The Georgian mansion prominent in the TV series Vicar of Dibley and award-winning worldwide murder mystery program Midsomer Murders is up for sale with a £3.95 million asking price. This grade II listed property is located in Buckinghamshire and will certainly not be without its admirers. The correct name is “Missenden House” and it is a prominent attraction in the village of Little Missenden. Perhaps best known as the home of David Horton, the wealthy councillor in the Vicar of Dibley, it certainly has a history to tell.
Missenden Murders
It is not commonly known but the TV series the Midsomer Muders was originally going to be called Missenden Murders. When you bear in mind that the program itself is shown in over 200 different countries around the world this is a property which could actually have worldwide appeal. It is also one of the few which lives up to its billing!
Missenden House
The property itself is 9145 ft.² and dates back to 1729, when it was built for Jonas Deacon, a wealthy East India merchant who requested a Georgian style property. There have obviously been many revamps and changes since the property was originally built but due to the grade II listed status the outer character of the property has been maintained. It now features three reception rooms, eight bedrooms and two annexes.
Even the gardens have a history of their own having been designed by the Chelsea Flower Show gold-medal winner Christopher Bradley-Hole. There is also garage space for six cars dotted around the grounds.
Interior design
The interior design of the property could not be more different from the outside classic Georgian character. Bright lighting, spacious rooms and an array of mod cons and bespoke furniture take you to a different world. There is also a fully functional personal gym with every piece of machinery you could ever hope for to lose those Christmas pounds and keep yourself in shape. The property also has a beautiful glass conservatory which gives you the best of both worlds – indoor protection when the weather is wet and windy or an outside open plan seating area for those long sought-after sunny days.
As you would expect, the grounds of Missenden House are both varied and beautiful with the influence of a professional garden designer more than obvious. It is not difficult to see why this type of property is in great demand amongst TV producers looking for old-style Georgian properties.
New meets old
There has been some criticism of the modern colourful interior design which is at great contrast to the outer Georgian character. However, for £3.95 million the next owner will have the choice to maintain the modern colourful theme or potentially revert back to the property’s original interior characteristics. Whatever happens, there is no doubt that places such as Missenden House are a rare gem in the UK property market. There are obvious constraints with regards to the grade II listed status but the property has a worldwide audience and is already starting to attract attention.