You'd be forgiven for thinking this fairytale manor house is a castle with its impressive turrets and battlements, but it is actually an early Victorian baronial country seat. It does have a very royal connection though, as it was visited by Queen Mary in 1941, when she took afternoon tea with the baron's wife, Lady Marling, and spent several hours exploring the garden and looking around the house.
Nestled in to the sleepy countryside of Selsley village near Stroud, with 11 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a cinema, infrared steam room and a home gym, you'll never want or need to leave. SoGlos takes a look inside this enchanting property of the month...
The lowdown
Stanley Park in the village of Selsley near Stroud was a baronial seat originally belonging to Sir Samuel Stephens Marling, the 1st Baronet and a cloth manufacturer and local politician in the early Victorian period.
Built in the 19th century and extended in the 1850s and the 1870s, the site is believed to date back to the 16th century, with the house being passed down through the baronial line for a century.
The palatial 16,000 sq ft house was eventually bought at auction by the current owner in 2016, who then spent seven years restoring it from a state of disrepair and making some impressive updates. Alongside the sympathetic repairs to the original Victorian Gothic architecture and period features, the house now also boasts a home cinema room, gym, sauna, extensive wine cellar and a state-of-the-art kitchen.
External highlights
The site is thought to have links to the Elizabethan period with a date of 1584 first recorded, however, it was extensively extended to its current state in the 1850s and 1870s, with its grand Victorian Gothic architecture and features reflecting the era in all its glory.
The epitome of high Victorian grandeur, bay windows, turrets and battlements abound in this impressive house, with Queen Mary once famously captured posing in its ornate Gothic-arched porch, when she visited former owner Lady Marling for afternoon tea in 1941.
Interior highlights
While each and every original feature has been expertly restored and reinstated, the modern amenities have been upgraded to state-of-the-art levels.
Contemporary upgrades include a huge statement kitchen with a circular island and two breakfast bars that seat eight; a home gym; meditation room; infrared sauna; cinema room; and extensive wine cellar.
While period highlights include a sweeping entrance hall complete with an original stone fireplace, carved wooden surrounds and ornate arches; a stunning north-facing ballroom with views of the River Severn and Black Mountains; a double height corridor with original ornate stained-glass ceiling; and a carved stone staircase leading from the drawing room down to the kitchen.
SoGlos loves
With 10 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms, many of which feature show-stopping rolltop baths, there is nothing not to love in this exquisite property.
But we have a particular soft spot for the walk-in wardrobe with room for an entire lifetime of outfits that even the most prolific shopper would have trouble filling; and the elegant en-suite bedrooms, many complete with four-poster beds.
Price: £16,950 per month on a 12-month minimum tenancy.
For more information: The full listing is available to view via the Savills Cirencester website.
