The landscape immediately south of the Lake District 'tends to be bypassed by people belting up the M6 to join the queues of traffic into Windermere and Ambleside,' wrote Fiona Reynolds of Arnside & Silverdale in a piece for Country Life in 2020. Yet this is no poor relation: it was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1972, which — as Fiona points out — makes it 'equal to the Lakes and other national parks in its beauty and significance.'
It's in this peaceful and idyllic setting that Thomas H. Mawson, founder of the Institute of Landscape Architecture, created a masterpiece. After a career spent making landscapes for royalty across the world — from the Maharajah of India to Queen Alexandra of Denmark — Mawson brought his family to Silverdale, and the Grey Walls Estate.
The garden he laid out here is thought to be his last, and made purely for his family; and a 5.75 acre portion of it is up for sale with an 'offers over £1m' asking price.
The natural limestone here supports rare trees and shrubs, with terraces offering glimpses of the sea, an orchard and woodland glades, within the Silverdale National Landscape.
As you might expect for your £1m, there is more than just a garden for sale here: it also includes the pretty, one-bedroom summer house you see in the pictures — and, crucially, planning permission to expand the house into a proper three-bedroom family home.
Having a chance to specify your own home exactly as you'd wish it to be is part of the appeal, but of course it's the grounds that are the main draw. As the images on this page show, it looks stunning at the moment — but it's not always been that way since it was first made in 1926. As few as 10 years ago, it was overgrown, but rescuers have restored ‘the gardens, now a truly magnificent finding,’ say the agents Armitstead Barnett, in ‘a patchwork of hills, woodland and ever-changing tidal reaches’.
For sale at offers over £1m via Armitstead Barnett — see more details and pictures.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
'To exist in this world relies on the hands of others': Roger Powell and modern British bookbindingAn exhibition on the legendary bookbinder Roger Powell reveals not only his great skill, but serves to reconnect us with the joy, power and importance of real craftsmanship.
-
Spam: The tinned meaty treat that brought a taste of the ‘hot-dog life of Hollywood’ to war-weary BritainCourtesy of our ‘special relationship’ with the US, Spam was a culinary phenomenon, says Mary Greene. So much so that in 1944, London’s Simpson’s, renowned for its roast beef, was offering creamed Spam casserole instead.
-
A mini estate in Kent that's so lovely it once featured in Simon Schama's 'History of Britain'The Paper Mill estate is a picture-postcard in the Garden of England.
-
Hidden excellence in a £7.5 million north London homeBehind the traditional façades of Provost Road, you will find something very special.
-
Sip tea and laugh at your neighbours in this seaside Norfolk home with a watchtowerOn Cliff Hill in Gorleston, one home is taller than all the others. It could be yours.
-
A Grecian masterpiece that might be one of the nation's finest homes comes up for sale in KentGrade I-listed Holwood House sits in 40 acres of private parkland just 15 miles from central London. It is spectacular.
-
Some of the finest landscapes in the North of England with a 12-bedroom home attachedUpper House in Derbyshire shows why the Kinder landscape was worth fighting for.
-
Could Gruber's Antiques from Paddington 2 be your new Notting Hill home?It was the home of Mr Gruber and his antiques in the film, but in the real world, Alice's Antiques could be yours.
-
What should 1.5 million new homes look like?The King's recent visit to Nansledan with the Prime Minister gives us a clue as to Labour's plans, but what are the benefits of traditional architecture? And can they solve a housing crisis?
-
Welcome to the modern party barn, where disco balls are 'non-negotiable'A party barn is the ultimate good-time utopia, devoid of the toil of a home gym or the practicalities of a home office. Modern efforts are a world away from the draughty, hay-bales-and-a-hi-fi set-up of yesteryear.
