The tiny hamlet of Billesley in Warwickshire is in the heart of Shakespeare country. Located about a mile from the stone village of Wilmcote, and four miles west of Stratford-upon-Avon, it's a tiny place now — with just 39 residents as of the 2021 census — but this was once a thriving medieval settlement. The Black Death, and the recurring plague years that followed, changed everything: by 1428, the village church, All Saints, had just four parishioners left.
By the 16th century things had picked up, and, in the reign of Elizabeth I, Billesley Manor was built. It's still standing, albeit now a hotel; as is the church, a Norman relic that's Grade I-listed, redundant, yet still beautiful. The church's great history goes beyond its age: local tradition holds that Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway here, and that one of the couple's grandchildren also tied the knot at All Saints. It's not a fact widely accepted by scholars (Temple Grafton is thought to be more likely), but there's no evidence exists to prove either claim.
Amid all this, buyers will be captivated by the launch onto the market of unlisted Upper Billesley, a fascinating country-house complex set in 180 acres of arable and pastureland, parkland, paddocks and woodland in the Warwickshire hamlet of Billesley. Christopher Dewe of Knight Frank’s country department quotes a guide price of £6.5 million.
Upper Billesley, isn't an Elizabethan manor, but it's been turned in to one as it's evolved over the centuries. What was once a modest farmstead is, today, a pleasantly rambling country house that offers 9,862sq ft of atmospheric living space in the main house split across three floors, including entrance and reception halls and a spectacular galleried drawing room.
There are also two dining rooms, a sitting room, study, garden room, kitchen/breakfast room, playroom and a wine cellar.
On the first floor you'll find six bedrooms, while the entire second floor is taken up by the master suite, with its separate bedroom, dressing room, split-bathroom (bath and shower one side, WC on the other) and a huge walk-in wardrobe which makes clever use of what would otherwise be a long, narrow space with restricted head height at the side.
Secondary accommodation is provided off to one side of the main property, connected via an archway and balcony, where two flats have been laid out. There's also a three-bedroom garden cottage.
Much improved by the current owners in the course of the past 40 years, Upper Billesley House sits at the end of a lovely, tree-lined drive in the middle of gently undulating land, surrounded by mature woodland that ensures maximum privacy and tranquillity.
The beautifully laid out gardens are a source of inspiration, the centrepiece a formal parterre rose garden in the shape of a Union Flag.
There's also and herbaceous borders providing a rich tapestry of colour and texture throughout the seasons. A highlight is a 1½-acre lake created by the owners on the east side of the farm.
Amenities include an outdoor swimming pool, a tennis court, a stable yard with four loose boxes, extensive garaging, a massive function barn and a multi-purpose farm barn. In total there's over 32,000sq ft of space.
The pasture is farmed in hand, with the arable land contracted out to a local farmer. The land is registered in a Countryside Stewardship Scheme until January 2027 and recently entered the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
For sale via Knight Frank at £6.5 million — see more details.