The 15th-century Court Palace is sure to appeal to those who are partial to properties steeped in history that are of “historic national significance.”
Located off Church Street in Martok, Somerset, 15 Courthouseth The centuries-old property is of “historical national significance and significance,” according to agents.
Now on the market with Symonds and Sampson at an estimated price of £1.25 million, the property is a treasure trove of historic features.
Set on a west lot of just over 0.2 acres, the house showcases plank and stone screens, original stone fireplaces, stunning Jacobean oak paneling, stained glass windows, and a magnificent 17-foot Tudor-style fireplace, to name but a few.
Built at the end of 15th century of Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, the house was originally the city’s Court House – as the name suggests. After that, it was sold to William Strode of Barrington, who converted it into a schoolhouse. Strode’s coat of arms and the motto “Don’t Neglect Your Possibilities” are still visible above the door today.
The writer Daniel Defoe visited the school in 1725 and is said to have been so struck by the student’s Somerset accent that he wrote about it in his book A Journey Through the Isle of Great Britain.
Evidence of the school days is still visible throughout the house today, with holes in the window sills once used for marbles and children’s graffiti carved into the stone.
In later years, the courthouse was used for various purposes, from the library to the Martok Women’s Institute; briefly worked again as a school during World War II, and was finally converted into a private home in the 1970s.
You will find spacious and comfortable rooms spread over three floors, with six bedrooms and four reception rooms (including a large “court room”). A kitchen with an exposed stone wall with red AGA, pine kitchen cabinets and heavy ceiling beams is especially charming – but there really are so many wonderful corners to discover in this home.
Outside, a fenced-in gravel driveway leads to a two-car garage and rear garden, behind which is a newly thatched pigsty currently used as a lumber yard.
Court House is located in a historical reserve in the heart of Martok village. The village has beautiful Hamstone houses and charming cottages and has many amenities including a post office, a supermarket, several shops, bakeries, a doctor’s office and more.
Yeovil (about eight miles) and Taunton (just over 20 miles) offer additional opportunities and there are many excellent schools in the area including Millfield School, Taunton School and King’s College.
The sellers, writers Fiona and Peter Salmon, have a simple wish for future owners, hoping for “someone who loves it as much as we do.” Given the impressive historical features, charming rustic setting, and rich history, it will be hard not to.
Lords Wood, near Marlow in Buckinghamshire. Credit: Knight Frank
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