Library House Apley Park • Bridgnorth • Shropshire Library House Apley Park • Bridgnorth Shropshire • WV15 5ND
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LIBRARY HOUSE Apley Park • Bridgnorth • ShropShire LIBRARY HOUSE Apley Park • Bridgnorth ShropShire • WV15 5nd Bridgnorth – 7 miles • M54 - 11 miles • Wolverhampton – 13 miles • Ludlow – 23 miles Shrewsbury – 25 miles • Birmingham – 35 miles • Birmingham Airport – 50 miles (All distances are approximate) PERIOD PERFECTION Reception Hall • Library • Panelled Dining Room • Drawing Room Kitchen Breakfast Room with Utility Room and Larder • Summer Kitchen Cellar • Wine Cellar • Boiler Room Master Bedroom Suite • Four further bedrooms with en suite shower rooms Sixth Bedroom/Studio Room • Cloakroom • Large Attic Room Private Garden • Garage and Parking Over 15 acres of communal gardens Savills West Midlands Hall Court Telford, Shropshire TF3 4NF Tel: +44 (0) 1952 239 533 Contact: Lucy Blythe [email protected] www.savills.com SituAtion Library House is a principal portion of the great rooms of one of Shropshire’s finest and most important country houses, the magnificent Grade II* listed mansion, Apley Park. Standing in the privacy of Apley Estate’s glorious rolling parkland with an outlook over the River Severn, the mansion is approached down a long scenic driveway, affording the house an idyllic and peaceful setting. Whilst rural, the house is close to the village of Norton and has easy access to the pretty market town of Bridgnorth (7 miles) for day-to-day amenities. Bridgnorth is famed for the oldest and steepest inland funicular railway which has been operating since 1892 and links the high and low towns. Telford and access to the M54, is 11 miles away and provides onwards travel to the Midlands business centres and the wider road network. Regional Airports include Birmingham, Manchester and East Midlands. Architecture Apley Park was built by John Webb for Thomas Whitmore in 1811. Webb was a successful landscape gardener who turned to architecture late in life and the mansion was designed to match the grandeur of its setting. Built primarily of Grinshill ashlar in a Gothic style, with the exterior featuring battlemented parapets and mullioned windows. The earliest part of the house, a six bay three storey north wing, was incorporated into the Gothic mansion. Apley is detailed at length by Professor Pevsner’s Buildings of England stating that Webb took his cue from Ashridge, Hertfordshire, Sheffield Park, Sussex and Sandleford Priory, Berkshire. hiStory Apley Hall has a wealth of history. A home has existed on the site as early as the 13th century. In 1551 Sir Thomas Lucy (Shakespeare’s magistrate) sold the Apley Estate to the royalist Whitmore family with close links to Charles I. Indeed it is reported that Charles I said of Bridgnorth, “The finest view in all my Kingdom”. Apley Hall was commissioned by Thomas Whitmore in 1811 just after the Napoleonic Wars and was designed to emulate a romantic castle overlooking the River Severn. In 1867 the Hall was sold to the heir and nephew of James Foster, a wealthy ironmaster who employed 7000 men making nails in Stourbridge. In 1896 the parents of P.G. Wodehouse moved from Surrey to Shropshire and became regular visitors at Apley Hall and it is believed to be the inspiration behind P.G. Wodehouse’s famous novel, Blandings Castle, and locals surmise that the low walled enclosure at the western end of the stable courtyards at Apley was the fictional home of the Empress. The author died in 1975 aged 93 and wrote that his “Happiest days as a boy were spent near Bridgnorth”. After the Second World War, Apley Hall was run as a state boarding school before falling into disrepair. It was then restored and divided up by Martin Ebelis who created a development of homes of gracious accommodation. The Estate has been handed down through generations and is owned by the trustees of the Estate of the 5th Lord Hamilton of Dalzell. deScription Accommodation is formed from the principal rooms of the southern side of the Mansion and is set over three floors with additional Cellars and a large Attic Room. Each room retains much of the original architectural detailing and craftmanship. Of particular note are the Library, Drawing Room and Master Bedroom Suite. The Library is referred to in detail by Pevsner with intricate plasterwork to the ceiling and a square fan-vaulted bay window. The first floor Drawing Room enjoys far reaching views of the garden and towards the river and the Dining Room, a former chapel, is part oak panelled with a carved ceiling and a large mullioned window. gArdenS Larder Kitchen / Breakfast Room FIRST FLOOR The private garden of Library House is laid to lawn and enjoys a 7.79 x 5.53 25'7 x 18'2 Summer Southerly aspect across the Severn Valley. The owner of Kitchen Butler’s 3.36 x 3.26 Bedroom 11'0 x 10'8 The Library House also has access to over 15 acres of 3.58 x 3.32 11'9 x 10'11 communal gardens. Reception Hall 6.34 x 5.60 There is a single garage, parking for two cars and visitor parking. 