Location

Brand House is located on Brand Lane, Ludlow which is within 0.5 miles of Ludlow Train Station,on the Cardiff /Manchester line with London accessible in about 3 hours, and 0.3 miles of Ludlow town centre. Ludlow is a thriving medieval market town and is full of beautiful, architecturally interesting houses and buildings. The town has a lively community feel and has various events and festivals throughout the year.

Ludlow has a renowned reputation for food and drink, with many excellent restaurants and cafes, along with the Ludlow Food and Drink Festival which takes place annually in September. Ludlow Farm Shop is situated about 2 miles from Ludlow itself, and produces many award winning products from the supply of wonderful produce both from their own farm and the surrounding area.

Ludlow Castle is situated just outside of the town, above the River Teme and surrounded by the beautiful countryside in which south Shropshire offers. The area is excellent for walking and cycling as well as exploring the rest of Shropshire and the Welsh Marches. Ludlow Racecourse is approximately 3 miles from the town centre and runs a number of National Hunt races during the season and Ludlow Golf Course is also sited on the course.

There are a number of well renowned schools within the area including, Orleton CofE Primary School, Ludlow Church of England School, Moor Park, Lucton School, Hereford Cathedral School, Shrewsbury School and Shrewsbury High School.

The A49, which provides access to Shrewsbury and Hereford, is about a mile from Ludlow town centre. Hereford is about 23 miles from Ludlow, and Shrewsbury 29 miles.

Description

Brand House is one of a kind. Ludlow is full of fabulous properties but this is arguably the most lovely. The street view does not begin to prepare you for the sumptuous, beautifully proportioned and tastefully decorated interior, nor the large, mature and well maintained garden behind.

The house is full of history, probably originally built in the early 18th century, with Georgian extension and refurbishment. Horatio Lord Nelson and Lady Emma Hamilton are said to have lunched here. Two upper bedrooms are panelled with oak said to have come from the castle as it fell into disrepair. It is a Grade II listed property with a classic Georgian feel, featuring high ceilings and tall sash windows.

Hidden behind the house is half an acre of glorious, well established very private gardens extending to the town wall. A south facing terrace leads across broad lawns through a clipped yew hedge to a wild garden and vegetable patch.

The property has private parking for two cars on the cobbled pavement outside. Next to the house, there is further secure parking area for at least 4 cars in addition to a double garage. Private parking is at a premium in Ludlow and to have so much is probably unique.

Available via separate negotiation is 1 Brand Lane, the adjoining three bedroom property that would make for the perfect annex for multi generational living, guest accommodation or as a rental investment property.

Through the front door lies an elegant square entrance hall with oak floorboards and a welcoming open fireplace. A rear door accesses the garden and a cloakroom leads off. Light streams down the stairs from the large windows typical of the Georgian period. To the right is a spacious kitchen with both a dining and a sitting area. There are solid wood, bespoke fitted units, a large original built in dresser, the original 4 oven AGA and a wonderful stencil on the floor of Hereford Hops designed by Lyn Le Grice. A separate pantry, with fitted shelves lies between the kitchen and the utility room. In addition to the four door aga there is an old cast iron range which operates as a cosy open fire. It is a lovely feature of the room but can be removed if not required.

An inner hallway, with built in cupboards, provides access into the laundry/utility/flower room where there are fitted units and an original dresser and a double Belfast sink. There is access to the back staircase and a door to the cellar where there is ample storage for wine, coal and logs and much more. From the entrance hall, a door under the stairs leads to a cloakroom and WC, with fitted storage cupboards. The back door leads onto the terrace.

To the left of the front door is the elegant dining room presently set out to seat 12 guests; there is room for several more. Faux marble pillars and an open fire make for a pleasing and impressive entertaining space.

A broad and stately oak stair case leads gently up from the hall though the centre of the house to the first and second floors. It opens up the interior of the house and allows light onto all the landings through double sash windows. Views down onto the garden are spectacular with uninterrupted views over the town wall at its end.
Beyond the dining room is the drawing room which looks south over the garden. It is a splendid room filled with light, that manages, despite its grandeur, to be comfortable and inviting. There is an open fire and broad oak floorboards.

From the hall the wide and stately oak staircase rises to the first and second floors though the centre of the house allowing light to pour down from the upstairs windows.

The principal bedroom is spacious and elegant with huge double windows looking south over the garden and across to the hills beyond. It leads to a very large en suite bathroom with bath, shower and twin basins. Capacious fitted wardrobes run down both sides of the room.

On the same floor, two further double bedrooms are oak panelled with wood said to have been taken from the castle as it fell into ruin. Period details include a glazed niche between bedroom three and the landing so that one candle could be used to light both. Bedroom two overlooks the garden and bedroom 3 has an ensuite shower room.
A further double bedroom, presently used as a sewing and ironing room, a family bathroom and an expansive housekeeper’s cupboard complete the accommodation on the first floor.
Up again is a further large south facing double bedroom whose two tall windows offer spectacular views across Ludlow to the hills beyond. An ensuite shower room leads off with a walk in wardrobe beyond.

A few steps down and you reach the attic rooms, some under the eaves of the oldest part of the house. In these rooms the structure of the old house can clearly be seen. They have been sympathetically restored into two twin rooms one with a separate bathroom and one with an ensuite. A further potential double bedroom is currently used as a hobbies room and there is also a storeroom

Gardens

Finally the garden. It is most unusual to have such a large, peaceful and secluded space in the centre of any town. The garden is screened by walls on three sides and is very private. At its end the town wall drops away giving the house its uninterrupted views and preventing the garden from being overlooked. The south facing terrace is a wonderful space for both outdoor entertaining, or a simple garden supper.

The lawn is bordered by deep beds full of well establish planting. Special features are the paths behind the beds along the walls and which offer secret walks amongst the flowers. There are apple trees amongst the flowers which bear fruit. A formal clipped hedge divides the main garden from the lovely wild garden and the vegetable patch at the end.
An ancient mulberry tree planted at the behest of James 1 still bears fruit. The King encouraged the nobility to plant the trees in order to supply a British silk industry. Unfortunately, he supplied black mulberry trees instead of white and the silkworms wouldn’t eat them. The berries are however delicious to humans. The garages and private parking lead off to the left under a wisteria archway.