yoga mat and a warm lemon brew. The drawing room is bathed in afternoon light for a lazy round of cards – whatever the weather, the fires are lit – before you head down to the swimming lake for a feasting from the boma and its Cotswold Stone boathouse on the banks. Everyone’s on the water, paddling around or fishing for carp from the little rowing boat. The sun sets across the open fields, through the branches of the old sturdy oaks, planting its signature of golden dappled light over the wisteria of the patinaed facade, and onto the plump pillows of those gargantuan King beds – as a little goodnight gift of warmth from the day. You’re in the Cotswolds, with your clan, living a timeless existence under the command of the English countryside to ground you and your memories for generations to come.
What we love!
- The quaint village of Ebrington is within walking distance, and here you’re immediately immersed into the antiquated charm of its community. Award-winning pubs, butchers, bakers, jam and cider makers. A delightful farm shop – Vegetable Matters – is definitely worth a visit, to source the local farmers’ produce. Bookstores, boutiques, cafés and collectable stores flank the narrow lanes of Cotswold Stone cottages. Time spent in the countryside is of no worth if you don’t have access to villages like Ebrington.
- The beautiful gardens that have been tended to generation after generation with its bright and colourful roses and hedges and creepers and herbs and hidden pathways, stone outhouses, ancient walnut trees and lush green lawns.
- It takes a very special home to reveal its history through the furniture, the thick, heavy drapes, the antiques, collectables and portraits of noble politicians, the books on the shelves, the carpets over hardwood floors, the four-poster beds and wallpapers in bathrooms with free-standing bathtubs overlooking the glorious gardens. Ebrington Hall has a unique stamp of sincerity in every space that withstands any test of time.
- Though there is immediate access to the neighbouring village, the property is entirely secluded with uninterrupted views of the parklands and retains its privacy completely.
- The sunsets are absolutely spectacular!
What you need to know…
- Ebrington Hall is self-catering but should you wish to bring your own chef along or have the house arrange one for you – the kitchen is fully-equipped for some fine feasting creations.
- The nearest train station – Moreton in Marsh – is only six miles away from the property that connects to London Paddington’s mainline. The nearest airport – Birmingham – 40 miles away, with Heathrow being 70 miles.
- There are an endless array of activities to take part in and village markets to visit in the neighbouring towns should you wish to explore the surrounding areas. From clay pigeon shooting to archery to golf to horse-riding and even art classes. All of the extra information is provided.
- The property is located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with an abundance of beautiful walking trails and history tours, museums, public gardens, castles and wildlife parks.
Reviewed by Colleen Ogilvie