A Grade I listed Queen Anne Manor House with an additional Victorian wing, three self-contained cottages and other outbuildings in approximately 37 acres of historic parkland with lakes and woods. The estate consists of a Grade I listed Queen Anne house and Victorian wing set in 37 acres. Outbuildings, which are all Grade II listed, include garaging, stables/tack room, stores, an 18th century clock tower, three estate cottages, and a dovecote.

The 37 acres surround the property and include formal gardens around two sides of the house, a Georgian walled garden, an orchard and paddock, and grounds with mature parkland, lakes, woodland and a stream. There are five gates accessing the property, and extensive gravel parking areas at the front and rear.

The property is currently run as a country house hotel and function venue with the great hall licensed as a wedding venue. Purchasers could continue with a similar business or could have a truly impressive family home in the Queen Anne Mansion with the additional accommodation in the Victorian wing used for extended family, staff or guests.

History and Heritage

A Manor House is believed to have stood in the grounds of Hinwick House since the 15th century, and the remains of this earlier dwelling can be seen in the three cottages which were originally a single dwelling. This was used as the Orlebar family home when they bought the estate from Sir Thomas Alston in 1653 for £355. Richard Orlebar began the building of the current Queen Anne house in 1708 and it was completed in 1714. It was designed by John Hunt of Northampton, reputed to have been a pupil of the famous Grinling Gibbons, who carved the large bas-relief on the south front. This pediment depicts Diana, the goddess of hunting, and was Mr Orlebar’s compliment to his wife, Diana Astry of Henbury, Gloucestershire, as much of her money was used to build the house. They were both keen fox hunters.

History cont’d

The house was built of local stone dug out of its own cellars, the ha-ha and stone pit. The total cost was £3,848 4s 9d. The ornamental stonework was generally carved from Kenton stone. The oak timber was mainly obtained from Mr Orlebar’s own plantations, but was supplemented from Sir Thomas Alston’s large wood at Odell (a neighbouring parish) and also from Rockingham Forest. In 1859, Mr Richard Longuet Orlebar added the Victorian Wing to a design by FC Penrose. In the 1880’s, the house became a school and during World War 1 it was used as an auxiliary hospital for soldiers convalescing from wounds. The property was the subject of an extensive renovation and restoration programme about seven years ago.

The Queen Anne Mansion

The original mansion remains a very pure example of domestic Queen Anne architecture, with the archetypal symmetry of the period and tall sash windows which retain their original shutters. Hinwick House was given Grade I listed status in May 1952, a rating given to properties of exceptional historical interest. It is built of finely coarsed Ketton and Weldon limestone rubble with ashlar dressings and has three main floors and extensive cellars. There are a number of fine architectural features including the large carved pediment on the south elevation and the ornate architrave featuring the Orlebar family crest that envelopes the front door. The main staircase is a magnificent piece of joinery and is attributed to Daniel Wyman, whilst much of the house’s decorative plasterwork is attributed to John Woolston, both men who were highly regarded for their respective trades in their time.

Ground Floor

All the rooms on the ground floor are well proportioned with high ceilings and the rooms are interlinked giving an excellent flow through the space for modern family life and entertaining. The rear door enters into the west hall which has two sash windows with window seats, wood flooring, and an impressive cantilevered staircase to the first floor. The hall has doors to the morning room, drawing room and library, and a passage with access to the kitchen and dining room, and through to a hall in the Victorian wing which has a door to the rear, a cloakroom, stairs down to the cellars and a secondary staircase to the first floor.

Reception Rooms

The front door opens to the morning room which has sash windows to the front, York flagstone flooring and two large stone fireplaces. The dual aspect drawing room has five sash windows, a feature marble fireplace (not currently functional), wood flooring and ornate plasterwork and display alcoves. Double doors lead to the library which is also dual aspect with French doors to a rear terrace. It has wood flooring, oak panelling to dado height, built-in bookcases and a working fireplace. The dining room also has a working fireplace, wood flooring and oak panelling to dado height, and has an impressive chamfered ceiling.

Kitchen

The triple aspect kitchen has a dresser unit, a Smeg fire, and a range of wall and base units. Appliances include a range cooker and a wine chiller.

First Floor

The magnificent cantilevered staircase sweeps up from the west hall to a galleried landing on the first floor which has three sash windows with window seats and views to the rear, space for a seating area, and a staircase to the second floor. There are five bedrooms, three bathrooms and a reading room on the first floor, all with high ceilings and natural light from tall sash windows.

