Mold, Flintshire, CH7

Gwysaney has a colourful and well documented history. Links to Rhodri Mawr the King of all Wales in the 9th Century, and continuous family ownership since 1550, are just some of the highlights. The house is recorded in the Doomsday Book in the 9th Century and the present Hall was built on the current site in 1603 by Robert Davies. Perhaps Gwysaney's most notable moment was in 1645 when the Hall was besieged and taken by Oliver Cromwell's Roundheads: all that remains from the scars of the battle is damage to the front door caused by a cannon ball!

The Property
Gwysaney Hall is one of North Wales' finest and most historic residential houses, in an accessible location about 8 miles from the Cheshire border. At its heart is much of the original Hall, built in 1603, which has seen many changes over the years, including a partial rebuild in the mid-19th Century. The Hall has been in the present owner's family for over 450 years and is very much a family home with the potential to be the perfect home for multi-generational living.

The historic front door opens to a fine panelled reception hall, and a central corridor gives access to much of the ground floor, including: a panelled drawing room with a wide square bay window showing extensive views over the parkland; the sitting room (The Smoking Room) with very large carved stone chimney piece, and a study with ornate carved chimney piece, both with wonderful views; a dining room with fine stone arched recess; a large kitchen/breakfast room with a beamed arch opening into a secondary kitchen; a pantry and larder; and a garden or family room. A stone floor, with underfloor heating, runs throughout the kitchen and garden/family room. There is also a second office with CCTV wiring.

Also off the central corridor is a lift which runs to all floors, a door to a good wine cellar, a cloakroom, a coat cupboard and stone steps down to a basement which houses china stores, a workshop and general storage areas. A charming inner hall has a magnificent stone arch leading to the staircase hall and to the panelled billiard room/library.

A staircase rises through a series of half landings dividing towards the top onto the principal landings. The central landing leads to a large bedroom with a date stone of 1603 and a window seat overlooking the front park.

The master bedroom suite is accessed through a large oak door and comprises an inner landing, large bedroom with imposing views of the park and Cheshire Plains, an en-suite bathroom, and a dressing room. Also accessed off this landing are five further bedrooms, three bathrooms, a separate cloakroom, and a linen cupboard.

The central staircase continues up to the top floor, which has potential to be an integrated apartment: current configuration is four bedrooms, a shower room and separate WC, a drying room, ironing room and walk-in attic, all with lift access.

At the western end of the Hall is the former staff wing, accessed directly from the ground floor and comprising laundry, boiler room and garage with a sitting room/office, kitchen, bedroom and shower room on the first floor.

The Cottages
Included in the sale of Gwysaney Hall are two 3 bedroom cottages.

Garden Cottage: A very pretty detached Grade II listed house overlooking lawned gardens to the front, Garden Cottage is wonderfully spacious, and comprises: Dining hall, Sitting room, Kitchen, Conservatory, Utility room, WC, 3 bedrooms, Bathroom, Garden, Patio, Council Tax Band: G. The house has oil fired central heating, private drainage and mains water.

Stable Cottage: Found behind Gwysaney Hall, Stable Cottage is a Grade II listed house and forms the gable end of the stable block. It comprises: Sitting room, Kitchen, Pantry, Utility room, WC, 3 Bedrooms, Bathroom, Council Tax Band: C. The house has oil fired central heating, private drainage and mains water.

Gwysaney Hall stands in a superb elevated location with far reaching views and is surrounded by 22.41 acres of traditional gardens, formal lawns, an award-winning Pinetum, and four paddocks. To the south are views to the Clwydian Hills, and of Cheshire to the east. Despite its lovely rural setting, Gwysaney Hall is only 1.8 miles from the historic market town of Mold, which offers excellent everyday facilities and is home to one of Wales' leading theatres, Theatr Clwyd. There are superb communication links via the A55 linking to the M56 (16 miles) and the major conurbations of Liverpool (26 miles), Manchester (49 miles), Manchester Airport (42 miles) and the M6 (32 miles). Additionally, there is Hawarden Airfield near Chester, only 10 miles away, which services private aircraft. Chester provides direct rail links to London in under 2 hours.

The drive leads to the back of the Hall to a parking and turning area, and there is a gravelled sweep forking along the front facade. Grass lawns lead down to the ha-ha with views across fields and woods beyond. A gravelled path leads through the Listed wrought iron Davies gates to the east front and Chapel Garden. There are dramatic views over the parkland and beyond. The Chapel Garden includes a former chapel once attached to the Hall, with original walls and stone mullioned windows; features of the gardens include a Yew arch, Rose Garden with paths and box hedges, flower borders, stone walls and a backdrop of specimen trees, a dramatic water garden on the side of the hill below the Hall, an award-winning Pinetum with a wide variety of specimen trees under-planted with spring bulbs. The Hall enjoys kitchen gardens within the former walled garden, with fruit cages, a potting shed, two greenhouses and brick walled cold frames. From here, a gateway leads to a grass courtyard flanked by Garden Cottage, Stable Cottage and through to stables and hay stores, garages and outbuildings, and a large parking area to the rear of the house flanked by flowering borders.