The layers of history have been carefully unpeeled like an onion at Latimers, a delightful stone built manor house in Weston-Subedge in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire.
The Grade II listed residence is a fine example of Jacobean architecture done in the Cotswold style. Furthermore a date stone indicates it was built in 1617.
But some parts of the property are thought to precede even this. For example, the section of the building containing the drawing room appears externally to date from the 15th century or possibly the early 16th century.
Then, in the course of a major refurbishment, English Heritage found vestiges of a half timbered medieval front hall which had been encased in Cotswold stone.
According to tradition, the house was used in the Tudor period as a summer residence for the bishops of Worcester and possibly as a theological college.
One of the local rectors (1531-1545) was William Latimer who was a cousin of the Bishop Latimer who was martyred in Oxford in 1555 during the Marion persecution.
The property was known as The Manor House and probably continued to be so until the construction of the present Manor House nearby in the late 17thcentury.
It then became an inn called The Conquering Hero. In the early 18th century patriotic fervour led to many public houses being named to commemorate the military exploits of the Duke of Marlborough.
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It is not known how long it remained an inn, but it then became known as The Old Manor House until it was purchased in 1926 when it was renamed the more personal Latimers.
A major programme of rebuilding took place in the late 1980s which included extending the house to the north side to provide two additional bedrooms and to link the outbuildings to the main house.
Alterations were also made to provide a large flagged stone kitchen, while small rooms above were combined into a single large bedroom suite.
The property has since been refurbished again by the current owners. All the work was carried out with great care taken to preserve the historical and architectural details which include carved beams, panelling, original doors, exposed stone work and flag stone floors.
Of particular note are the carved chimney pieces found on both floors.
The ground floor accommodation includes an L-shaped entrance hall and a central reception area, both with stairs to the first floor. The latter has a door to a guest cloakroom with toilet and basin.
Principal rooms include a drawing room with fireplace and door to the grounds, a library and a sitting room with double doors to the garden and access to a butler’s pantry.
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There is a substantial dining room with storage, double doors to the terrace and an open fireplace that dominates one wall.
Beyond is a laundry and hallway to the large kitchen/breakfast room with an abundance of fitted units and space for a dining table. Stone steps lead off here to the second floor.
The kitchen also has a larder and access to a small lobby where there is another cloakroom with toilet and basin, and doors to the garage and storage rooms.
On the first floor the master suite comprises a bedroom, dressing room and en suite bathroom with free standing bath and separate shower.
There are four more bedrooms, two of them en suite, and a bathroom with both bath and separate shower.
On the second floor are two attic rooms with storage.
Above the garage there is a studio apartment with shower room which can be reached via stairs inside or stone steps running up the outside of the building.
Latimers stands in 1.8 acres of grounds with some finely manicured gardens.
To the front, wrought iron gates lead over a small bridge onto the drive which is lined by mature trees including horse chestnuts, holly, a large bay tree and yews.
The drive leads to a parking and turning area with an entrance leading through a flagged stone court yard area and the front doors to the house. Beyond is a formal garden.
From the parking area, arched doorways lead through a high wall to a further lawned courtyard area boarded on one side by the village hall wall which is covered with plants and to the other side by an outbuilding with doors to the garden room, potting shed, garden store and wood store.
Steps to one end of the building lead up to a loft room.
The courtyard then extends into a large lawn, hedging, topiary bears and an avenue of fruit trees. After this is a woodland area with spring bulbs planted and a small stream running through.
Next to the fruit trees, a path leads to more woodland enclosing the disused tennis court which is surrounded by beech hedging.
The courtyard at the front opens to the formal gardens which are south facing and surrounded by a high stone wall. These are mainly laid to lawn with flower and shrub boundary.
A formal rose garden has an ornate trellis at its centre adorned with climbing roses. There is also an outdoor swimming pool.
Weston-Subedge lies at the foot of The Cotswold Escarpment below Dovers Hill.
It is an attractive north Cotswold village and is home to the 13th century church of St Lawrence, a pub, village hall and bowling green.
Dovers Hill (one mile away) is the setting for The Cotswold Olimpicks which is an annual event dating back to 1612.
Chipping Campden and Broadway, with their range of shops and amenities, are about three and six miles away respectively.
An even greater range is offered in Stratford-upon-Avon and Cheltenham.
VIEWING INFORMATION
AGENT: Sothebys Realty
TEL: 01789 200 900
WEB: www.sothebysrealty.co.uk
GUIDE PRICE: £2,250,000