A haunted 16th Century mansion once visited by two monarchs and Oliver Cromwell is now on the market.
Old Forde House, dating from the 1540s, has welcomed guests including King Charles I, King William III and the Lord Protector of England, Oliver Cromwell.
The Grade One listed property sits on eight acres of grounds, with lawns, mature trees, a car park – and several resident ghosts, as reported by Luxury Property News.
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Teignbridge Council, the current owner, is seeking offers of around £1.5million after the cost of keeping the old house going became too high.
A council statement said: “While the decision to sell was not easy, it reflects the council’s commitment to responsible asset and financial management.
“By selling Old Forde House, the hope is that a new owner will be able to invest in and celebrate this important heritage asset for years to come.”
The sale is now being handled by agents, and the listing highlights the mansion’s royal connections and historic pedigree.
It says: “The present house was built around 1550 and substantially enlarged around 1610 by Sir Richard Reynell, Member of Parliament for Mitchell in Cornwall and his wife Lucy Brandon.
“The house was built with an E-shaped floor plan which may have been an honour of Queen Elizabeth I who had recently died.
“In September 1625 King Charles I stayed at the house overnight on his way to Plymouth to inspect the fleet and enjoyed dinner in the main hall.
“This was followed by a court which the King held in the dining room where he knighted the hosts nephews, Richard Reynell, his brother Thomas Reynell and John Yonge eldest son of the diarist Walter Yonge.
“He returned later and stayed for a further two nights and slept in the first floor rooms adjoining the drawing room which was probably the Reynell’s own bedroom.
“During the Civil War, Forde House gave shelter to Oliver Cromwell and Colonel Fairfax on 24th January 1646 on their way to capture Dartmouth before the second Siege of Exeter.
“We may surmise that the Parliamentarians were somewhat unwelcome guests at Forde, which twenty years previously had entertained a King.
“In 1648 the estate passed to the Courtenay family via marriage of Margaret Waller, only daughter and heiress of Sir William Waller by his wife Jane Reynell the Heiress of Forde.
“William of Orange stayed at the house in 1688 on his way to his coronation in London having landed in Brixham a few days earlier.
“It was on this visit that the prince announced his intention to become King of England for the first time.
“Prince William stayed overnight in the first floor room known ever since as the Orange Room.
“The Courtenay’s moved back to Powderham Castle although Forde House remained in possession of the family until 1762 when the house was let to a succession of occupiers.
“In 1936 the house was sold to Stephen Simpson and then to the Sellick family until its acquisition by Teignbridge District Council in 1978.
“Since then the property had been refurbished by its current owners and used for office and conference space as well as for weddings and other events.
“A modern office building was built in the grounds to serve as the council’s main headquarters.
“The modern office now took the name of Forde House with the old mansion renamed to Old Forde House to distinguish it.”
Old Forde House is famed for its hauntings, often hosting ghost hunts.
Reports include sightings of a woman in a flowing white gown on the ground floor, children’s laughter from the upper floors, doors slamming on their own, and council staff being locked in rooms while feeling constantly watched.
The asking price is available on application from agents Vickery Holman, though £1.5million has been widely cited in reports on the council’s intention to sell.
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