Nestled behind landscaped gardens and quintessentially English countryside views of Buckinghamshire lies the home which inspired one of the most iconic English playwright’s of all time.
The Grade-II listed property which is now on sale for £1.5million is said to be the manor that inspired William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The part-Elizabethan and part-Jacobean house located in the village of Grendon Underwood was used by Shakespeare as a stopover during his travels between Stratford-upon-Avon and London.
Formerly a 16th Century hostelry known as ‘The Ship’, Shakespeare House includes numerous period features with Georgian additions throughout the house, including prominent gables and exposed brick bands.
Local rumour has it that Shakespeare stayed at the 16th century manor on several occasions during his travels to London and it was here that A Midsummer Night’s Dream was born.
The famous comedy centres around the marriage of Theseus, the Duke of Athens, to Hippolyta, the former queen of the Amazons.
The seven-bedroom home which had fallen into disrepair for years has now undergone extensive restorations by the current owners and now showcases a family dining room, huge ground floor and drawing rooms.
Current owner Sheila Kronfeld told the Evening Standard: ‘We could see the enormous potential straight away.
‘We walked in, fell in love with it – and thought sod our friends.
‘It’s the best hide-and-seek house in the world, our children love it.’
The owner also added that her family’s next home will be one with more land where they can keep their horses.
The sitting room features high ceilings, a fireplace and wooden furnishings while the L-shaped kitchen displays wooden beams and marble topped counters.
A step into the kitchen also reveals full-length windows which allow natural daylight to flood through while a dressing room on the second floor comes with built-in storage.
The period manor also exhibits a master bedroom with a large ensuite shower, six further double bedrooms, a dressing room and four bathrooms.
To the rear of the house is the fully restored ‘paterre’ garden with rose gardens, gravel pathways and beautiful shrub and flower beds.
According to estate agent’s Knight Frank: ‘The grounds afford a high degree of privacy and are bordered by post and rail fencing and hedging and back onto fields with wonderful countryside views.’
The Buckinghamshire village of Grendon Underwood is situated north of the A41 between the towns of Bicester and Aylesbury.
It is approximately 52 miles away from Stratford-upon-Avon and 70 miles away from London.
The grand property is now on sale for £1.5million with estate agent’s Knight Frank.
