Situation
Marston Hall sits within the Parish of Marston on Dove in South Derbyshire. The parish is nine miles south west of Derby and two miles south east of the village of Tutbury. Within the Parish, the Church of St Mary dates from the 13th Century and houses the oldest bell in Derbyshire, cast in Leicester in 1366. Marston Hall offers a rural way of life yet in an incredibly convenient location, with easily accessible fast communications links.

The property is very well located for access to a number of major roads, including the A50 and A38 connecting to the M1, M6 and M42. Rail services are available with fast services from Derby (8 miles away) to London St Pancras and then Europe via Eurostar. The Cross Country route between Aberdeen and Penzance is available at Burton on Trent (4 miles); there is a local rail service from Tutbury and Hatton train station (2.5 miles). East Midlands Airport, Manchester Airport and Birmingham International Airport are all within easy reach. Derby Aero Club at Egginton 2 miles away provides opportunities for private air travel.

The area offers a wide range of highly regarded private and state schools Repton School, Denstone College, Foremarke Hall Preparatory School and Abbotsholme School. including Derby Grammar School and the John Port Academy.


Description
The current property, in the ancient Manor of Marston juxta Tutbury, appears to originate from the mid 1700's and with significant development in the mid and late1800's. It is of brick and rendered construction under slate. The elevations have fine fenestration, mainly with traditional sash windows and with Virginia creeper and climbing hydrangea giving the house a lovely mellow appearance.

Adjacent to the House, there is an extensive range of traditional and modern farm buildings that form three yards. The traditional range would appear to offer potential for development into residential use under Class Q of the General Permitted Development Order 2018. Development for office or commercial use would be subject to gaining the necessary planning consent. The property sits in land extending to about 43 acres and there may be additional land available by separate negotiation.

The current owners have held the property since it was first built.


Accommodation
Ground Floor
Stone steps rise to the main entrance with double oak, partly glazed doors opening to the reception hall. The impressive hall has an oak floor, moulded cornices, picture rail and an elegant open fireplace.

Radiating off the reception hall are the principal reception rooms. The large drawing room has windows on the south and west sides including a deep projecting bay with window seats. The room features high ceilings with moulded cornices and a most attractive fireplace with elaborate painted timber mantelpiece.

The elegant dining room has full height sash windows overlooking the front gardens and parkland, ornate moulded ceiling cornices and a most impressive open fireplace with a tall marble mantelpiece. The morning room/library has substantial windows on the south and east elevations.
The high ceiling features substantial exposed timbers whilst other features of this impressive room include an oak strip floor, tall bookcases and an open fireplace with cast iron grate, stone surround and tall carved timber mantelpiece.

To the rear of the reception hall is the staircase hall featuring flagstone floor and the principal staircase which receives natural light from a delightful stained glass lantern above. The rear hall serves a cloakroom and boot room with door leading out to the rear drive.

An inner hallway leads to the kitchen with adjacent cold pantry, utility room and larder and a store room, a well laid out collection of rooms at the heart of the house. The kitchen has a traditional brick floor and features a high ceiling with exposed timbers, a range of traditional and more modern kitchen units and access to a long inner hallway featuring diamond pattern quarry tiled floor and original butler's bells. Off here radiate a number of rooms including a butler's pantry, which is adjacent to the dining room, a study, a playroom and the rear hall provides access to the secondary staircase and an independent external door.

First Floor
The first floor has a very flexible layout set around several landings featuring moulded cornices, archways, picture rails, fitted bookcases and numerous useful storage areas. The principal bedrooms are all of a good size and features worthy of particular note include some charming chamber fireplaces, moulded ceiling cornices, picture rails and some rooms with fitted wardrobes.

The rear section of the first floor is designed to create a self contained suite, ideal for nanny, guests or dependent relatives. A private access can be utilised from the rear hall and secondary staircase and the suite includes a sitting room, fully fitted kitchen, two double bedrooms, bathroom and a WC.

The flat could potentially be let out. HMRC's rent a room scheme allows tax-free rental income up to a threshold of £7,500 per year to be earned when letting out furnished accommodation in your home.



Gardens and grounds
The main drive to the Hall approaches from the west with a lovely gravelled carriage sweep flanked by areas of lawn, banks of rhododendrons and some fine trees including Scots pine, yew, holly, beech and weeping beech.

The drive leads to the front of the house where an expansive lawn expands out towards the front paddock, interspersed with some long-established trees to give a parkland feel with the church a prominent focal point of the lovely view from this side of the house. The main driveway continues to a turning area around a lawned island with beech, Scots pine and a monkey puzzle tree. The grounds to the south include an arboretum surrounded by wonderful holly and beech hedges, the former tennis lawn with a delightful rotating summerhouse and a partly walled garden. Here lawns are interspersed with pathways lined with lavender, herbaceous borders together with a pergola and trellis work clad with rambling roses.

The original garden walls have some espaliered fruit trees and there is a good-sized greenhouse. Just outside the walled garden is a fenced kitchen garden with vegetable plots, fruit cage and compost areas.

The secondary drive approaches from the north west and leads around to the back of the house passing through a tall archway in the coach house, crowned here by a lead domed cupola and a beautiful weather vane. This drive passes into the main courtyard immediately to the rear of the house providing parking for many vehicles around a central island planted with apple trees. Dwarf brick walls and impressive holly hedges mark the boundary between the rear courtyard and the garden of the house.