SIR Walter Raleigh’s old country home, where Queen Elizabeth I once stayed, has been put on the market for £1.35m.
The Manor House in Downton is a Grade I listed house which is believed to be the longest continually lived in home in the south of England.
Residents go back as far as 850, when the building was originally founded as a chapel, before it was transformed into a medieval hall house and then a country home.
Sir Walter carried out a number of improvements to the property, including sailing a ship up the River Avon then dismantling it to create a first floor, before inviting Queen Elizabeth to stay in 1586.
The Raleigh family lived in the house for about 100 years and their coat of arms is still above the fireplace in the drawing room, which is historically known as The Great Parlour.
Manor House now has five bedrooms, four bathrooms and five reception rooms, as well as 1.8 acres with a walled kitchen garden, and its current owners have put it on the market with Winkworth estate agents for £1.35m.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here