Even if there were no story behind Whaddon Manor, it would still be a hugely-tempting propostion. It's an incredibly handsome building, thoughtfully and stylishly decorated throughout, with charming gardens that are more reminiscent of the Riviera than the Home Counties.
The price is also hugely tempting: at under the £1,000,000 mark, we'd imagine that west London buyers will be queuing up to swap their two-bedroom terraces for this five-bedroom semi-detached home – particularly when they discover that one of the country's best grammar schools is close by. With all those elements in place, the marvellous history feels like the final piece of the jigsaw.
There has been a manor at Whaddon Hall since the 11th century, but the current was built in 1820 - and in the Second World War, it served as a top-secret MI6 headquarters, with responsibility for transmission of decrypted German intelligence from nearby Bletchley Park to commanders in the field.
The mansion house was leased by the War Office in 1939 to help handle increased wireless traffic; soon after the Secret Intelligence Service decided that its security and rural location were ideal for a secure wireless station, which began operating from the house in January 1940, and was known as 'Main Line'.
The unit was staffed by the Royal Signals, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, and handled the radio traffic to embassies abroad, as well as messages to and from Winston Churchill when he was out of the country.
After the war the house returned to private hands, and is now split into four houses – and this particular one has undergone a great effort of modernising has taken place in recent years. There is a huge amount of space – 4,143 square feet of living space in total, set over four floors – but the work has been done sympathetically, keeping unique character elements such as the floor-to-ceiling windows and limed oak flooring in the entrance hall.
Downstairs there are four beautifully-restored reception rooms with magnificent views over Whaddon Chase (which is listed as an area of Special Landscaped Interest) while the drawing room also features a wood burning stove set into a stone fireplace.
Below stairs there are some lovely bolt holes: there is a cinema room-cum-study and a family room with stunning arched brick walls and ceilings.
Upstairs there are five bedrooms, one of which is ensuite, and several of the others featuring built-in wardrobes which you may or may not wish to keep as part of the updating. There is also a shower room with a double-width cubicle.
Outside the delightful gardens have a sweeping flow to them, with steps down onto the lawn, and the whole thing hedged with a magnificent conifer boundary.
There is a double garage as well as a driveway providing further parking. The house sits in a beautifully secluded location, however with good connections; Milton Keynes Central Station is just 6 miles away and the house is within the catchment for The Royal Latin School, a much-sought-after grammar school.
Whaddon Hall is being offered for sale through Michael Graham at OnTheMarket.com for offers in excess of £949,950 – see more details and pictures.
Manor house for sale in Folkingham in beautiful Lincolnshire
Beautiful manor house for sale in the picturesque village of Folkingham in Lincolnshire.
Credit: Rockwood House - Denby Dale
A pocket-sized Downton Abbey for sale on the edge of the Peak District
Rockwood House in Denby Dale is a beautiful mansion that's rather reminiscent of a more famous big brother.
Where to buy a manor house for a million
Country houses that go for a song.
-
Five beautiful homes, from a barn conversion to an island treasure, as seen in Country LifeOur pick of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in recent days include a wonderful thatched home in Devon and a charming red-brick house with gardens that run down to the water's edge.
-
Shark tanks, crocodile lagoons, laser defences, and a subterranean shooting gallery — nothing is impossible when making the ultimate garageTo collectors, cars are more than just transport — they are works of art. And the buildings used to store them are starting to resemble galleries.
-
Five beautiful homes, from a barn conversion to an island treasure, as seen in Country Life
Our pick of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in recent days include a wonderful thatched home in Devon and a charming red-brick house with gardens that run down to the water's edge.
-
The finest interiors in Edinburgh? A seven-bedroom townhouse furnished by Robert Kime comes to marketSituated on one of the New Town's grandest terraces, this four-storey property is a collector's dream.
-
A Grade II*-listed country manor with one of the most beautiful drawing rooms in EnglandIf Old Manor Farm in Somerset is good enough for Pevsner, it's good enough for you.
-
An eight-bedroom home in Surrey where an army of robots will look after your lawnsDo not fear the bladed guardians of Monksfield House. They are here to help.
-
A French castle for sale on the banks of the Dordogne? With a swimming pool? Where do we sign?This chateau in Lalinde is nothing short of a historical delight in the south of France. And it comes fully furnished.
-
Sip your morning tea where Churchill once paced, as his former Pimlico home comes up for saleThe five-bedroom flat in Eccleston Square offers ‘historical gravitas and modern comfort’ in a leafy pocket of London.
-
Live a life of Tudor fancy in this five-bedroom London home with links to Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIIIFans of Wolf Hall rejoice, as a rare chance to own a Tudor home inside the M25 comes to market.
-
Murder, intrigue and 'the magic of a bygone era' at this eight-bedroom home set in 25 acres of Devon countrysideUpcott Barton is a family home steeped in history and comes with more than 5,000sq ft of living space.
