Friarsfield, Mansergh, Carnforth, LA6 2EP

With fabulous views in every direction, the impeccable accommodation offers a large entrance porch, a wide entrance hall being open to the dining hall and further along, a double height staircase hall. The reception rooms include an elegant drawing room and a handsome study, as well as an extensive and sociable open plan living kitchen, incorporating a family room and day room which is used for casual dining. This area leads into a Vale Garden conservatory. Completing the ground floor are a cloakroom, generous laundry room, boot room, rear hallway and a very useful back porch, separating the kitchen from outside. The first floor has a wrap-around gallery landing and principal bedroom with dressing room and bathroom. There are two further ensuite bedrooms and a fourth bedroom has sole use of a large house bathroom. A fifth bedroom is currently used as part of a guest suite with its own sitting room and shower room. There are cellars, a charming courtyard with outhouses, a gated drive, excellent parking and a double detached garage with separate store.

Landscaped gardens and terracing surround the house with considerate and generous planting to create year round colour and interest; they provide an immensely private setting, amenity and a haven for wildlife.

An exceptional location between Kirkby Lonsdale and Kendal with good access to both the M6 motorway and Oxenholme station on the main west coast line. This property is private and peaceful yet not isolated. Whilst it gives the impression of being deep in the countryside, it is actually a very convenient location without having to navigate twisting, narrow country lanes.

Location
Friarsfield is in a stand-alone position, set back from the B6254 which connects the Cumbrian market towns of Kirkby Lonsdale in one direction and Oxenholme train station and Kendal, in the other. Although, in the Cumbrian South Lakeland area, Kirkby Lonsdale is part of the Lune Valley and in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Kirkby Lonsdale, named as one of the best places to live in the UK by the Sunday Times for 2025, is a charming market town with historical significance and a strong sense of community. Friarsfield is also a short drive away from the Lake District National Park. It has the best of all worlds, tucked away discreetly on a country lane unaffected by the hustle and bustle of the tourism that is nearby.

The Yorkshire Dales and nearby Lake District make the perfect location for those wanting to embrace the outdoors or simply enjoy the tranquil scenery and fresh air. A short drive and one day you could be taking a steamboat cruise on Ullswater, marvelling at the breathtaking scenery, the next, you could be exploring the Dales with its beautiful undulating valleys, splendid waterfalls, caves and a multitude of quaint and characterful towns and villages. Whether you’re a walker, runner, cyclist or watersports enthusiast, you will thoroughly enjoy these idyllic surroundings. However, there is no need to take the car out at all; there is an abundance of walks on country lanes, bridle paths and public footpaths through fields. These are of varying lengths from the very doorstep of Friarsfield. A maze of roads and lanes locally also provide safe cycling for miles in every direction.

For day-to-day requirements, you have a choice. Kirkby Lonsdale has a comprehensive range of local amenities and is home to an array of independent retailers and services, with a wide selection of places for refreshment. There is also a Post Office, doctor and dental surgeries and a branch of the regional supermarket, Booths. Alternatively, there is the country town of Sedbergh nearby; apart from being an official book town, it has a range of local services. Larger than both is Kendal, the gateway town to the Lakes, with a wider range of shops, services and facilities including a Marks and Spencer store with a large food hall and all major supermarkets as well as a hospital. All three towns host weekly markets and there are many farm shops and artisan retailers in the area.

It’s hard not to fall in love with this delightful part of the world. The owners only came for a year or two and are still here 33 years later!

Setting the scene
Friarsfield is one of the most comfortable and impressive family houses in this area. It’s big, but not too big as to be unmanageable and onerous to run, with a layout that is exceptionally practical yet stylish. All the rooms have at least a dual aspect, the quality of natural light is therefore particularly striking. There are fabulous views to be enjoyed throughout the property.

With meticulous attention to detail, Friarsfield was extensively upgraded when purchased by the owners in 2007. It wasn’t renovated to sell on but to be lived in as a family home. The structure was taken back to basics with every element undergoing renewal or overhaul; the layout was extended and modified sympathetically to create space, light and a better flow between rooms. The conservatory, porches and ensuites were added and the former Coach House cleverly linked to the house, so that it may be occupied as one, or operate as a suite for guests or multi-generational living. The property has been extremely well maintained over the years since its modification, ensuring that potential buyers know exactly what they are purchasing.