Second Floor

The second floor landing has a built-in storage cupboard and stairs up to the roof which is balustraded and provides far reaching views across the estate and beyond. The second floor has a sitting room which has sash windows to the front, and built-in storage. There is also a triple aspect kitchen/breakfast room which has space for a sofa and breakfast table in addition to the range of wooden wall and base units. There is a Rangemaster range cooker and a one and a half bowl sink and drainer. There are five further bedrooms on the second floor, with three bathrooms and a dressing room which could be used as an additional bedroom if preferred.

Victorian Wing

The Victorian wing contains the function rooms and other rooms, in the section attached to the mansion, which are currently used to support the working of the hotel including a kitchen, staff rooms, a study and a laundry room. The function rooms have a full license for commercial entertainment use and are regularly used for wedding receptions and corporate functions or when the house is hosting photo shoots, music videos, festivals and TV period dramas.

Function Rooms

The great hall measures over 56 ft. by 18ft, and has a vaulted ceiling with exposed beams, and exposed brick and stone work. It is split level with six windows to the rear for natural light and is accessed via four doors. One door is from an entrance foyer which can be accessed from the rear courtyard parking area and has double doors to a paved courtyard seating area at the front. The other three doors are from an inner corridor which is accessed from a door at the front of the property. This corridor also gives access to the bar which has exposed stonework, built-in storage, a fireplace with a log burning stove, and a built-in brick and wood bar. There is also a gym with space for several machines, and disabled, gentlemen’s and ladies’ toilets.

Victorian Wing Bedrooms and Bathrooms

Stairs in the function area lead to a self-contained flat on the first floor which has a kitchen/sitting room, a bedroom and a bathroom. There are also two ground floor bedrooms and a bathroom in the Victorian wing, and the first floor has a kitchen, a separate suite with a sitting room, bedroom and bathroom, an en suite bedroom, and two further bedrooms which share a four piece bathroom. These rooms have in the past been used as two three bedroom flats, one over the other. The Victorian wing could be converted into a single dwelling or incorporated into the principal house, subject to planning.

Outbuildings – The Cottages

All the outbuildings are Grade II listed. To the west of the house are the three self-contained cottages which could be used for extended family, guests or staff or rented out to create an income. They are part of the oldest property on the estate which was the former Orlebar family home prior to the construction of the Queen Anne house. The largest cottage, Wisteria, has a hall, two reception rooms and a kitchen on the ground floor and two bedrooms, a bathroom, a store room and a study on the two upper floors. The second cottage, Anthea, has a dining hall, a sitting room and a kitchen on the ground floor and two bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor. The final cottage, Jasmine, has a small hall, a sitting room, a kitchen and a bathroom on the ground floor and two bedrooms and a study area on the first floor. The cottages have a stone and red brick walled garden and views over the grounds.

Outbuildings – Other

The 18th century clock tower is attached to the cottages and has twin staircases that rise to a gallery with views over the grounds. On the opposite side of the rear courtyard from the main house there is an outbuilding which includes garaging, former stables, a workshop and a tack room. There is also a 73 ft. former hayloft above. The garages are currently used for garden machinery and the stables and hayloft are currently used for storage but could be reinstated for equestrian use if required. The tack room is currently used by the hotel as a games room for guests and contains a full sized snooker table.

Local Area

Hinwick is a hamlet in North West Bedfordshire 5 miles from Wellingborough, 12 miles from Bedford, 14 miles from Northampton and 18 miles from Milton Keynes, all of which have an extensive range of amenities. Junction 14 of the M1 is about 16 miles away providing access to the country’s motorway network. London is approximately 66.9 miles away. Trains to London St Pancras from Bedford take approximately 41 minutes whilst trains from Wellingborough to London take approximately 55 minutes. There are a number of excellent schools in the area including Wellingborough, Northampton High School, Hardingstone and Northampton School for Boys, The Harpur Trust Schools in Bedford, Kimbolton, Spratton Hall, Maidwell Hall, Oundle and Stowe. The local area has a wide array of sporting facilities including a number of golf courses, hunting with the Pytchley, Woodland Pytchley and the Grafton. There is racing at Newmarket and Huntingdon and fishing at Grafham Water.