Architectural experts Nicholas and Eva Moore can definitely be said to be living amidst their passion.
Their stunning 19th-Century historic villa home near Montgomery was designed by noted Shrewsbury architect Joseph Bromfield, and thankfully has retained all of its original features.
They include fine architraves, shuttered sash windows, polished oak floorboards, ceiling cornices, cheese stones in the cellar-based old dairy, cellar racks for decanting wine, kitchen hooks and original fireplaces.
The Old Rectory at Llandyssil was built in 1814 for the then rector, the Reverend Devereux Mytton, a member of the well-known Shropshire/Montgomery Mytton family.
Bromfield’s design was based on the style of a Tuscan villa, as popularised by John Nash, and this original house now forms the west wing of the existing property. A later incumbent, Archdeacon Foulkes, added the substantial centre and east wing of the property in 1865.
The Moores have lived at The Old Rectory for nine years. They run their book catalogue company, Castle Bookshop, from the east wing. This specialises in selling books on archaeology, architecture and Wales. People can visit the business by appointment only.
As Nicholas and Eva are planning to semi-retire and downsize, they have put their stunning home up for sale through Morris Marshall & Poole with Lunt Tomley, of Newtown and Knight Frank of Hereford for £875,000.
Its new owner will be getting a lot for their money, as it includes the house with six bedrooms, the west wing, which has another two bedrooms and could form more of the house or an annexe, stunning grounds including a sweeping drive, lawns (with former tennis court now used for croquet), and partly walled kitchen garden, plus two letting cottages converted from a former coach house.
The setting of The Old Rectory is stunning, with views of three valleys to be enjoyed from the imposing, though warm and welcoming Grade II listed historic home.
In has an entrance hall with archway theme (seen throughout the house), study with original wall safe, dining room, drawing room, office, cloakroom, sitting room, kitchen, courtyard hall, laundry room, extensive cellarage with old dairy and two wine cellars, five bedrooms, family bathroom, separate shower room, attic/bedroom six.
In the east wing there is a ground-floor sitting room (currently used as an office), separate entrance hall, kitchen, playroom/sunroom, bedroom seven and eight and bathroom three. One bedroom has a reinforced floor.
This was created in 1866 when Archdeacon Foulkes decided to transform it into his billiards room. The ground-floor sitting room once formed a larger kitchen for the main house.
The two letting cottages are The Coach house and Stable Cottage. The Coach House has a hall with slate floor, downstairs cloakroom, sitting room and a kitchen/breakfast room, three bedrooms with exposed beam, en suite bathroom and separate shower room.
Stable Cottage has a sitting room/kitchen divided by the original stable stall, two bedrooms with exposed beams and a bathroom.
The house is set in .95 acres and its gardens comprise lawns and a charming party walled kitchen garden.
Nicholas and Eva have researched their stunning home, and discovered plans of it in the National Library of Wales. They discovered that it was built using a mortgage from Bounty as well as Rev Mytton’s own funds.
Records state that before The Old Rectory was built some of the oldest locals in Llandyssil recalled that there had been a rectory on glebeland around 80 years before, but it had burnt down. The man who built the current building was Mr George Lloyd of Welshpool. The church sold The Old Rectory in 1960.
When the Moores were looking for a property from which they could also run their business they found The Old Rectory.
Eva said: “We were looking for two years before we found the house. We came upon it quite by accident. We were shopping in Newtown for a tin of cat food and we saw this house for sale in the estate agents window, and we drove out to see where it was.”
The Moores fell in love with it straight away. Since being there they have uncovered fireplaces, put in two bathrooms, central heating, had it completely rewired, revealed the oak floorboards, refitted the kitchen and laundry room, converted the coach house and stable block, opened up the attic and put in a new floor for it and redecorated throughout using specially-commissioned reproduction 19th-Century wallpapers.
Nicholas said that the house was very flexible and was designed for entertaining. The couple plan to stay in the area as they like it so much.
Eva said: “It’s a super village to live in and we’re very much involved with it.”
The village has a famous bakery making Llandyssil bread, which is much sought after and sold to top restaurants as well as to the locals. It has a church and a pub and lies just three miles from Montgomery.
Further details from Morris Marshall & Poole with Lunt Tomley of Newtown on 01686 626160 or Knight Frank of Hereford on 01432 273087.
* Details correct at time of publication.
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