13 bedroom country house for sale

Ground Floor - Entrance vestibule, flag stone floor, front entrance door opening into: Reception hall, feature Granwood tiled floor, stone fireplace surround, leading through to inner hallway with Hopton stone staircase to the first floor, door to cellars, lift to all floors and doors leading off to: Cloakroom, WC, wash hand basin, wood floor and leaded window to the front.

Sitting room with feature fireplace surround with Jacobean insert and log burner, bay window with door to the side elevation and further windows with shutters.

Family room, stone fireplace, log burner and window to the rear. Dining room, wooden floor, dual aspect room with windows to the side and rear, wall light points, stone fireplace and log burner. A panelled archway links the dining room with a triple aspect sitting room/library with bay windows with access to the gardens and an original chimneypiece with wood burner. This room was the original schoolroom where Florence Nightingale was home schooled as a child by her father William.

Butler’s Pantry, fitted cupboards, Belfast style sink unit and leaded window.

Kitchen, a range of base units with granite work surfaces, twin Belfast sink units, integrated dishwasher, fridge and freezer, wine cooler, electric Aga, microwave, leaded window to the rear elevation. Part of the room is configured as a dual aspect breakfast area with oak floor and a log burning stove. A glazed link connects the kitchen with a smart boot room with inbuilt cupboards as well as a separate sitting area with access onto an outdoor dining terrace, cloakroom and doors leading off to: Utility room, base unit incorporating Belfast style sink unit, window to the side elevation and plumbing for washing machine.

To the rear there is a cloakroom and a wonderful games / entertaining room with billiard table in a double height space which used to be the original kitchen and still retains stone niches for a range and bread ovens, now housing an electric fire. Pretty arched double doors lead through into an ante room with exposed beams which is set up as playroom with inbuilt storage overlooking the back courtyard.

Cellars - The stone lined cellars provide generous storage for wine and has been restored by the current vendor. 

Stairs from the inner hall to the first floor landing, lift access, stairs to 2nd floor and doors leading off to:

First Floor - Bedroom one, bay window to the rear elevation with views over the rear gardens and open countryside, feature stone fireplace and double doors leading to: Dressing room, wardrobes, leaded windows to side and stone fireplace. En suite bathroom, slipper bath, WC, shower enclosure and twin wash hand basins.

Five further bedrooms and family bathroom.

Second floor - Two bedrooms both with en suite facilities. Bedroom 9/Office, windows to the front and rear elevations door leading out onto balcony with views over the countryside.

Third floor - Four further bedrooms with three further shower rooms. One of the bedrooms has a balcony overlooking the gardens, many of these rooms were Florence Nightingale's childhood rooms.

Fourth floor - Bedroom suite with en suite and dressing room.

Outside - A 5-bar wooden gate marks the entrance to the recently reinstated original front drive which winds a long path through impressive undulating parkland planted with a picturesque assortment of mature trees. Wrought iron security gates open onto a generous resin driveway providing standing for numerous vehicles.

A large forecourt and stone turning circle with central sundial sits to the front of the house which overlooks parkland. There is a modern detached double garage with overhead storage. The back driveway and back courtyard are accessed via the side of the house where there is extensive parking, a large walled garden with separate vehicle access, an additional recently constructed 4 bay oak framed garage, log stores and a stone-built workshop. A stone terrace hugs the east and south sides of the house and provides plenty of space for entertaining outside in warmer months as well as outstanding views of the Derwent Valley. Stone steps lead down from the terrace to the formal garden which has a large lawned area with central path leading down to a stone lilypond and fountain with bordering clipped shrubs and flower beds. 

There are about 11.6 acres of beautifully landscaped garden and parkland. 

History of Lea Hurst

Renowned novelist and biographer Elizabeth Gaskell stayed at Lea Hurst for a prolonged period of time in 1854 writing her novel ‘North and South’, and left a charming description of the house, gardens and surrounding countryside in a letter from the time, which the current owners have used as inspiration for the current garden design.

Florence Nightingale’s father William Shore inherited Lea Hurst, which was part of the estate of his great uncle Peter Nightingale in 1815 and subsequently adopted the family name of Nightingale. The site was occupied by a comparatively modest 17th century farmhouse at the time, which William expanded and subsumed into the current house which was built in the Elizabethan style and served from the mid 1820s onwards as the family’s holiday house where they spent long summers away from their main residence at Embley Park in Hampshire.

Unusually for the time, William Nightingale devoted his energies to educating his two daughters Parthenope and Florence himself. Florence was a particularly able student and benefitted from exposure to a breadth of subjects and a depth of education that other women of her generation and social standing would not have had. Her studies included mathematics, science and philosophy as well as several languages, all of which put her in good stead for her remarkable calling.

In 1951, following the death of the last Nightingale occupier of Lea Hurst (Louis Hilary Shore Nightingale), Lea Hurst became a home for retired nurses, before being purchased by the Royal Surgical Society to become a nursing home, which operated until 2004. The current owners purchased the house in 2011 and have taken the greatest care to both restore the house’s original function as a family home, whilst also researching and preserving its unique history, including amassing a substantial collection of historic letters, pictures, drawings and furniture connected with the house and the Nightingale family.

Location 

Set in the midst of the beautiful Derbyshire Peak District and enjoying the most phenomenal views over the Derwent Valley, Lea Hurst dates back to the early 19th century and is steeped in local history. Despite being tranquil and rural, Lea Hurst is moments away from excellent transport links and all the amenities the nearby towns of Matlock and Belper have to offer. The local village life in Holloway is a rare find which makes living close to the village enviable. There is a thriving community spirit, local amenities and an abundance of leisure activities close by. This home is set in a fabulous location for commuting with easy access to the neighbouring towns of Matlock, Belper, and Chesterfield. The City of Derby and the A38 leading to the M1 motorway being approximately 20 minutes away. The nearby train stations of Whatstandwell and Cromford provide a regular route to London St Pancras via Derby.

Agents note

Services connected: Water, Electricity, Gas, Private drainage via a shared sewage pumping station, Broadband internet,

A public footpath runs through part of the grounds