20'10 x 18'4 Utility Room A/C Library Queen Anne Drawing Room Dining Room 12.74 x 7.70 Bedroom 12.79 x 7.77 6.23 x 6.15 41'10 x 25'3 6.29 x 6.28 42'0 x 25'6 20'5 x 20'2 20'8 x 20'7 GROUND FLOOR Dressing Room 5.24 x 1.88 17'2 x 6'2 Boiler Room 5.61 x 3.07 18'5 x 10'1 Maid’s Bedroom 5.74 x 2.72 18'10 x 8'11 Oil Dressing Room Beer Cellar 3.83 x 3.25 6.45 x 5.63 12'7 x 10'8 21'2 x 18'6 Wine Cellar 6.80 x 1.50 22'4 x 4'11 Chinese Master Bedroom Bedroom Studio/Bedroom 7.85 x 5.65 25'9 x 18'6 6.30 x 6.29 6.23 x 3.59 20'8 x 20'8 20'5 x 11'9 CELLAR To Roof To Roof SECOND FLOOR Attic Room 12.99 x 7.97 42'7 x 26'2 Approximate Gross Internal Area: House - 800.9 sq m (8,621 sq ft) Cellar - 105.7 sq m (1,138 sq ft) To Tower ATTIC Attic - 115.1 sq m (1,239 sq ft) For identification purposes only. Not to scale. generAl SERVICES Mains electricity and water. Private drainage DIRECTIONS and oil central heating. Electric Aga. Apley Park is approached along Cheswardine Lane, west of the village of Norton on the A442. The Library House is approached along a sweeping driveway through The Apley LOCAL AUTHORITY Estate park to wrought iron gates of the main courtyard. Parking is located on the left hand Shropshire Council, Shirehall, Abbey side of the Gothic arch which leads to the inner courtyard and The Library House, which Foregate, Shrewsbury SY2 6ND can be found after twenty yards on the right hand side. Tel - (0345 6789000). TENURE COUNCIL TAX Lease of 199 years from 2007 with Share of freehold Band - G MANAGEMENT CHARGE: METHOD OF SALE Designed & produced by Captiv8 Design T: 01603 766626 01603 Captiv8 Design T: by Designed & produced For 2015 - £4000 The property is offered for sale by private © treaty. FIXTURES AND FITTINGS All fixtures, fittings and garden statuary are specifically excluded unless otherwise mentioned in these sale particulars. WAYLEAVES, EASEMENTS AND RIGHTS OF WAY The property will be sold subject to and with KEY N the benefit of all wayleaves, easements and AREA OF DEMISE Tr Tr ac a k c GARDEN AREAS Cattle Grid k rights of way whether mentioned in these particulars or not. Tr ack The Blacksmiths Cattle Grid PLANNING 0.002ha The Lodge 1 4 The It should not be assumed that the property Courtyard House 0.002ha The Tower T 5 ra Cattle Grid ck Apley Park Mews Pa 7 th 9 Apley Hall has the necessary planning, building ottage (um) Tanks regulations or other consents. 0.082ha IMPORTANT NOTICE liBrAry Savills and their clients give notice that: Pond Path They have no authority to make or give any representations (u m) houSe P or warranties in relation to the above property, either here or ath (um) elsewhere, either on their behalf or on behalf of their clients or otherwise. They assume no responsibility for any statements that may be made in these particulars. These particulars do not form FB any part of any offer or contract and must not be relied upon as statements or representations of fact. River Seve Any areas, measurements or distances are approximate. The text, photographs and plans are for guidance purposes only and are not necessarily comprehensive. rn It should not be assumed that the property has all the necessary NOTE - Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey Map with the planning, building regulations or other consents and Savills have permission of the Controller of H.M. Stationery Office. © Crown copyright licence number 100024244 Savills (UK) Limited not tested any services, equipment or facilities. The Purchaser NOTE - Published for the purposes of identification only and although believed to be correct its accuracy is not guaranteed. must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise. MCL: 21896/LIBRARY HOUSE Date: 05/04/2016 The Cartographic & Design Team, Wessex House, Wimborne, Dorset. BH21 1PB NOT TO SCALE Brochure prepared: April 2016. Tel: (01202) 856800 NOTE: For identification purposes only. NOT TO SCALE Photographs taken: February 2016. .