Fancy yourself a future muse for "Downton Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes? Then why not snag the manor house next door to him and his wife, Emma Kitchener, and provide him with some material for his next venture.
A six-bedroom manor house set on about 20 acres of land in West Stafford, a small village in Dorset on England’s south coast, has been put up for sale with a £3.5 million (US$4.29 million) price tag.
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Its nearest neighbor (though there’s quite a bit of land between the two) is actor-turned-scriptwriter Lord Fellowes, according to listing agent Knight Frank. He bought his West Stafford home in 2002 after winning an Oscar for murder mystery movie "Gosford Park," starring Dame Maggie Smith and Ryan Philippe.
Indeed, since he was made a lord in 2010 by the U.K. government, he has been known as Baron Fellowes of West Stafford.
The house for sale, which dates back to the 17th Century and is surrounded by landscaped gardens and grounds designed by well-known gardener George Carter, features a paneled drawing room, a dining room, a large study and modern kitchen and a billiard room, the listing showed.
Outside, there is a large walled garden with a tennis court, a swimming pool, a greenhouse and terrace as well as a two-bedroom cottage (ideal for staff like Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson, naturally, or relatives) and outbuildings and garages. Information about the current owner of the property was not available.
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West Stafford is about three miles from the town of Dorchester, famous for being the home and inspiration of the "Tess of the D’urbervilles" author Thomas Hardy. In fact, Lord Fellowes’ home, Stafford House, was featured in Hardy’s novel "The Waiting Supper."