Stanley Park House, Selsley, Stroud, Gloucestershire, England
This 1584 manor house in the Cotswolds is enjoying a little extra publicity because it came on the market at the same time Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale movie did.
As you stroll through the grounds, you'll notice the similarities between this house, known as Stanley Park, and the set for Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle.
In a similar story to the castle's, Stanley Park's original building site dates back to 1584, but most of it was built or re-built in 1749 and again in 1850.
That was when it was bought by cloth manufacturer Sir Samuel Marling (1810-1883). He was the first Marling baronet of Stanley Park, as he was awarded a baronetcy shortly before his death.
The house is more associated with the third baronet, grandson Sir Percival (1861-1936) and his wife Beatrice Caroline, Lady Marling, (1861-1941).
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That's because it was during Lady Marling's tenure that Stanley Park was graced by a royal visit.
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Sir Percival and Lady Marling used to live here, at Sedbury Park, until Sir Percival inherited the title and Stanley Park in 1919.
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They were already accustomed to doing things on a grand scale before settling in to their new digs, below:
The entry hall has the original stone fireplace. Speaking of a grand scale, here's the rest of the room:
It opens to the library on one side...
and the sitting room on the other:
I found additional photos from when it was listed as rental property in 2023:
Below is the original ballroom with views of the River Severn and the Black Mountains.
The kitchen was re-done within the last ten years. The house had been converted into several separate flats, and was in poor condition when it was auctioned in 2015.
There were leaks and broken windows, and many of the rooms lacked electricity. The upstairs floors are new, because the old wood was salvaged to repair the floorboards downstairs.
The billiards room has a stenciled ceiling that was copied from the original design.
The cloakroom below is painted in Railings by Farrow and Ball.
There are eleven bedrooms and ten bathrooms in over 17,000 square feet.
The master bedroom has a well-traveled feel, thanks to the Indian-inspired wallpaper, but the light fixtures feel a little bit out of place.
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If it were mine, I'd make it more posh and move a chandelier to the window alcove instead, like this:
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Here's how it would look if we kept the Ramayana wallpaper:
A spacious closet and bathroom complete the master suite:
The other bedrooms were named after famous battles by John Marling, 4th baronet. Below is the Abuklea 1885 bedroom. The walls are painted Elephant's Breath by Farrow & Ball.
The Tel-El-Kebir 1882 bedroom:
The France 1914-1915 bedroom:
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The "penny bath" is actually covered in pennies.
The other bathrooms may have taken less time to decorate, but are equally striking:
The lower level has the most square footage of all the floors. It houses the original wine cellar as well as a sauna, gym, kitchen, and cinema room.
The outdoor terrace provides plenty of room for entertaining as well:
It's on two and half acres and 450 feet away from Selsley's All Saints' Church.
But just like the publicity Stanley Park gained with Queen Mary's visit, Sir Percival and Lady Marling made their mark at the church as well:
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Unlike the Downton Abbey Crawley family and Highclere Castle's Carnarvons, the successive Marling baronets didn't keep their manor house. Now it's open to a whole new story.
The listing is here.
