Guns and roses
Two sporting estates are the flowers of their counties–one in the family of a Gunpowder Plotter, the other at the heart of malt-whisky land
IN a year that has seen few genuine sporting estates emerging onto the open market, the sale, for the first time in more than 80 years, of the historic 540-acre Ireton Wood Hall estate at Idridgehay, near Belper, Derbyshire, is an event to be savoured by the fieldsports community at large.
Selling agent Edward Caudwell of Caudwell & Co (01629 810018), who quotes a guide price of £8 million for the picturesque estate with its fine, Grade Ii-listed Hall, paints an enticing picture: ‘It’s extremely rare for an estate such as this to come to the market in Derbyshire —rarer still to find one located two fields to the south of the southern boundary of the Chatsworth estate between Matlock and Ashbourne, with three other well-known shoots in the near vicinity. In fact, in the past 20 years, I can recall only three estates sold in the county with more than 500 acres.
‘With its magnificent topography of rolling hills and good woodland cover,’ he continues, ‘the Ireton Wood Hall estate offers great potential for someone to re-create what was a lovely little shoot, with fishing on the River Ecclesbourne that runs through the grounds —amenities that persuaded the owner’s late father to buy the estate back in 1937.’
Imposing Ireton Wood Hall is set close to the heart of the land, surrounded by
sweeping lawned gardens with a ha-ha overlooking parkland; the rest of the estate is a mix of grazing and woodland, the former subject to various tenancy agreements. The forerunner to the present house dates from 1630, when it was the seat of Thomas Catesby, whose forbear, Robert, was a leading conspirator in the Gunpowder Plot. Thomas’s widow, Elizabeth, was still living there in 1670, seven years after her husband’s death. In the 18th century, the house was let to the Alsops, the last of whom to live there was Robert Alsop in 1829.
Soon afterwards, Ireton Wood Hall was bought by Frederick Richard Leacroft, who, according to its listing, built much of the present hall in about 1865. To the very modest L-shaped 17th-century house, probably built by Catesby, he added a two-storey brick range, with stepped gables to the left and centre, the latter projecting forwards with a small oriel over a four-centred arched doorway, the former having a striking, octagonal, two-storey tower with a tall spire—the present boudoir, now part of the impressive master suite.
The Leacroft family, who were local landowners, initially let and later sold the hall to Norman Swingler, who apparently found the house too small. He demolished much of the remaining 17th-century building, replacing it with a large red-brick extension behind Leacroft’s range. He also added a service wing to the north-east.
The house has been well maintained over the years and offers more than 8,000sq ft of accommodation, comprising a large reception hall, four reception rooms including the charming 17th-century dining room and the intimate ‘smoke room’, with the master bedroom suite, four double bedrooms and a family bathroom on the first floor, and a further two bedrooms, two reception rooms, a kitchen and bathroom in Swingler’s wing. A rear tiled courtyard gives access to garaging, stabling, a tack room, and, at the end of the garden, an En-tout-cas tennis court and garden pavilion.
It’s also been a relatively quiet year for Scottish sporting estates, with supply down by 30% year-on-year, reports Robert Mcculloch, head of farms and estates sales for Strutt & Parker north of the Border. A notable exception to the rule was the remote Pait and West Monar estate in Wester Ross, which, following intense buyer interest, is now under offer at a guide price of £2 million.
Equally successful was the global response from buyers around the world to the launch of Inchmarnock Island, an uninhabited spot in the Firth of Forth, which came to the market at a guide price of £1.4 million. Interestingly, one American applicant was reputedly attracted by the climate in Scotland, ‘now that the USA is getting too hot’— perhaps a taste of changing times ahead.
Mr Mcculloch also expects British and overseas interest for the 563-acre Cairnty sporting and residential estate on the banks of the River Spey near Fochabers, in the heart of glorious malt-whisky countryside. Launched by Strutt & Parker (0131–226 2500) in recent weeks for ‘offers over £2.65m’, it comprises a Georgian-style country house set in several acres of lovely gardens and grounds, with spectacular views across the Spey Valley. The estate offers excellent pheasant shooting, roedeer stalking and trout fishing, as well as opportunities for farming, forestry and residential development.
Designed and commissioned by the owners to their own specification and ‘built without compromise’ with input from
An American was attracted to the Scottish climate “now that the USA is getting too hot”
local architect Kenneth Lawson, Cairnty House stands on an elevated site facing west across the lower River Spey. The express intention was to combine family living (the present owners have three children) with space for entertaining house parties for salmon-fishing weeks on the Spey, winter shooting parties and extended family gatherings at Christmas, Easter and other festive occasions. ‘This is a house designed for family living and entertaining—and it does just that,’ says Mr Mcculloch.
To this end, the 11,964sq ft of living space includes a reception hall with a galleried landing above that can serve as a dining room for larger parties of guests. The kitchen and breakfast room includes a large central island and a recessed breakfast area—stylish and practical, it is the heart of the house. The drawing room is light and spacious, with direct access to the terrace, and the dining room is sizeable (but not too large) with access to the adjoining kitchen.
Unlike many original Georgian houses in Scotland, Cairnty House boasts several bedroom suites, the first-floor master suite being exceptionally spacious. Three of four further first-floor bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms and the fourth has its own shower room. Extensive attic rooms offer potential for conversion to additional accommodation.
The land is mainly given over to livestock farming, which is let, together with game shooting and a combination of amenity and commercial forestry and woodland. The driven pheasant shoot is excellent, enabling up to 10 days a season; the estate also offers exciting roe-deer stalking and brown-trout fishing on the famous River Spey. The salmonfishing rights are not owned by the vendor, although salmon fishing is available to rent on several prime beats in the locality. The estate comes with a three-bedroom cottage, two uninhabited houses suitable for renovation and a range of useful outbuildings.