Get to the white metal entrance gates of this grand house and you get your first peek of the wonderful estate that is to come - how could anyone not get excited in anticipation of the property that waits to delight you within?
Called Ffrith Hall, this stunning and substantial eight-bed Grade II listed manor house offers a welcoming Georgian facade to instantly impress, with attractive stucco design, decorative pillars and symmetrical sash windows under a slate roof. It's a beast and a beauty.
The manor is on the market for offers over £750,000 and is very likely to go for more when potential buyers see the beauty of the location, the absorbing views, and the amount of property their pounds can purchase at this delightful site.
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The three-storey, late 18th century house can boast oodles of space inside as well as two side wings, a double garage with self-contained studio apartment above, about 1.6 acres of land and even a dovecote in the garden adding an extra layer of charm.
And the location is pretty stunning too. The house is nestled into a slope and it's the perfect elevated position over the wooded hillsides and valleys of the glorious landscape of Flintshire to get the best views. Arguably the best place outside to totally immerse yourself in the enveloping vista is on either of the front terraces that protrude out from the front aspect of the house.
Or there's plenty of lawns to park a picnic below the terraces, and to the side of the house is a more private patio that is seamlessly accessed from the single-storey garden room at one end of the main house. Or maybe the hillside above the back of the house can give you the highest spot for the widest of panoramic views that includes Offa's Dyke? What a lovely decision dilemma to have.
The property was commissioned in 1790 by the steel magnate John Wilkinson, of Wilkinson Steel fame, for his estate manager. It achieved a Grade II listing from Cadw in 1998 for being 'a good example of a late Georgian villa, probably constructed late 18th century'. The listing goes on to say that the porch was probably added at a later date.
When you arrive, there are no worries about where to park - there's ample space for everyone's vehicles, especially at the front of the detached garage building. And there's plenty of room for everyone inside too.
The central entrance hall of the main house has access that takes you to a sociable family sitting room to the right, with views of the landscape outside and a view of the charming regency fireplace and oak wood flooring inside.
Opposite is another reception room that is currently a lounge, again with a charming period fireplace, that could also be a sociable formal dining room or home office.
Through a doorway into the inner hall and staircase at the centre of the house. From here, take a right and the farmhouse-style kitchen with plenty of room for a table and chairs awaits to delight you with ceiling beams and an exposed brick chimney breast that houses a range cooker.
Off the kitchen are some extra, handy and practical spaces that include a pantry, utility room, numerous storage cupboards and even a good sized wine cellar. Across the hallway and past the sweeping staircase to a library that is definitely a welcome bonus room. But a home library is just one of the ways to add value to your home by using the space you have in your home to the maximum, see more ideas here.
The library is a special spot, with bespoke built-in storage either side of an intricately detailed fireplace and a whole wall of bookshelves opposite. It is a lovely room because it also flows, via quadruple glass doors, into a huge garden room that is surely party central at this sociable home.
The garden room is flooded with streaming sunshine as well as multiple engaging snapshot views of the garden and landscape. It can easily accommodate so many bulky pieces of furniture that surely a games room to rival any in the area could be an option in here.
Or fill it with plants, plenty of squishy sofas, a piano and a cocktail bar and it is the best place for relaxing and socialising with many friends and family, from afternoon tea to drinks after supper.
There's oodles of character in this home too, from beautiful fireplaces to huge, light-filled sash windows, from wooden floors to high ceilings and, of course, a classic, sweeping Georgian staircase.
The agent states that the current owners have undergone a broad scheme of refurbishment, both internally and externally, with the drainage and soakaways being upgraded. Many internal aspects upgraded to a high standard, while still retaining the features that are to be expected, including regency fire surrounds and reclaimed cast-iron radiators.
Up that period staircase and the first floor can tempt you with the choice of four bedrooms. Obviously most people will bag the master as it is a suite that includes a separate dressing room and an ensuite built over the ground floor utility room.
But the master doesn't have the best view, a view over the countryside from the front, so maybe the ensuite bedroom at the front of the property is more appealing to someone who likes to wake up to a panoramic vista.
Whichever bedroom you get to sleep in, it will be a delight because they are all spacious and can all boast a period fireplace as a central feature to give each room added character.
There's a family bathroom on this first floor too and then it's up to the top floor where you will find four more sizeable bedrooms and another family bathroom.
The main house has an ambience of a warm welcome and a hug wrapped in history. There's light, there's grand proportions, and there are period features throughout that ensure this house is an uplifting and joyful family home.
But should a teenager, or granny for that matter, decide that they want their own space on site, there's a surprise bonus in the garden - a self-contained studio flat on the first floor of the detached double garage.
And it's not a second thought - this lovely and light flat has a stylish navy kitchen at one end, a totally trendy shower room at the other, and in between ample space to create a sleeping zone, a lounge zone and a dining zone.
This building has been very well thought out, with sash windows to keep consistency with the main house, and wood block floors and tasteful decor on the inside to keep the comfortable and style going on the inside. And then, a stroll around the 1.6 acres of land border by woodland.
The estate agent states that the current owners have got planning permission approved for a schedule of works including, replacing the garden room, removal of porch, replacement windows and doors if a new owner wants to alter any of these aspects of the house.
Further information can be found on the local authority Flintshire County Council planning portal and CGI images can be obtained via the selling agent. How wonderful to be able to enjoy every day wandering around the gently undulating private landscape of formal gardens and paddock, that stretches out into a horizon flooded with a panoramic rural view that is simply breath-taking. Ffrith Hall is on the market for offers in excess of £750,000 with estate agency Fisher German, call the Chester office on 01244 409660 to find out more. And if you never miss a snoop around a dream home like Ffrith Hall, join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter.
