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Old Great Marlborough was largely built out of entirely recycled materials that were salvaged from other redundant buildings or sites. For example, the stone for the walls, the slate for the roof, the floors upstairs came from a coal mine, downstairs from a gymnasium, the main fireplace was recycled from the original window frames and slate from a monastery building that has been bulldozed, the barns were taken down from another farm that was no longer used, many of the lights, baths and sinks from architectural salvage, the radiators from a scrap yard and even the internal plasterboard was recycled from a factory that was being demolished in London. The main beds were made out of structural timbers recycled from the walls of the house.
Old Great Marlborough is a spacious, very comfortable, historic country house situated in the heart of the Golden Valley in border countryside between England and Wales with magnificent views of the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons. In the middle of a 180 acre working sheep farm, the house has 3 acres of its own grounds which are set to mature gardens and lawns and feature a tennis court with viewing pavilion, paved terraces with built-in barbecue, large play house and swings and many bountiful fruit trees including raspberries, blackberries, apples, plums, pears, cherries, grapes which our guests are welcome to enjoy.
The house is at the end of a track which is itself off a B road about 11/2 miles outside of Grosmont Village so it is very secluded. The house, Old Great Marlborough, was built in 1657 by the then Mayor of Grosmont. It has very generously sized rooms featuring a mix of fine antique furniture and comfortable furnishings.
There is a large country kitchen with an AGA, an additional oven and hob unit and a built-in microwave/multifunction oven, marble work surfaces and a large breakfast table. The main room (30 x 20) has a substantial open fireplace and is a very welcoming room with large sofas and chairs. The dining room with its antique dining table and dressers can seat at least 18 adults comfortably.
There is also a conservatory, 3 TV rooms, a games den with snooker and table football and an indoor heated swimming pool that doubles as a play area for basketball when the floor of the swimming pool is closed (our children like to play roller hockey and a sort of mixed tennis and squash in here).
The sleeping accommodation is organised as two very large bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, both of these rooms feature beds made from the original timbers of the house one is super king size (6ft 6ins X 6ft 6ins) the other is king size (6ft X 6ft 6ins). There are 2 other double rooms one king size and one queen size. There are 2 twin bedded rooms and one room with bunk beds. These 5 rooms share 3 shower rooms. There is also a family bunk house featuring 2 single sleeping lofts and 2 bunk beds. This bunk house has its own shower room, small kitchen, dinning table, TV and seating area.
Amenities: Full kitchen, microwave, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, 6 TVs, VCR , 2 DVDs , 3 CD players, washing machine, tumble drier, iron, hairdryer, linens and towels provided, barbecue, central heating, phone for incoming calls.
Activities on site: Tennis, swimming (indoor heated), snooker, table football, X-trainer machine, basketball net, board games, children’s toys, rambling and cycling. (Some of our guests never want to leave the house).
Activities nearby: The area is rich with outdoor activities including shooting, horse riding, rock climbing, golf, canal boating. We can help organise a programme of outward bound activities including canoeing, gorge walking, quad biking, mountain boarding as well as salmon and trout fishing.
Welcome Pack: A welcome pack is supplied consisting of tea, coffee, sugar, fresh milk, biscuits and two bottles of wine.
Catering: Catering can be arranged during your stay. Please contact Dawn Arbuthnott for details.
Pets: As the house is situated in the middle of working sheep farm we regret that no pets can be allowed.
No smoking: For the comfort of our future guests we ask that guests refrain from smoking in the house
Grosmont and Surrounding Area
Old Great Marlborough Farm was built in 1657 by the then Mayor of Grosmont Thomas Springett, in Welsh stone with large friendly rooms and open fireplaces at an elevation of about 600 feet and has featured in Radnors Country Houses of Wales and is situated 1½ miles outside Grosmont.
Grosmont is situated at the southern most end of the Golden Valley which is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and was made famous by C S Lewis of the Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe fame. Grosmont has been nominated in the Daily Mail Magazine as the most perfect village in Britain, with its own Castle, because it is a working agricultural community which blends effortlessly with the countryside/village landscape.
The Border Area known as the Welsh Marches is steeped in legend and history. The Welsh Prince Owen of Glyndower features strongly in this area as do legends of King Arthur. The ‘hanging Judge Jefferies’ had his assizes locally and a few miles away you can view the hanging beam inside the oldest pub in Wales where his prisoners were sentenced to hang, or worse.
Grosmont is surrounded on one side by the market and cathedral town of Hereford which houses the Mappa Mundi Exhibition. On the other is Abergavenny, known as the Gateway to Wales. Monmouth and Ross on Wye are within 15 miles.
A little further afield are the towns of Leominster, famous for its antiques, Hay on Wye which has its own King and, apart from its major Arts Festival, is known also as the largest centre for secondhand books in the world, and Ludlow, famous for its castle, farmers markets and rosseted restaurants.
The property is offered with access to fishing rights on the River Dore and River Wye. The services of a Ghillie for instruction at no extra cost. There are leisure facilities accessible by car for mountain boarding, quad biking, paragliding, canoeing and sailing. |
