See inside Georgian country home and former school in Little Henny, near Sudbury, with bell tower cottage designed by Robert Lugar
A Georgian country home with seven bedrooms and a bell cottage is now on the market with Savills for a guide price of £4,500,000.
The Ryes is a Grade II listed house in the hamlet of Little Henny, near Sudbury, and was formerly used as a school from the late 20th century to 2011.
In 1809, the Italianate villa was designed by Robert Lugar, a British architect and contemporary of Buckingham Palace architect John Nash, and in the same year Lugar displayed drawings of the property at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
The Barnardistons were a well-founded aristocratic family with a long lineage of baronets, and later additions were made to The Ryes in 1884 by E.F.Bishopp, who was an Ipswich architect commissioned by Colonel Nathaniel Barnardiston.
The property also features in Nikolaus Pevsner's architectural guide to The Buildings of England.
Tom Orford, property agent and director in the residential sales team at Savills, said: “This is one of the most incredible houses I have seen.
“A wonderful family house with versatile accommodation and the most spectacular setting with lovely elevated views over the valley.”
Set in an elevated position overlooking rolling countryside, the Ryes can be entered via a Doric portico with fluted columns into a grand hallway with beautiful parquet flooring and original cornicing.
The kitchen breakfast room has a stunning bay window with 3 sash windows, an intricate marble fireplace, detailed plasterwork cornicing and space for informal dining.
Throughout the house there are high ceilings and bright rooms with thin glassed Georgian sash windows as well.
A separate office sits at the end of the hallway which is perfect for many of the family to have space to work from home.
On the first floor there are seven en-suite bedrooms and the principal bedroom has a seating area, a large bathroom with his and hers basins, plus his and hers dressing rooms.
Also included in the property is Bell Tower Cottage that has one bedroom with a kitchen breakfast room downstairs as well as a family bathroom and a study area.
A two-bedroom garden cottage completes The Ryes which includes a reception room and separate kitchen on the ground floor.
The first floor of the cottage has two bedrooms, one with a walk-in dressing room plus a family bathroom - this element of the house has begun construction but would require new owners to complete the build.
