Eight-bed house with tennis court for sale in Herefordshire

The Larches, situated in Lea, near Ross-on-Wye, is an Edwardian country house that was built by Francis Wintle in 1907. And not far away, he also constructed a Coach House, stables and a block of outbuildings together with a three-bedroom cottage for his gardener, groom and housekeeper. 

The main house, outbuildings and cottage are surrounded by around eight acres that comprise landscaped gardens and lawns, an orchard, woodland, paddocks and tennis court.

The gardens at The Larches in Lea, Herefordshire (Image: Morris Bricknell)

"The principal aspects of the main house are to the south and west, and the interior of the house is most impressive by virtue of a great deal of period detail," said Morris Bricknell, the estate agent selling the property.

"There is a large and most welcoming panelled reception hall with fine, oak parquet flooring and light admittance through the stained glass windows on the half landing which overlooks the magnificent wide stairway. Here also is the first evidence of the creative attention to detail typical it would seem of Francis Wintle."

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Towards one corner of the hall is a reel of canvas hose for the Merryweather London Fire Suppression System. with its fine brass fittings.

"Over the years, many grand country houses had been destroyed by fire, and Francis Wintle installed identical Fire Suppression Systems on each floor of The Larches, the water supply for same being housed at the very top of the impressive stone tower which extends for three and a half storeys above the main entrance door of the house," said Mr Bricknell. 

One of the stunning rooms at The Larches (Image: Morris Bricknell)

"He also installed a central vacuuming system in The Larches, decades before the idea was re-introduced and popular in the 1970s."

There is a purpose-built snooker room, with French doors opening onto the sun terrace that overlooks the tennis court. The kitchen/breakfast room has a superb four-oven Aga, while nearby there are also a series of rooms including butlers and maid pantries, laundry/utility rooms and a ground floor toilet, while steps lead down to the basement where there is a huge walk-in safe. 

The grand snooker room (Image: Morris Bricknell)

Meanwhile, the outside area also has a detached water tower, with the whole of the estate served by a reliable borehole water supply which is pumped up to a holding tank at the top of the tower.

To find out more about the property, or to request a viewing, call Morris Bricknell on 01989 493565.