Finally on the market since just after the Second World War in 1949, the 117-acre Elmestree House estate, listed for 7.5 million British pounds, has quite a big claim to fame: Aside from the fact that the Elizabethan-style manor was built by William Brookes in 1844, it’s next door to the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall’s beloved Highgrove in the Cotswolds. In the case of the Elmestree House estate, the instructions to “love thy neighbor” certainly apply. Like so many sprawling mansions in the English countryside, the 11-bedroom home is a Grade II–listed property backed by a deep-seated history. Plenty of that history comes in the form of additions and renovations.
For instance, the manor itself was quite new compared to the nearby four-bedroom farmhouse, also Grade II–listed and dubbed Farm End, which was erected in the mid-17th century. Nearly three decades after the main house was built, English author Francis Henry acquired it and created a simple wing that connected the two buildings. Henry and his family remained in Elmestree House until 1949, when he sold it to the current owners, who finally bid the historic structure adieu.
Though the new owners won’t exactly be able to wave to their neighbors, the prince of Wales and the duchess of Cornwall, they can take pride in knowing that the two properties do share a long stretch of land that borders both estates. Like the royal residence Highgrove, Elmestree boasts several period-specific architectural elements, including imposing wood double front doors, a sweeping staircase complete with an elegant glass dome, mullioned windows, intricate cornicing, and always-cool stone floors. Though it’s been renovated several times, it still retains plenty of that coveted quiet English country look.
The main house and all of its supplemental outbuildings—the stable block, the coach house, the traditional Cotswold stone barn, the quite substantial and self-contained, three-bedroom, circa-1900 annex, and the cowshed with its original rugged stone pillars, among others—comprise nearly 20,000 square feet. Perhaps the most impressive feature of the centuries-old estate, however, is the garden, which is enveloped by a rustic stone protective ha-ha and overlooks the whole estate behind it. The manicured garden even has some very old fruit-bearing trees, potting sheds, and garden stores that are ready for—and perhaps need—some TLC courtesy of the new owners. There’s also no shortage of pastures, parklands, and small bodies of water, including charming ponds and a little lake for boating.