A carefully chosen team of craftsmen and contractors were appointed to fulfil exacting requirements when it came to fixtures and fittings. These included English Hardwood Design Limited who built the bespoke hand painted solid wood kitchen and dayroom furniture, oak fittings in the laundry room as well as the fitted furniture in two of the bedrooms. Cabinet makers, Lancaster Woodcraft made the fine bookcase in the drawing room and the comprehensive storage in the charming principal dressing room. Bathroom fittings include Imperial and Duravit. Whilst keeping with its original features in almost all respects, technology has brought further luxury and convenience to the property: programmable Smart lighting and surround sound was installed by Majik House to create the perfect ambiance whatever the occasion. The house also has a security alarm and an intercom fitted to the electric entrance gates. CCTV and effective floodlighting also ensure a high level of security and privacy for the property.

There are open fires in the principal rooms including a Chesney surround and grate in the drawing room and a bespoke handcrafted limestone fireplace with Chesney grate in the dining hall. The study has a decorative fireplace, and original cast iron fireplaces have been restored in two of the bedrooms and the house bathroom. The family area has a Scandinavian, high output wood burner and there is a wood burning effect gas stove in the guest sitting room.

There is a place for everything, thoughtful storage provision has been a major consideration throughout the property, both in terms of internal fitted cabinets and by the addition of the various outbuildings. Two of the bedrooms have the original Victorian wardrobes. The beautiful, and also ultra-functional, laundry room is exceptional in this regard. There is also a loft area, accessible from a pull down ladder in one of the bedrooms.

Flowing throughout, the unifying decoration is a calm, consistent canvas of natural shades and soft blues (Paint and Picture Library). There is a soft elegance to the overall presentation, high quality fabrics have been used for blinds, curtains and upholstered window seats including material from Colefax and Fowler, Designers Guild, Osborne & Little, Lewis & Wood, Ralph Lauren, Zoffany and Manuel Canovas. Complimenting these are curtain poles, several of which are from either Designers Guild or McCormick-Weeks.

The floors throughout the property are either solid oak flooring both parquet and boarded or natural stone. They are quietly luxurious, easy to maintain and create a fluid connection between rooms.

The grand tour
Every room has an extremely pleasant outlook, a constant changing delight for the residents as the views profoundly affect the interior.

A large entrance porch offers plenty of room to welcome guests as a stunning stain glassed inner front door opens into a wide hall which runs centrally. To the left, are the handsome study and refined, elegant drawing room; to the right, the dining hall. This is a versatile area that could easily be altered to work as a further sitting room, with a seated bay window overlooking the picturesque courtyard and an open fireplace for cosiness in winter. Continue to a spacious, light filled rear hallway where you will find a vast window stretching across two floors. There is a coats and luggage storage cupboard, seating and an impressive staircase. This area brings an airiness and contemporary feel to this period home.

Sociable and family friendly style comes to the fore in the gorgeous living kitchen. An expanse of space incorporates a well-equipped kitchen, light filled dayroom, and cosy yet generous family seating area. There are double doors opening to the conservatory where the views are incredible. The French doors in both the dayroom and conservatory encourage spilling out on to the terraces. A combination of underfloor heating and made to measure ceiling blinds ensure that the conservatory is a room for all year round.

From the kitchen a passageway looking out to the fields and courtyard leads to the outstanding laundry room, guest cloakroom, shower room and extensively fitted boot room. Stairs rise to a sitting room and guest bedroom where French windows and a Juliette balcony provide a delightful east facing aspect overlooking the courtyard and the tapestry of fields beyond.

Moving back to the primary staircase and the voluminous hall with fantastic natural light, we proceed to the generous landing areas which lead to four spacious double bedrooms, three of which have ensuite facilities, with the fourth enjoying sole use of the large, stunning house bathroom. The principal bedroom suite is a show stopper; a large room with space for relaxed seating, a double height bedroom with ceiling rising into the trussed roof space, a private south facing balcony with stunning views and a gracious, curved staircase to a comprehensively fitted dressing room and a high end, elegantly appointed bathroom. The second and third bedrooms both have ensuite shower rooms and a range of fitted furniture comprising wardrobe, drawers, bookcase and a dressing table or desk. They are dual aspect with window seats. The fourth double bedroom has the original cast iron fireplace and built-in Victorian wardrobe. It is also dual aspect with a window seat and has use of the impressive ‘marble’ bathroom situated opposite, so named because of the floor and wall tiles and wash basin console. The last word in luxury, there is not only a large rainfall shower, but a roll top bath positioned to command a wonderful south facing view down the valley.

