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For one globetrotting couple, a traditional Cotswolds manor house will always be home

“Everyone who comesto our home ends upin the kitchen”

KITCHEN SPECIAL Cotswold manor house

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The property: Grade II* listed Cotswolds manor house,A closer look

with grade II listed* barn. Five bedrooms, four reception

rooms, four bathrooms; two bedroom flat adjoining;

barn with offices, minstrels’ gallery, and bathroom;

garaging with gym/bathroom and games room in loft.

How old is it? Early 1600s (approx).

When was it bought? 1994. In 2003, the owners found

they were spending the most part of the year abroad, so

it was decided to let the manor during those months

they were not in residence.

How much is it worth? In the region of £3.5 million

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T o describe Nina and James Sharma as ‘well

travelled’ is a bit like calling Bill Gates ‘not

short of a bob or two’. There are few

countries as yet unexplored by this

enterprising and adventurous husband and wife team;

yet though neither was born in England (he is Australian,

she is from India) – and despite the fact that they now

own properties in some of the world’s most exciting

cities – it is a small town in the Stratford-on-Avon district

of Warwickshire that keeps tugging them back.

“We have loved the Cotswolds for many, many

years,” begins Nina. “Back in the early 90s, we used to

visit regularly in connection with our family business.

We’d always stay in local hotels or guesthouses, and the

more time we spent in the area, the more we came to

appreciate how uniquely beautiful it is. So, when a friend

told us that Cotswolds Manor had come onto the

market, it seemed natural to take a look at it, with a view

to making a more permanent base for ourselves in a spot

that had really started to feel like a kind of spiritual home.

And as soon as we saw the place, we knew that we

wanted to live there.”

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Although the precise date of construction is unknown,

Cotswolds Manor is generally agreed to have been built

during the early 1600s. The external walls are made from

traditional Cotswolds limestone and inside, the original

features are quite outstanding, with entire walls of elm

panelling, flagstone floors, and huge inglenook fireplaces –

including one that is believed to incorporate a priest’s hide.

“The house was structurally sound,” says Nina, recalling her

first view of the property, “but in desperate need of repair and

restoration. Ugly cables were running everywhere, and many

of the original features had been covered up. Layers of lino

hid the flagstone and wooden floors, and some of the

beautiful beams had, much to our disbelief, been painted

blue! Nonetheless, we could feel the character of the place,

and we knew it just needed bringing out.”

The Sharmas bought Cotswolds Manor in 1994, and

work immediately started on a three-stage programme of

renovation. Stage one involved the complete restoration of

the main house, and a local small family firm was hired for

the project. “They were there forever, but did a fantastic job,

painstakingly and lovingly stripping all the paint off the

KITCHEN SPECIAL Cotswold manor house

TOP LEFT: The ground floordining room is home toa beautiful antique pinerefectory table,purchased locally.MAIN PIC: The leathercamel stool is one of apair, purchased by theSharmas in Pakistan TOP RIGHT: According toNina, ‘every singleperson who visits theManor wants to ring this old bell at the frontof the property – eventhe adults!’RIGHT: This mosaic of StFrancis of Assisi can befound on the gardenfacing wall of theManor, and suggests aconnection to theCatholic Church,although this has neverbeen verified.

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beams and removing layers of lino to reveal what we have

today,” Nina explains. Because of the couple’s other

commitments, they were often treated to thrilling updates over

the phone. “I still remember the call we got excitedly telling us

about the discovery of a powder room under the stairs,” she

laughs. “The knob had fallen off, and as all the walls are

panelled, we’d had no idea it was there. The firm we were

using was a very small operation, but their dedication and

attention to detail was priceless, so we were happy to work to

their schedule – even when their dog had pups, and there was

a break of three weeks before the restoration continued!”

Another enthusiastic phone call to the new owners of

Cotswolds Manor related to the kitchen. “When we arrived, it

was crammed with cabinets everywhere – presumably from a

time when it was thought that the more work surfaces one had,

the better, regardless of how it looked,” Nina grimaces. “To make

things worse, the floor was covered with layers of ‘60s or ‘70s

lino. We said to the builders, ‘Just get rid of everything, and we’ll

see what’s there’ – but we weren’t expecting them to uncover

the original flagstone floor! We didn’t want a big, modern fitted

kitchen, with endless bench space; but rather, a welcoming,

Out and About■ Covering an area of 790 square miles in

the upper part of the southwest region

of England, the Cotswolds is an obvious

holidaying destination for anyone with a

love of and interest in period homes. From

cottages to castles, the region offers a

veritable treasure trove of stunning buildings to

discover and enjoy – many of which have remained practically

unchanged since the medieval wool trade brought prosperity

to the area during the 15th and 16th centuries.

