Some historic homes are special and some are Grade II* listed special. A property being awarded a grade listing from Cadw means it is important but to get that extra little star next to the listing number is extra special.
Cadw states a star listing is only awarded to around 7% of the total number of listed buildings in Wales and are only given to 'particularly important buildings of more than special interest which justify every effort being made to preserve them'.
Bodidris Hall is one of the 7% of Welsh buildings that are special enough to justify the added star and at first glance it's not hard to see why - it is grand and spectacular. It is one of the finest late Elizabethan manor houses in Wales, steeped in history that still oozes the character of its past inside and out, but can also provide a stunning and unique dream home for the present and future.
That all important listing was awarded to the hall in 1952, amended in 1998, as it is 'a highly important Tudor mansion, of distinctive and unusual plan, incorporating a tower block and main range. The house retains its early character in surviving or well-restored detail and ranks as one of the major early gentry houses of north Wales'.
The manor house has certainly had a packed history that competes with its packed period feature interiors and external architecture. Built by the Lloyds of Bodidris, an important gentry family who rose to prominence under the Tudors, the manor then passed through the hands of a number of north Wales' well known landowning families, like the Mostyn family and the Williams family of Bodelwyddan castle, until it became a hotel around 38 years ago.
It is thought that the Earl of Leicester used Bodidris as a hunting lodge between 1563 and 1578 and his heraldic badge of a bear and a ragged staff, appears on the south gate suggesting a link to the manor house to be true.
As reported by the North Wales Post, entrepreneur Stephanie Booth later bought the hotel which became part of her chain of establishments across north Wales, but her firm Global Investment Group went into administration in 2011. The hotel was then bought from administrators and continued to trade but at the end of the summer of 2014 the hotel was reported to have closed.
Now the manor is a home that combines historic spaces with modern living, with robust exposed beams, fireplaces and Tudor features sitting alongside a media room and some stylish, sleek additions, but the heart of the home is still a classic historic house.
The heavy panelled front door beside a stone terrace adjacent to a large gravel parking area at the side of the house opens into an entrance hall that then flows into an inner reception hall. The ground floor is mainly four large rooms that are all fabulous, feature packed spaces. The reception hall, as well as the home of the wonderful and hopefully creaky historic oak staircase, opens into a lounge area.
This most welcoming of first sociable spaces has a roaring fireplace, slate floors and exposed ceiling beams, as well as one wall that can boast exposed beams too. It's the beginning of a journey starting in Elizabethan times and the subsequent instances of renovation and restoration through the centuries.
A fine oak partition provides the division between this relaxing reception hall and the superb family kitchen next door which boasts a bespoke Clive Christian kitchen with high quality appliances, including a LaCanche cooking range, marble work tops and a substantial island.
At the opposite end of the room is an area for dining and plus a door to the back hall you will find the cutest of seating areas nestled within a former inglenook.
Back through the reception hall, and the separate drawing room is a prime and stunning example of oak ceiling beams, lit by the large period window and flanked by a fireplace and a wood panelled wall. It's a room that truly oozes period character.
The dining room next door is a formal affair that can warm the dinner guests via the log burner nestled into the exposed stone chimney breast and fireplace, and is surely the space that hosts the best banquets in the area. The ground floor also offers a wine store under the stairs, a rear lobby with a second, former servants' staircase, plus storage, a utility room and a cloakroom.
But it's the ancient staircase at the heart of this historic home you will want to use, as the important people of the past have done thousands of times, to get to the bedroom spaces waiting for you on the first floor.
The first floor has three very generous bedrooms that benefit from the fact that the manor house used to be a hotel, as they all have an ensuite.
The master suite is a stunning space, with the dual aspect sleeping room dominated by a four poster bed and with ample space for large pieces of furniture. But there won't be much need for wardrobes as a door leads into a dedicated walk-in wardrobe and dressing room which then leads through an open doorway into a truly incredible ensuite.
It's huge, packed with facilities that still leaves enough floorspace for a bathroom disco. There are twin sinks at one end, a toilet and bidet at the other, and in between a gorgeous, sumptuous plum coloured roll-top bath that allows the occupant the pleasure of looking out over the almost seven acres of land that comes with the house.
The choice of the regal shade of purple in this space is a bold one and, coupled with the traditional sanitaryware, it ensures the room makes a statement that is ably complemented with crisp white to add a modern edge to the space.
The two bedrooms next door also each have a luxurious ensuite with roll top bath and views over the countryside. Out on the landing it's worth exploring further to find the rear landing of this first floor level to find the second staircase, and once you do its position and use becomes clearer.
It is the only staircase to the former servants quarters' on the second floor - the grand, fancy main staircase doesn't go any further than the grand, fancy bedrooms on the first floor.
So up the servants' staircase gets you to the versatile top floor - currently set up to include a gym with maybe the best rural view from a rowing machine in the county, and a study with bespoke built-in storage.
There's a cool cinema room up here too, that would surely leave the servants from the past speechless if they could see it, and next to that is a separate mini kitchen that means refreshments and snacks are seconds away rather than two staircases away so you shouldn't miss the start of the film.
Two more bedrooms and two more bathrooms reside on this top floor, and the ample space available up here will surely leave the new owner pondering the function of part or maybe all of the top floor to suit their own needs.
Maybe a flat for staff, a separate space for the younger generation, a floor mainly for guests, an owners' flat if the floor below was used for bed and breakfast, a total party zone, or a more peaceful place to escape the busy family spaces below? Choices, choices.
Another place to escape is within the stunning almost seven acres of garden and grounds. The areas around the house have been beautifully landscaped to include a super sized garden terrace at the front perfect for all the lounging and alfresco dining you can fit into life, plus a classic manor house walled garden.
The sweeping formal lawns include a beautiful lake that even has its own island and is surely one of the best spots for a summer picnic - next to the water and maybe with your feet dangling in too. Next to the house is also a walled entrance and parking at the side. Here you will find a bonus and substantial wooden building that houses a garage, a workshop and ample storage opportunities.
The opportunity to live like a Lord or Lady in Denbighshire and add your own chapter to the history of this house that is a gem within Wales' property past comes with a price tag of for offers in excess of £2m - about the same price as some of the largest houses in the poshest suburbs of the Welsh capital - which would you prefer?
Bodidris Hall is for sale with Savills, call their Chester branch on 01244 323232 to find out more. And don't miss the best dream homes in Wales, renovation stories and interiors, join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter, sent to your inbox twice a week.
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