Lurley Manor

Thought to date from the late 15th/early 16th century, Lurley Manor is a lovely example of an open hall house and is built of rendered cob and stone under a slate roof. It was then extended in the early 20th century. The original part of the house was built to a three-room plan with a central open hall flanked on either side by a further reception room. A rear hall/service corridor was then added, to which a variety of rooms including the kitchen were added over time.

The house has retained many of its original architectural features. These include the studded oak front door under a later 17th century porch, three oak doorways with Tudor arches, inglenook fireplaces, beamed ceilings with chamfered beams and a wide spiral staircase rising from the central reception hall. The house has been the much loved home of a renowned gardener, for the past 35 years. When the owners bought the manor in 1985, they took advantage of the south-facing sheltered setting of the house to create the beautiful garden and arboretum.

They also developed and held the Plant Heritage National Collection of Geums. They would travel the world looking for new and rare species of plants including visits to the mountains of Bhutan by donkey and mature examples of their quest thrive at Lurley today. The garden is also well known for its many varieties of snowdrops in early spring.

The house has three good sized reception rooms, all with fireplaces and, along with the kitchen/breakfast room, are south-facing. The
kitchen/breakfast room has windows on three sides that look out over the garden to the front and side as well as the kitchen garden and arboretum behind. It has a tiled floor, four oven AGA, good-sized dining area and has a door to the south-facing veranda and terrace.

On the first floor, accessed by a choice of two staircases are five south-facing double bedrooms and two further single bedrooms, which
share use of the family bathroom and two shower rooms.

Outbuildings, garden & grounds
The house and its outbuildings are well-screened from the passing lane with the driveway curving up from the approach road to the neighbouring farm. At the top of the drive is a generous parking area and adjacent double garage.

There is further parking beside the house along with a lean-to greenhouse and two timber-built outbuildings, one of which has served as a guest cottage.

The formal garden is laid out to the south and east of the house and consists of two interconnected, level lawns surrounded by richly planted borders, clipped box surrounding trees such as white mulberry, bay and a variety of flowering shrubs, mature hedging and mixed native, broadleaf trees including oak, beech and sycamore. Behind the house is the kitchen garden and a well-sheltered grass tennis court.

The arboretum extends beyond the tennis court and to one side of the house. It contains a gorgeous variety of trees and shrubs, such as Pere David's maple, Chilean firetree, Mexican orange, Black gum, Honey locust and Mountain black cherry to name but a few. A stream flows down a natural fold in the land before dropping down to an orchard which contains a variety of apple trees, pears and medlars. There is also a log store below the house.

A further area of land between the garage and the lane (Lot 2), measuring about 0.2 of an acre (0.08 hectare) and containing a sun room and further outbuildings, is also available by separate negotiation.

Lurley Manor has a lovely setting off a peaceful country lane on the edge of the tiny hamlet of Lurley. The house is set well back within its grounds amidst unspoilt countryside and just to the west of the thriving market town of Tiverton. The neighbouring village of Calverleigh has a pretty church and village hall and there is a pub just outside the village, only a three minute drive or 15 minute walk from the house.

Tiverton is the commercial and administrative centre of the Mid Devon district and has an excellent variety of shops and local bu

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