■ The buildings (and especially the manor houses) of the

Cotswolds are characterised by a vernacular tradition of

architecture inspired by its locally quarried and marvellously

versatile limestone. Drystone walls snake for miles along

ridges and through valleys, and stone-tiled roofs top humble

hovels and imposing churches alike. The glowing tones of

Cotswold limestone are internationally famous, ranging from

mellow honey in the north of the region, through rich gold,

down to the pale, elegant shade of grey that is common in

Bath – and its fine-grained texture ensures that intricate

detailing, including gargoyles and mullions, can be found in

the most surprising places!

■ For more information about the Cotswolds, including an

extensive list of places and buildings of especial architectural

and/or historical interest, visit cotswolds.info.

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warm haven, higgledy piggeldy, and full of interesting things,

where people would be drawn to spend time.” And this

exactly describes the room as it is now. Everywhere you look,

something fascinating catches the eye – from an antique cattle

yoke used to hang pots and pans from the ceiling, to the

small, freestanding dresser next to the door of the walk-in

pantry, found in a local store. One wall is completely panelled

(with original elm) and another has been washed with a warm

terracotta shade, making for a cosy, friendly atmosphere.

A bold red Smeg fridge looks somehow as though it might

have stood in its current position for centuries; and a

freestanding gas stove perfectly suits Nina’s cooking style,

of which spontaneity is a vital element. “I’ve worked in this

kitchen for 15 years,” she smiles, “and it has everything

you need. Everyone who comes to the house ends up in

here; and even my three-year-old nephew will sit happily

on the flagstones, playing with dried beans, or bashing a

frying pan, while the adults chat.”

ABOVE:One of thesuitcases piled by thebed in the first floorguest room belonged tothe Sharma family; asecond was bought onPortobello Road; and thethird was discovered inthe loft of the Manor!

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Treat Yourself■ For information about hiring the Cotswolds Manor

(which sleeps 10) for a holiday, house party, or otherevent – or to browse a wide portfolio of uniqueproperties from holiday cottages to Scottish castles –call Unique Home Stays on 01637 881 942, emailenquiries@uniquehomestays.com, or visit the websiteat uniquehomestays.com.

This relaxed, eclectic approach to decor continues

throughout the rest of the house, which is, as Nina points out,

very natural and raw in its beauty. “It’s dark and cool,” she

continues, “and full of interesting nooks and crannies, window

seats and comfy sofas to curl up on with a book or look out

onto the garden. As a consequence we have the walls painted

in a very natural fashion – showing, and even highlighting, the

unevenness. The floors are mainly exposed to show off the

beautiful flagstone floors and oak boards, with rugs scattered

about; and almost every piece of furniture has a story behind

it, such as the Anglo-Indian four-poster bed that took almost a

year to get here, and the ancient pedal organ, which belonged

to my husband’s family in Australia.”

Stages two and three of the renovation meant converting

the adjoining barn into two modern offices, with a minstrels’

gallery that houses the cricket library; and extensive

landscaping of the grounds. Despite a crisis three quarters of

the way through the work (the builder went bankrupt, and the

architect moved to Australia), it was eventually completed, and

Nina and James are now able to spend every summer at the

Manor; letting out the property as luxury accommodation to

guests during the remaining months of the year. “We both

have a very strong emotional connection to this house,”

concludes Nina. “No matter where we travel, we always look

forward to coming home to the Manor.”

Landscaping theproperty is an ongoing

project; with an orchard,wildflower meadow,

traditional English knotgarden, parterre

garden, and vegetablegarden all having been

created over the past 15 years.

Hot Stuff■ Inglenook fireplaces, reminiscent of the large medieval halls

of earlier days, are typical original features in 17th century

English properties. Up until the 19th century (and later, for

those not rich enough to afford the new cast iron appliances),

an open fire was essential for cooking, heating, and damp

proofing the home – and it would have been burning more

or less continually. During the chilly and damp months of

winter, family members would gather in the alcoves of the

inglenook - which would often have seating built in - to dry

off, warm up, and generally escape the draughts.

■ Inglenook fireplaces were constructed with the same

absorbent or permeable materials as the entire house, and it

is therefore essential to replace like for like when restoring

your own. Modern renders, mortars and

chemical sealers do not solve a restoration

problem; they merely hide it, whilst leading to further

destruction - whilst old bricks, stone, timber, lime, lime

mortars, lime plaster, and lime washes allow a building to

breathe. Owners of older properties should not be too

alarmed if they discover signs of damp around

an inglenook, however, as sympathetic

restoration will nearly always resolve the

situation – visit inglenookrestorations.co.uk

for more information.

“We both have a very strong emotional connection

to this house. No matterwhere we travel, we always

look forward to coming home to the Manor”

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