Step outside
Upon arrival, electric gates flanked by the original stone pillars are set back from the lane and open to a large block paved area with ample space for parking and turning. There is a double detached garage with mezzanine level and an adjoining bike/garden machinery store. To the rear is a covered log store.

A short flight of original stone steps leads up to the front door and a sandstone flagged path which then extends into an extensive terrace that wraps around three sides of the house. Floral borders line the terrace, brimming with lavender, roses, nepeta, hydrangeas, camelias and many more traditional garden favourites, together with scented climbers. The terrace garden is both colourful and fragrant and offers a choice of private places for outdoor garden furniture for dining and relaxation. The south facing views are of the gardens and the patchwork of fields beyond.

The gardens, like the house, have been designed for easy maintenance. They are a delight; it will feel like you live in your own parkland. Friarsfield has seen many hide-and-seek and croquet games over the years and there have been a few marquees for celebrations, a family wedding and charity event.

Wisteria framed stone steps lead from the terrace to the main garden lying to the south and east of the house. Lawned, there are mature trees and rhododendrons throughout the grounds and framing distant views. The established well-stocked planted islands introduce a wide variety of seasonal structure and colour. A large circular formal pond with fountain, in keeping with the period of the house, not only adds a focal point but provides the soothing sound of cascading water. There is a woodland area bordering a well maintained beck with its seasonal wildflowers. Beyond the lawn, parkland fencing separates the paddock currently used as an orchard and relaxation area. The paddock attracts lots of wildlife; there are regular sightings of hares, deer, hedgehogs and woodpeckers. A delightful arbour makes a sheltered spot for seating and is positioned to capture a view of the quaint church with the gently rolling fells in the background. Those considering growing their own fruit and
vegetables will find the raised beds of interest, as well as the orchard. There is lots of space for new horticultural ventures if desired.

The enclosed private rear courtyard is laid with cobbles and flags with planted borders and climbing roses. The centrepiece is a stone faced circular pond with a granite feature creating the therapeutic sound of running water. Around the courtyard are a small range of outhouses; the largest houses the boiler for the main house and has a large storeroom with plumbing and spaces for a second washer and dryer. The smaller outhouse, with its stable door, known as the 'goat house', accommodates the secondary boiler and there is an adjoining discreet gated area for bin and recycling box storage. 

To the side of the house, external steps lead down into the cellar rooms which houses the hot water storage tanks (the central heating extends to this floor). One room is complete with the original stone compartments for wine storage.

The garden and grounds are bordered by stone walls, park and stock fencing allowing peace of mind for those with pets or younger children. There are comprehensive external, stylish and practical lightings and provision of outside taps.

Included in the sale

High-end curtains, curtain poles, blinds, upholstered window seat cushions and carpets.

Domestic appliances as follows: Rangemaster stove, extractor fan and microwave (both NEFF), Gaggenau fridge, instant hot water tap, all of which are in the main kitchen. Matching the kitchen cabinets, the free standing dresser and console unit in the day area. Desk/storage unit in the sitting room. Bookcase in drawing room and all fitted furniture in bedrooms two and three.

Available by way of further negotiation are the free standing appliances; washing machine, tumble dryer and freezer (all Miele) in the laundry room. Some items of furniture including Zoffany sofas, items from And So to Bed, the drawing room carpet from The Rug Company and high-end light fittings (many of which are from Porta Romana, Vaughan or Hector Finch).

Services

Mains electricity and water.
Oil fired central heating from two Grant boilers located in outhouses. There is either underfloor heating or period style radiators throughout. Private drainage to a septic tank (Klargester) located discreetly within the grounds (serviced at least annually). Security alarm and external CCTV. Intercom entrance on electric gates. Programmable Smart lighting. Surround sound speakers in ceilings or walls (capable of connection to Sonos or Sky) in living kitchen, drawing room, dining hall, hallways, laundry room, conservatory and the outside terrace. LED downlighting in all hall, stairs and landing areas, living kitchen and some ensuite bathrooms.