18/09/2026
The Close House mansion was constructed in 1779 for the private use of the Bewicke family. At a similar time, at the rear of the house, a stable block was built to house the family’s horses along with their horse-drawn wagons, coaches & carriages. In the centre of the courtyard, a drinking trough and fountain can also be found. The stable block and drinking fountain are all Grade ll listed.
This area of the estate was developed, transformed and reopened in 2012 into a 12-bedroom accommodation facility. From 2004, when the current owner purchased the property, this area was first used as the greenkeepers' compound housing machinery, workshop and tools prior to the re-development (All the images are from this period of time).
Due to the sympathetic nature of the development, many of the beautiful original features can still clearly be seen, including the clock, louvred bell turret, drinking fountain, 4-pane windows in raised surrounds and the large ground floor window openings that once upon a time housed the horse-drawn vehicles.
Photo credits – Andrew Curtis
