A Georgian mansion on the Suffolk/Essex border with racing-yard-quality stables, ripe for a lifestyle business

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A hugely versatile home that offers plenty of scope for a lifestyle business is on the market on the Suffolk/Essex border. James Fisher takes a look.

Buyers on the lookout for a property on which to keep horses are very often thinking of show jumping and gymkhanas. But for those who are more interested in how quickly a horse can run, rather than how high it can jump, look no further than seven-bedroom Greenstead Hall, a handsome Georgian home set in about 51 acres with racing-yard-standard equestrian facilities.

The house, land and facilities are for sale at £3.75m via Zoe Napier.

The estate itself dates back to at least 1086, having been mentioned in the Domesday Book, and the main house was built in 1695, before being remodelled in 1875 to give it its Georgian façade.

There are wonderful touches, as you’d expect: huge windows and a wide, sweeping staircase in the hall which curves its way to the upper floors.

Interestingly, the property is not listed, meaning that substantial improvements could be easily made and, as well as the racing yard with its 21 boxes and veterinary treatment centre, income can be garnered from the recently restored hall, which can be used as a wedding venue.

The equestrian facilities could just as easily be the subject of your business, while for those who are interested in a different type of horsepower, there is 1,500sq ft of garaging on the site.

The agents pick up on exactly this point, saying that, ‘this property is amazing, both in terms of its setting and the versatility of uses it offers buyers. The vendors ran a wedding business here, and while the licence has expired they are confident that it could be renewed fairly easily — though an exit driveway would apparently need to be constructed.

Greenstead Hall is a mile from the market town of Halstead, nestled in the Colne Valley, on the Suffolk/Essex border. Stansted Airport is 24 miles away, and while Halstead has no station, it’s a short drive to Braintree from where trains London Liverpool Street take just over an hour.