Million pound properties

A grand country residence with tennis courts, a home of historic distinction or a farmhouse in the South Shropshire hills with its own bar? Lara Page looks at unique county homes with £1million plus price tags.

Culmington House, near Ludlow, is a beautiful, predominantly Queen Ann village house with tennis courts and a pony paddock, surrounded by glorious landscaped gardens. Retaining many original features such as open fireplaces, flagstone floors, solid wood staircases and exposed beams, it makes for a charming and comfortable residence.

There is an impressive entrance hall, a dual aspect drawing room with garden views, charming dining room, sitting room, study and a kitchen/breakfast room. On the first floor are six beautifully appointed bedrooms (two en suite) and two bathrooms. There's also an attic with two interlinking bedrooms and a further bathroom.

Within the grounds of the property is a cottage with separate access, which adjoins the former stables and outbuildings and has planning permission for conversion to holiday lets. In total the land extends to around 4.7 acres.

Guide price £1.2 million through Strutt and Parker Ludlow on (01584) 873711.nextpage

Old Colehurst Manor is a magnificently restored Grade II* Elizabethan manor house, enjoying a wonderful position in the North Shropshire village of Colehurst.

The accommodation briefly comprises three reception rooms, a banqueting hall, nine principal bedrooms and seven bathrooms, five of which are en-suite. There is also a detached, one bedroom annexe, garage, formal walled gardens and land extending to 7.13 acres.

The guide price is £1,750,000 through Savills on (01952) 239500.nextpage

Broome Farm at Chatwall, near Acton Burnell sits in a superb and enviable position in the South Shropshire hills, and has its own bar, games room and snooker room. Dating back to the late 17th century, it has been thoroughly modernised to an extremely high standard.

The original part of the farmhouse includes a number of traditional features such as stone floors, charming exposed beams and some exposed stonework. It comprises a drawing room, sitting room, kitchen, dining, sitting room, six double bedrooms and three bath/shower rooms.

Raised gardens are interspersed with varieties of fruit and specimen trees bordering onto a pond. Along with 160 acres of land, the outbuildings are a real bonus; they include a games room, snooker room and bar, sitting room, staff annexe and two holiday cottages.

Broome Farm has a guide price of £2.32m through agents Strutt & Parker on (01743) 284200.nextpage

Hoards Park near Bridgnorth is an Elizabethan Grade II-listed property which sits within 17 acres of parkland including lakes and panoramic views. There's evidence to suggest that a building has been on the site since soon after Bridgnorth became a settlement in 1101 and was given Royal Charter by Henry II in 1157, establishing it as a town of importance.

The original timber-framed, 16th-century building was remodelled in the 17th and 19th centuries incorporating wonderful features such as Elizabethan chimney stacks, stone mullion windows, Gothic stone chimney pieces, beams and panelling.

It now features a stunning interior including a reception hall, drawing room, sitting room, dining room, study with 16th-century wall panelling, an Italian-style contemporary kitchen, domestic office, cellars, six first-floor bedrooms, two of which are en-suite, second floor with bedroom, studio with kitchenette and bathroom, and a games room.

The driveway approaches for around a quarter of a mile crossing a bridge which gives views of the cascading pools stocked with coarse fish, and the Apley Estate. Paddocks, formal garden areas and a walled former orchard are also included.

Guide price £1.65million through Berriman Eaton on (01746) 766499.nextpage

The White House at 3 Butler Road is a substantial Victorian family home occupying an enviable spot in the prestigious and highly sought-after Kingsland area of Shrewsbury.

A sweeping gravelled drive through beautifully landscaped gardens leads up to the residence. At present, the entire ground floor level is self contained and the first and second floor is occupied separately, although this could easily be reversed.

There's an attractive reception hall on the ground floor, along with a sitting room, dining room and kitchen, master bedroom with en-suite shower room, two further bedrooms and a separate shower room.

The first floor, reached via a separate staircase, has a reception hall, drawing room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom with en-suite, two further bedrooms and a separate shower room. On the top floor is a study and two further bedrooms.

Guide price £1,500,000 through Miller Evans on on (01743) 236800nextpage

The Barns complex at Sheinwood Farm in Sheinton Road near Much Wenlock, is a beautifully-appointed set of two unique barn conversions and extensive outbuildings, each with potential for further conversion subject to planning permission, as well as seven acres of picturesque land in a rural conservation area.

Barn One has an impressive dining hallway with twin doors to the garden, living room with flagstone flooring, family room with underfloor heating, ground floor shower room, superbly fitted breakfast kitchen, utility, bathroom, sitting room, landing/dressing room, four bedrooms (master with en-suite), office/games room, store room and landscaped garden area with a 'Wishing Well', duck pond with island and floodlights.

Barn Two has a reception hallway with an oak staircase, cloakroom, lounge with slate hearth, dinign room with exposed beams, utility, breakfast kitchen, ground floor bathroom, two bedrooms (one en-suite) and a large lawned garden area with a sun terrace.

Additionally there's a secondary storage area, brick and tile barn, open-fronted garage, a garden store and four further barns.

Offers in excess of £1,600,000 through agents Harwood on (01952) 641112.

Highfield House near Whitchurch is a unique Victorian country villa of distinction, built in 1877 by the industrialist and ironmaster Robert Thursfield Smith. Perched in elevated, extensive landscaped gardens with far-reaching views and around 26 acres of land, this imposing house combines striking architecture with the comforts of modern family living.

The east-facing principle rooms make this a light, sunny house throughout. It has an entrance vestibule, hall, drawing room, dining room, study, family room, cloakroom, kitchen/breakfast room, conservatory, eight bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sauna, shower room, three cellar rooms and extensive attics.

Its integral garages have a laundry room and cloakroom, while outside there are pasture paddocks, a livestock building and grazing land with sporting pool by seperate negotiation. There's also a former stables and Coach House with planning permission.

For sale by private treaty, as a whole at £1,395,000 or would divide. Agents Nock Deighton on (01746) 762666.nextpage

Shooters Hill Hall in Clive is a virtually untouched, fine Grade II listed Georgian house, which still has many of its original features and is surrounded by part wooded gardens and grounds in a parkland setting.

And the new owner will be getting something very special indeed. The house has a classically beautiful, well-balanced facade and was built in 1780 by a successful wool merchant, who owned the surrounding estate. Set in an elevated position, he could survey his land and enjoy far-reaching views over unspoilt North Shropshire countryside and the Welsh hills from his home.

This exceptional property has three reception rooms, a study, beautiful conservatory, kitchen/ breakfast room, six bedrooms, three bathrooms and a separate cottage, along with gardens and part wooded grounds extending to seven acres.

Guide price of £1,250,000 through Savills on (01952) 239500.

Knockin Hall, at Knockin, near Oswestry, is a Grade II listed property which also comes with three cottages and a three-hole golf course. It enjoys outstanding views to the south of unspoilt rolling countryside, Kinnerley Church and the Breidden Hills.

Belinda Hutchinson-Smith, senior sales negotiator of selling agents Savills, said: "There has been a house on the site of Knockin Hall for many centuries when it was central to an important country estate. The land was originally held by the Barons Strange, later Earls of Derby, before being bought by the Bridgeman family who rebuilt the present core of the house between 1690 and 1720 as their summer residence."

"Since that time the house has evolved and wings have been added over the centuries. Knockin Hall is now a much loved family house which offers a well presented mix of formal and informal living space for large scale entertaining and every day living."

Price £2.25 million through Savills on (01952) 239500.