A seven-bedroom Suffolk mansion which was once the holiday home of Gordon Brown has gone on the market for £1.8million.
Shadingfield Hall, a Grade II listed detached house near Southwold and Beccles, is a stunning Georgian house built in the early 1800s.
On the secluded Sotterley estate, it has gardens of around five acres, with an additional eight acres of paddocks also available to rent by separate negotiation.
The house has many original features, giving it a strong period flavour.
Then prime minister Gordon Brown spent a much-publicised summer holiday there in 2008 with his family, but later revealed in a book that he was “obsessing” over the banking crisis during his break.
The home offers extensive equestrian facilities, as well as having a detached converted lodge in its grounds which is currently run as a successful holiday cottage.
The downstairs accommodation includes an entrance hall, large kitchen/diner complete with Aga, three reception rooms with large sash windows which allow in plenty of light, and a cloakroom.
The first floor boasts amazing panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, and has seven bedrooms and two bathrooms.
The Browns’ two-week break at Shadingfield Hall, which was then owned by celebrity photographer Dave Hogan, was portrayed as a traditional family holiday, away from the stresses and strains of Government.
At the time, the former PM’s visit to the Suffolk coast was seen as a major coup for the area and a boost to its tourism.
Mr Brown, his wife Sarah and their sons John and Fraser were photographed on an official visit to Africa Alive! in Kessingland and also watched a film at a cinema in Lowestoft.
But Mr Brown later revealed in his book Beyond the Crash: Overcoming The First Crisis of Globalisation, that he had “a full diary of meetings” every day and used the break from Parliament to “read widely” on subjects such as the Great Depression.
He wrote: “The collapse in credit and its consequences for Britain’s and the global economy was the question that obsessed me throughout our summer holiday in Suffolk.”
For more details about Shadingfield Hall, contact Durrants on 01502 723292.
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