It’s not often that a grand country house comes on the market for £1 million.
But Kings Newton Hall, a Grade II-listed, 13,143 sq ft estate in Melbourne, Derby, could be yours for little more than a London terrace.
The property, surrounded by landscaped grounds, has certainly captured the imagination: it was Rightmove’s third-most viewed property in April, while a video tour posted on Instagram has had more than 180,000 views.
“It’s definitely a house with history,” says James Ottewell, who grew up in the property. Kings Newton Hall has been in Ottewell’s family for 45 years, and was owned by his mother who lived there until she passed away last year.
Dating back to the 16th century, the property was the former seat of the aristocratic Hardinge family. It was visited by Charles II, and later purchased by the Coke family, also part of the British nobility. In 1859, the house was “razed to the ground” in a fire, and stood empty until 1910, when it was rebuilt by the railway magnate Sir Cecil Paget.
“[There was] no roof, and the gardens had gone wild, and members of the public used to wander around,” says Ottewell. “[Paget] lived here, but did an amazing job with the restoration. He re-built and restored it on exactly the same footprint as it was originally built, so it retained all of its structural walls.
“He refurbished it internally in an Arts and Crafts style, with oak doors and doors, and open stone casement surround windows and doors. It was built to an amazing standard at the time, and it has stood the test of time.”
Today, the building’s fire hydrants are a reminder of the fire of 1859.
“Paget was obviously terrified about fire, because he installed fire hydrants throughout the house. It’s got proper big commercial fire hydrants. He must have been frightened about it burning down again.”
Ottewell’s father bought Kings Newton Hall in 1979 from the estate of Lady Paget. Ottewell, now 60, was 14 when his family moved in. “It was a different sort of rarefied world and atmosphere, but it was good fun to come home to from school,” he says. “It was a cool and lively house — lots of parties; lots of fun.”
Living in such a distinctive, historical house drew interest “all the time” from locals and passersby. “It’s an unusual property for this area — it’s not a typical south Derbyshire property. Lots of people have expressed interest in it during the last 40 years, from historical groups to private individuals.”
Ottewell moved out at 20 to go to university, but he and his sister still live close by. His father passed away in 1995, and his mother continued to live alone at the house for the next 28 years, until her death. “She was an old school stalwart whose interest was really the gardens. She more or less shut the house down and did what she could to maintain the house and gardens. It’s a big challenge.”
Kings Newton Hall was comprehensively refurbished “to within an inch of its life” by Ottewell’s parents in 1979.
But 45 years later, it does require some work. This, says Ottewell, includes repairs to the roof and dormer windows, upgrades the plumbing and updating the interiors. But its bones are strong, he says. “The house is as solid as solid. None of the walls are caving in, and the ceilings aren’t falling down. It’s in good shape.”
Set in an H-plan, the three-storey house has nine bedrooms, which occupy the top two floors. On the ground floor, there is an eat-in kitchen, butler’s pantry and scullery, plus five reception rooms. The formal dining room has a marble fire surround, while the drawing room contains bespoke oak cabinetry and ornamental ceiling mouldings. At the centre of the house is the grand reception hall, with a stone fireplace and an oak staircase leading to the first floor.
“The entrance hall is a huge hallway, and that was fantastic for entertaining,” says Ottewell. “And the dining room again is stunning. The gardens are absolutely fantastic.”
With more than two acres of land, the house is surrounded by lawned gardens, enclosed by a tall stone wall. There is also a stone terrace, accessed from the reception hall, and a walled formal garden with mature borders and an ornamental pond.
As well as the main house, the grounds contain a courtyard with parking and a multi-purpose barn, and a two-storey stone summer house. It is listed for £1 million with Fisher German.
Ottewell, who works in property, believes that the house would suit a family best. “You’d hope that a young family would buy it and run it,” he says. “It’s such a warm, friendly family home.” Most enquiries have been from locals, but there has also been interest from Londoners looking for a country home.
“It’s a beautiful house in beautiful gardens,” Ottewell adds. “It’s a fantastic project.”
