A seven-bedroom Georgian country house in Worcestershire where Winston Churchill reportedly met Charles de Gaulle has gone on the market for £3.75million.
Grade II-listed Winterdyne House in Bewdley was built in 1760 by Sir Edward Winnington Bart, and is thought to have been designed by the Adams brothers, who were prominent architects and designers in the period.
A fort, which has been turned into a summer house on the estate, was reported to have been used as a lookout for smugglers attempting to ascend the River Severn which runs close by.
Sir Edward built the house on land owned by the Crown and, later in the 1860s, it was lived in by Major Francis Gresley, his wife, four daughters, son, stepson, ten servants and coachman.
There is still a photographic record of the Gresleys enjoying the house and grounds.
The property was then lived in by popular benefactor Giles Shaw, brother-in-law to Francis Ridley Havergal, was a well-known hymn writer who composed many of her hymns while on visits to the house.
Two of her best-known compositions were Take My Life and Let It Be, and Thy Life.
For sale: Winterdyne House was built in 1760 and is on sale for £3.75m
Shaw used to throw open the grounds to local people and feed parties of children with buns and cakes.
According to reports, however, visitors from the Black Country who travelled on the Severn Valley Railway to visit the estate would repay Shaw by stealing flowers, shrubs and ferns from his garden.
When Shaw died in 1903, the estate was purchased by a widow, Beatrice Marion-Sturt, who lived in the house with her daughter, Kathrine.
An information booklet written by Kenneth Hobson in 2001 on Winterdyne provides an insight into writer Marion-Sturt and her daughter’s time in the house.
Hobson said: ‘Mrs Sturt always appeared to be elderly and behaved as an elderly member of the landed gentry would, refusing ever to ride in a car, preferring her carriage and pair, in which she took gentle rides along Light Lane.
‘She firmly resisted the advantages of electricity laid on and every property on the estate had to make do with oil lamps – even until the late 1930s.’
Marion-Sturt died at Winterdyne in 1944 at the age of 95.
During the Second World War, Winterdyne was used as a base for officers to enable Generals to liaise with the Free French forces fighting against armistice with Germany, who were stationed nearby at Robbesford.
General Charles de Gaulle was there for some time and it is rumoured that Winston Churchill met him at Winterdyne when he was visiting his son.
Vast: Winterdyne in Bewdley spans approximately 16,145 sq ft
History: Writer Beatrice Marion-Sturt lived at Winterdyne with her daughter until 1944
Stylish: The property’s interior has been upgraded and tastefully modernised
Eat in style: A dining and piano room at Winterdyne in Bewdley
Later on, Winterdyne was used as a home for the elderly.
At this point in the property’s history, Bewdley Fire Brigade said they they used to get numerous calls out to the house, as many as 12 a day, which all ended up being false alarms.
It transpired it was a lady who pressed the alarm button regularly, and explained that it brightened up her day to see the young firemen in action.
What’s on offer?
Winterdyne has seven bedrooms and four bathrooms and overlooks the River Severn and the historic market town of Bewdley.
The views are extensive and encompass grazing safari animals at the nearby West Midlands Safari Park and a steam locomotive railway in the distance.
The estate used to sit in 70 acres of land, but this has been cut back to around 30 acres over time.
The main house is approached via a sweeping driveway and has three reception rooms, a kitchen with bespoke units and Aga, billiard room, film room, gymnasium and a home office.
Get some lengths in: The indoor swimming pool at Winterdyne
Play time: Winterdyne has its very own billiards room
Luxury: One of the seven bedrooms at Winterdyne, finished to a high standard
High spec: Each of the four bathrooms at Winterdyne is stylish and luxurious
Setting: Winterdyne is approached by a long sweeping driveway
Grounds: Formal landscaped gardens at the front of Winterdyne
Acres: Winterdyne sits in 30 acres of grounds and has two separate coach houses
Winterdyne also has two coach houses, an indoor swimming pool, landscaped gardens and multiple garages.
The main house is flanked by two large parcels of agricultural land surrounded by woodland with no public access or rights of way.
George Pickard, co-founder Chartwell Noble, the estate agency selling Winterdyne, said: ‘At Chartwell Noble, we take immense pride in representing properties of such rare calibre as Winterdyne House.
‘Its elegant architecture, elevated position and rich historic character encapsulate the timeless appeal of the English country house – a legacy we are honoured to help preserve and present to discerning buyers.’
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