A 16th Century Elizabethan Country Manor
The Grade II* listed Markyate Cell is nestled in 10 acres of formal gardens, with an additional 65 acres of parkland, 40 km north of London.
The country manor was once the home of Lady Katherin Ferrers, known as the “Wicked Lady”.
Married at 13 to Sir Thomas Fanshawe, the heiress had her property and assets sold off by her husband. Taking her financial future into her own hands, legend says she went on to become one of the most famous highwaywomen, dressing in disguise in breeches and a cloak, with a mask and tricorn hat, while out on her outlaw adventures.
Ferrers died in 1660, aged 26, of a gunshot wound in a botched robbery.
Spanning some 12,000 square feet, Markyate Cell has been beautifully restored by its current owners and features stunning Elizabethan detail throughout, with grand, stone windows, wood panelling, ornate ceilings and doorframes, and a Jacobean oak staircase.
The 11-bedroom property also has a Tudor fireplace which conceals a secret passageway, rumored to be how Lady Katherine snuck in and out of the house.
Just north of Markyate village, the property dates back to the 1100s, built by a monk from St Albans who founded a hermitage at the mansion.
Updated over the centuries, the south-facing formal gardens were added at the beginning of the 20th century, consisting of a terrace and landscaped lawn, with elevated walled gardens.
Approached through a tree-lined drive, the property comes with additional outbuildings, a 2-bedroom cottage, and a 1-bedroom staff apartment.
All photos belong to the listing agency.
