On Exmoor, Alice Keith of Knight Frank is handling the sale of Emmetts Grange near Simonsbath, Somerset, a handsome, Grade II-listed Georgian farmhouse with outstanding equestrian facilities set in 894 acres of pasture, ancient moorland and woodland in the heart of the national park.
She quotes a guide price of £6.5m for the estate, which, she observes, ‘currently operates a successful holiday letting business, is free of commoners’ rights and represents a diverse natural capital asset of considerable ecological and environmental value’.
Recently renovated by the current owners, Emmetts Grange retains many fine period features, including large open fireplaces, ornate plasterwork and traditional sash windows.
The accommodation, said to be ‘in good order’, includes a series of lovely, south-facing reception rooms, nine bedrooms, seven bathrooms and a ground-floor studio annexe.
It comes with four holiday cottages and state-of-the-art equestrian facilities: these include 18 stables, split between the traditional courtyard behind the house and a brand new livery unit with Monarch stabling within an American-style barn, plus a new 60m by 20m (about 195ft by 65ft) indoor school.
In August 1818, the agricultural pioneer John Knight bought the 10,262-acre former royal Forest of Exmoor and began what was to be the largest single land-reclamation ever undertaken in England. He already had family connections with the area through the Bampfields, who were lords of the manor of nearby North Molton and owned valuable ancient grazing rights over the forest.
Knight later increased his Exmoor holding by purchasing surrounding land. He then built a 29-mile-long, stock-proof, stone-faced wall around the entire estate and embarked on the enormous task of reclaiming the rough grazing of the high moors for arable production. He also built two farmsteads either side of his own house at Simonsbath, previously the only residence in the forest.
In 1836, Knight launched a lawsuit against various family members in a bid to recover the estates of his father’s first cousin, Richard Payne Knight of Downton Castle, Herefordshire, but lost the case. It is thought that his fury at losing such a large inheritance may have prompted him to retire to Italy, which he did in 1842, leaving his eldest son, Frederick, to complete his work on Exmoor.
A Conservative MP from 1841 to 1885 and a keen hunting man, Col Sir Frederick Winn Knight went on to build 15 more farmsteads where, instead of farming in-hand, he installed tenant farmers who paid him rent.
The grandest of these was Emmetts Grange, at 1,250ft the highest farmhouse on Exmoor. According to its Historic England listing, it was built in about 1850 and is the best surviving example of the houses built on Exmoor by the Knight family.
Emmetts Grange is for sale via Knight Frank — 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
-
Can't you hear me S.O.S? Our treasured native dog breeds are at risk of extinctionDo you know your Kerry blue terrier from your Lancashire heeler? A simple lack of publicity is often to blame for some of the UK's native dog breeds flying dangerously low under-the-radar.
-
'There are architects and architects, but only one ARCHITECT': Sir Edwin Lutyens and the wartime Chancellor who helped launch his stellar careerClive Aslet explores the relationship between Sir Edwin Lutyens and perhaps his most important private client, the politician and financier Reginald McKenna.
-
If heaven is on earth, it might be in this home with a converted chapel that is now a swimming pool5 Wood Barton Town House is part of an exclusive 80-acre development in Devon that also comes with fishing rights on the River Avon and four bedrooms.
-
The sounds of spring and stained glass in an Arts-and-Crafts masterpiece in DorsetWith 35 acres, more than 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool and tennis court, Winterfield has it all.
-
An eight-bedroom wonder in East Sussex where the outdoors are an adventureThe interiors of Old Middleton are pretty good too.
-
A lakeside farmhouse on the market in the beautiful heart of PembrokeshireA lake, streams, 15 acres and five bedrooms. Rogershook might have it all.
-
An idyllic countryside home that's light, spacious and comes with a Grade II-listed follyHagg House is a gorgeous family home that just happens to have a miniature castle in the gardens. Annabel Dixon explains more.
-
A historic villa for sale on the Via Nomentana worthy of Rome's rich historyThree floors, lots of balconies, and a private garden in one of Rome's loveliest neighbourhoods.
-
Eight bedrooms of unlisted Edwardian elegance with sweeping views of SomersetAshton House sits near the market town of Chard and comes with a wealth of amenities both inside and out.
-
A waterside cottage in Devon with a private quay, idyllic views and the prettiest summerhouse we've seen in yearsRight beside the picturesque Yealm Estuary, No 1 Noss Mayo is an idyllic home that feels like an escape from the world. Annabel Dixon takes a look.
