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The beauty and
tranquillity of little known Shropshire can be fully appreciated at
this very unusual house. It stands in a spectacular position
overlooking one of the few Grade 1 landscapes in the country. This
is Hawkstone Park, becoming famous for its follies and magical
walks.
The Hill family were
the great land-owning family of the area, Sir Rowland being the
first Protestant Lord Mayor of London in the middle of the 16th
century. The Citadel was built by a descendant, another Sir Rowland,
for his mother and sister Jane in the 1820s.
Constructed in local
salmon-red sandstone, it is ingeniously designed in the form of
three interlinked towers, set to the points of an isosceles
triangle, and the crenellations and cross-loops give the house more
than a touch of history and romance. Another imaginative feature is
the deep apron terrace of cobbles at the front of the house, framed
by a sandstone retaining wall with bastions at each corner.
The Griffiths family
have lived at the Citadel since 1957, and own the farm, some 200
acres, which surrounds the property.
The front door of studded red pine opens
into an octagonal outer hall, which in turn leads through to the
larger inner hall at the centre of the house.
The west lounge is at
the disposal of guests, and adjoins the billiard room with its
full-size table, again available for use by guests.
The elegant dining
room has a ceiling embossed with vines, here guests experience a
house party atmosphere, eating and chatting around the large Regency
table.
The Hill Room
Two of the bedrooms
are in the towers, and both have en-suite bathrooms.
The third bedroom in-between has en-suite shower and toilet
facilities. All have clear views of the lovely North Shropshire
countryside
Sylvia and her
husband Beverley, enjoy sharing their much loved home, which has
wonderful views from every window, and hope guests will have time to
stroll round the large garden, whose paths meander around and over a
sandstone outcrop.
Round every bend is
something to catch the eye, a Victorian grotto, a shady glade full
of acers and even a walled potager. Pause awhile in the thatched
summerhouse, to look across the Shropshire plain to the Welsh hills
in the distance. |
Bed
and Breakfast Tariff