A MANOR ON THE MARKET

Move over Lady Crawley, there’s a new mansion on the market.

If the recent announcement that the longawaited movie version of ITV’s Downton Abbey is going ahead has got you pining for a country estate of your own – and you have the budget to match your excitement – then Nantceiro near Aberystwyth might be for you.

It might not be quite to the scale of Downton Abbey, but the Grade II-listed property has a lot to offer a new lord or lady of the manor for a guide price of £850,000.

Bursting with original period features such as sash windows, fireplaces and oak panelling, the estate comes complete with an eight-bedroom manor house, stables, a coach house and a workshop.

On the ground floor of the manor there are six reception rooms. That’s a lot of cleaning if you don’t have the Downton servants on hand, but all have unique restored period features to admire.

Mrs Patmore would surely be astonished at the appliances on offer in the kitchen to help her with her culinary creations. Imagine her chin on the floor as she catches sight of granite worktops, integrated Miele appliances and a fouroven Aga.

Definitely enough equipment to feed the whole Crawley family – as long as there’s an apron and rolling pin in the drawer too and poor Daisy to shout at.

There’s a dining/breakfast room flowing from the kitchen and a spacious drawing room with a period feature fireplace and oak woodblock patterned flooring.

The manor has the “must-have” library, maybe full of Downton Abbey novels, and offers an abundance of light for reading what Lady Mary is up to next, provided by three sets of floor-to-ceiling french doors leading on to the garden terrace.

On this floor there’s also a music room with easily enough space for two grand pianos if required, plus a laundry room, utility room and study.

As any good manor house should have, the property boasts a labyrinth of cellar rooms, some of which have been converted to create an office, a home cinema room that needs completion, and the all-important wine cellar.

Up one of the two impressive oak staircases to the first floor, the mansion offers a new owner a choice of eight bedrooms, including two bedroom suites and five en-suites.

The principle suite is rather unique. It has the obligatory en-suite bathroom and dressing room, but also a staircase up to the fourth floor to a wardrobe room and storage area – just how many dresses and shoes does Lady Crawley actually have?

And they’ll not be calling Carson to bring you high tea in the drawing room, as the former servants’ quarters on the second floor are currently being converted into extra accommodation including a kitchen. In fact, there is potential on the second floor to significantly expand the living accommodation, subject to planning consent.

Outside, it’s not hard to imagine Lady Mary and Matthew “taking a turn” around the landscaped gardens, admiring the well-stocked flower borders, ornamental features and woodland.

But the property options don’t stop here – there’s also the opportunity to purchase two additional cottages, a traditional Welsh longhouse, plus an extra 15 acres of land.

So here’s what’s actually on offer and how much it costs:

The main manor house, coach house, stables, workshop and gardens are on the market for a guide price of £850,000.

Ty’n y Lon is a one-bedroom cottage for sale for £125,000.

Porthceiro is a two-bedroom cottage which can be bought for an additional £140,000.

Y Cwch Gwenyn is a longhouse in need of conversion and can be bought without planning consent for a guide price of £100,000.

The pastureland to the east of the manor offers a new owner about 15 extra acres for a guide price of £120,000.

Or if you have the budget to match the ambition, all five lots can be purchased for a total guide price of £1.2m.

Nantceiro is on the market with estate agent Savills for a guide price of £850,000. Call 029 2036 8930 for further details.