Old vicarage ‘found by accident’ is up for £1.5m
FORMER SOUTH DERBYSHIRE MP IS CONTESTING SEAT ON COUNTY COUNCIL
PROPERTY larger than 22 football pitches has gone on the market for £1.5million.
The Old Vicarage is a detached period property in Croxden, Uttoxeter, and sits in more than 30 acres of land.
The current owners bought it in a “sorry state”, but have completely renovated the home, and added an agricultural barn.
The Old Vicarage boasts three reception rooms, five bedrooms and four bathrooms, and the sale includes the adjoining paddocks which now has its own fruit orchard.
Selling the property, a spokesperson for Fine and Country said: “An outstanding period detached family home with a wealth of beautifully modernised and spacious accommodation to suit the lifestyle of today.
“Over the years the current owners have purchased paddocks adjoining the grounds to The Old Vicarage, which now offers a fruit orchard, vegetable garden with polytunnel, greenhouse and gardens with terraces and seating areas. In addition, there is a large agricultural barn, underground heat source heating and solar panels which bring in an income.”
The current owners stumbled upon this property, and despite needing a lot of work, they fell in love with the area.
They said: “Funnily enough we actually happened upon this property quite by accident, but it turned out to be a very happy accident. We were concentrating our house search in Derbyshire and more specifically the village of Hollington, but mistakenly we selected a property to view in Hollington, Staffordshire. As we were booked to view, we decided to take a look at the property on offer and that’s when we first saw The Old Vicarage.
“The house itself was in a really sorry state, but we were blown away by the sheer beauty of the setting. It didn’t take long for us to decide to put in an offer and we have since had many happy years here.”
The owners stripped the house back and breathed new life into the home, including a huge brick and oak extension.
It also has a stunning orangery which would be perfect for whiling away summer afternoons.
The owners added: “After all the hard work the house is just lovely throughout and the warm and comfortable family home it was always meant to be.
“Leaving The Old Vicarage has honestly been one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to make; it’s a place that we love and a place where we love to be. However, we need to downsize, and the house needs a new family to fill it, give it new energy and a new lease of life. We have no doubt that the new owners will enjoy living here every bit as much as we have.” s
FORMER MP Edwina Currie has announced she will be a candidate in May’s Derbyshire County Council elections.
The writer and broadcaster served as Conservative MP for South Derbyshire for 14 years, but has not been involved in frontline politics since 1997.
She said the death of her husband, John Jones, and the success of US president Joe Biden influenced her decision to stand as a county council candidate in Whaley Bridge.
She said: “My husband was suffering from cancer and we moved back to Derbyshire 10 years ago. He died at home on November 1 and it left a very, very big hole in my life that I wanted to fill.
“Not long after, I watched the American election and I thought Joe Biden was a real hero, coming out of retirement to beat Trump.
“He’s old, but he used his exceptional experience well, and I thought maybe I can do the same.”
Edwina Currie
Despite spending over two decades away from the frontline, the 74-year-old former Cabinet minister she said it feels like she has never been gone.
The pandemic has made it more of a challenging experience than her previous campaigns, though.
She said: “It’s a peculiar thing. It’s like riding a bike, once you know how to do it you don’t forget.
“I never fully left politics. I’ve been president of the High Peak Conservative Association and I’m always doing radio interviews and talking to the media.
“This is a weird election though because we can’t go knocking door-todoor or canvas like usual. It’s all done on social media, which is definitely odd.”
Mrs Currie will stand against Ruth George, also a former MP and current Labour councillor for Whaley Bridge who took the seat in a 2020 by-election.
Ms George said she is relishing the role and what she has managed to achieve in a short time, which includes setting up the area’s first food bank and preventing the closure of a care home.