A medieval Manor house that was once a royal hunting lodge has come to the market
Penny Churchill takes a look at the grand and delightful Brigstock Manor, in a charming Northamptonshire village.


The great forests of England have long been the preserve of the country’s royal and ancient families, who built hunting lodges in secluded woodland areas. Among the most picturesque is Grade II*-listed Brigstock Manor, set in four acres of gorgeous gardens on the edge of the conservation village of Brigstock, near Kettering, Northamptonshire, which has medieval origins as a hunting lodge within the Royal Forest of Rockingham. It is now for sale through Barclay Macfarlane of Savills at a guide price of £3m.
The present owners, who acquired Brigstock Manor in 2018, have completed a meticulous, eight-year-long refurbishment of the entire manor, which boasts many period pieces of note, among them the fine Jacobean main staircase and the 13th-century Great Hall. There is also a real curiosity in the vaulted first-floor ‘Solar’, or drawing room.
In all, it offers 9,700sq ft of elegant, well-ordered living space, including four grand reception rooms, a Bronte fitted kitchen and adjoining diner on the ground floor.
On the first floor you’ll find the aforementioned Solar, the family room, four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
There are four further bedrooms and two family bathrooms on the second floor.
According to its Historic England listing, the present manor was probably built by Thomas Montague in the late 15th century and extended by Roger Montague in the mid 16th century.
It later passed to the Dukes of Buccleuch, who had it restored in the mid 18th century and extended in the late 1880s by Northamptonshire architect J. A. Gotch.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
From 1936 to 1945, it was home to the film producer and director Herbert Wilcox, one of Britain’s leading film-makers from the 1920s to the 1950s. Thereafter, it was owned by British Steel until 1998, when it again reverted to private residential use.
Brigstock Manor is for sale at £3m — 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
-
Curators, art historians and other creative minds share their pick of J. M. W Turner's best works, on the 250th anniversary of his birth
Cold moonlight, golden sunset and shimmering waters are only three reasons to love Turner. On the 250th anniversary of his birth, curators, art historians and other creative minds reveal which of his paintings they’d hang on their walls and why.
By Carla Passino Published
-
A 327-acre estate in the heart of 'England’s Côte d’Or', with a 26,000sq ft Georgian style home at its heart
Stokes Hall in the Crouch Valley is an inspiring property looking for a new owner.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
A 327-acre estate in the heart of 'England’s Côte d’Or', with a 26,000sq ft Georgian style home at its heart
Stokes Hall in the Crouch Valley is an inspiring property looking for a new owner.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Schreiber House, 'the most significant London townhouse of the second half of the 20th century', is up for sale
The five-bedroom Modernist masterpiece sits on the edge of Hampstead Heath.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
Is the 'race for space' officially over?
During the lockdowns, many thought the countryside was the place to be. It seems many are now changing their minds.
By Annabel Dixon Last updated
-
What's a 'wellness village' and will it tempt you back into the office?
The team behind London's first mixed-use ‘wellness village’ says it has the magic formula for tempting workers back into offices.
By Annunciata Elwes Published
-
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.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Hidden excellence in a £7.5 million north London home
Behind the traditional façades of Provost Road, you will find something very special.
By James Fisher Published
-
Sip tea and laugh at your neighbours in this seaside Norfolk home with a watchtower
On Cliff Hill in Gorleston, one home is taller than all the others. It could be yours.
By James Fisher Published
-
A Grecian masterpiece that might be one of the nation's finest homes comes up for sale in Kent
Grade I-listed Holwood House sits in 40 acres of private parkland just 15 miles from central London. It is spectacular.
By Penny Churchill Published