A wonderfully restored, 10,000sq ft country house that was once home to a couple who wintered in Gstaad and summered in Monte Carlo

Elegant, Grade II-listed Pipewell Hall, at Pipewell, near Kettering, Northamptonshire, recalls the exuberant architecture of the era of Sir Christopher Wren, who began building St Paul’s Cathedral in 1675, the same year that William Herbert, 1st Marquess of Powis, built the Hall with stone taken from a Cistercian monastery suppressed by Henry VIII during the Dissolution.

Fine & Country and London-based agents Mallory Irvine are seeking ‘offers in excess of £3.5 million’ for the restored, late-Jacobean house, originally built on an H plan of coursed squared limestone, with a fish-scale tiled roof and stone stacked chimneys, and set in some 40 acres of landscaped gardens, parkland and pasture.

The principal manor of the hamlet of Pipewell, it stands hidden by woodland on the edge of a conservation area to the north-west of Kettering and east of Market Harborough in neighbouring Leicestershire.

The hall now offers some 10,000sq ft of living space on three floors. The entrance hall, with its magnificent open fireplace, sets the tone for the ground floor, which has four main reception rooms, a veranda, study and a striking kitchen/breakfast room with a contemporary look. On the first floor are the master-bedroom suite, which comes complete with dressing room and panoramic views across the gardens and lake, three further bedrooms and bathrooms. Upstairs are four to five additional bedrooms and four bathrooms.

However, it was in a parlous state of disrepair when the current owners acquired it in 2004. Owned by only five families since it was built, Pipewell Hall was acquired in 1921 by Samuel Janson Lloyd as a home for his 13 children. When he died in 1943, the house was inherited by his son, David Llewellen Lloyd, inventor of the famous Lloyd stalking rifle and a Country Life ‘National Treasure’, who had a much smaller family and had the West Wing demolished as ‘surplus to requirements’ in 1949.

His wife, Evadne, shared her husband’s passion for rifle-making and glamorous sports and, together, they went stalking at Glencassley in the Highlands in the autumn, skiing at Gstaad in the winter and motored to Monte Carlo for the Grand Prix in the summer.

Neither appear to have had any interest in domestic matters and when the Baker family, the current vendors, bought it a year after Evadne passed away at the age of 91, they had to undertake a complete overhaul.

The works included lifting, repairing and re-laying the entire roof structure, installing a new central heating system, reconfiguring the kitchen area to create a magnificent kitchen/breakfast room, adding extra bathrooms, landscaping and more besides.

Today, Pipewell Hall comes with five-bedroom Dormy House, currently split into two and let through local agents, a pretty gate lodge and a stable courtyard that's ideal for conversion to residential use.

Outdoor amenities include a walled garden and swimming pool, plus an old tennis court, and the beautifully landscaped grounds, parkland and lakes provide the perfect backdrop to an idyllic wedding venue.

Pipewell Hall is for sale at £3.5 million via Fine & Country and Mallory Irvine — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Pipewell: What you need to know

• Location:Pipewell stands 6.3 miles from Kettering and a mile from Corby
• Atmosphere: Built on the site of a former Cistercian abbery is one of Northamptonshire's tiniest hamlets and also has the country's smallest church, the Abbey Church of St Mary
• Things to do: A circular walk passes by Pipewell, taking in striking views of the Northamptonshire countryside. For those who'd rather drive than walk, the Silverstone Interactive Museum is within easy reach
• Schools: Nearby Rushton Primary School is rated good by OfstedFind more properties in the area.