Home boasts a medieval hall that once welcomed Charles I
A 14-BEDROOM Worcestershire home with a royal connection has come on to the market for the first time in 35 years, with an asking price of £1.5 million.
Cofton Hall, a grade II* listed building in Cofton Hackett, close to the Lickey Hills, is described as being a house of historical importance, but with significant potential for improvement.
There has been a house on the site since 1086, when it was recorded in the Domesday Book. A timber-framed building dating from the 14th century was destroyed in an arson attack during the English Civil War.
King Charles I visited the house in May 1645 as a guest of Thomas Jolliffe, one of the monarch’s confidant’s who owned the property.
However, after the King left, Royalist soldiers set the building on fire – and only the great hall with its distinguishable eight bay hammerbeam roof survived.
The present house was built in the 18th century and the west wing incorporates the original hall.
Cofton Hall was home to an Evangelical Christian movement and the marketing agent, Fisher German, says the layout has been created to enable communal living.
“This is the first time the property has come to the market in over 35 years and provides a unique opportunity for renovation to return the property to a substantial family home or to convert the property into flats or commercial premises, subject to obtaining the necessary planning permission,” says the agent.
Only 5.8 per cent of listed buildings are grade II*, which means they are buildings of particular importance, according to Historic England, and Cofton Hall was given this special status in 1952.
The house extends to about 7,490 sq ft and, as befits a property of this status, has many original period features, including the medieval hammer beam hall.
The ground floor has a spacious sitting room, office, library and family room, while the kitchen has a separate utility and pantries.
On the first floor there are eight bedrooms and three bathrooms, plus a separate WC, while the second floor houses the remaining six bedrooms, two bathrooms and separate WC.
The hall also boasts a vaulted cellarage of 1,960 sq ft, which is believed to have been chiselled out of rock and dates back to the original hall from the 11th century.
Included in the sale is a separate, detached annexe. The Forge has a sitting room, second reception room, kitchen and wet room on the ground floor. Upstairs there are two double bedrooms and a cloakroom. This house comes with a single garage.
The gardens of Cofton Hall extend to 4.8 acres and include mature trees, including ancient beech, plus flowering areas planted with spring daffodils, crocus, aconites, cowslips and bluebells. A kitchen garden has a vegetable patch plus fruit trees such as apple, plum, damson, Merton pride and Asian pear, fig and quince.