Luxury Derbyshire home with links to railway pioneer and England's greatest gardener goes on sale at £2.295m

A stunning historic residence  - where a noted railway engineer once tested out his groundbreaking new designs - has gone on the market.
The Laurels, DuffieldThe Laurels, Duffield
The Laurels, Duffield

The Laurels was formerly a workshop for the renowned railway engineer, Sir Arthur Heywood, who built the Duffield Bank Railway in 1874.

At the residence he refined his prototypes for "portable railways" for agricultural and military use on the 1.6km track which served six stations and featured tunnels and sharp gradients.

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He foresaw possibilities for military railways behind the lines carrying ammunition and supplies and the steep hillsides around The Laurels were an ideal testing ground for his theories.

A small section of the railway'sremains can still be found within the gardensA small section of the railway'sremains can still be found within the gardens
A small section of the railway'sremains can still be found within the gardens

To demonstrate how versatile such a line could be, he added both freight cars and passenger coaches, as well as a sleeping car with toilet and a diner with cooking compartment.

A small section of the railway's remains can still be found within the gardens of the five bedroomed property which now boasts a wealth of modern improvements and upmarket features.

But that's not the only impressive historic connection of the property - parts of the gardens are thought to have been designed by the renowned Capability Brown and Joseph Paxton. Lacelot "Capability" Brown is generally accepted as England's Greatest Gardener - having designed more than 170 parks, many of which still endure.

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Today it features delightful stone walkways through woodland, edged by walling with outdoor lighting to a plethora of seating areas.

The property includes its own tennis courtThe property includes its own tennis court
The property includes its own tennis court

Inside, The Laurels extends to about 6,095 sq ft and includes a two bedroom coach house with its own garage, an impressive five bay garage building with roof terrace, a pool building, tennis court, extensive greenhouse and bandstand.

It also boasts a stunning setting within gardens and grounds of about 5.71 acres. The Laurels sits in a lovely elevated position on Duffield Bank, a designated Conservation Area on the edge of the large village of Duffield which enjoys fabulous views over the Ecclesbourne Valley.

The majority of rooms are of grand proportions with a grand reception hallway, extensive range of reception rooms spacious kitchen, five bedrooms, two with en suites and three further bathrooms.

Viewings are strictly by appointment through Fisher German LLP. Telephone: 01530 410840. Email: [email protected].

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