Glebe Court, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23

Church Manor House has an extensive and significant history which is noted in more detail in the historical note. The main house dates from 16th Century but there were significant alterations in the 18th Century when the building became three storey's and in the 19th faced in brick.

Church Manor House is tucked away amongst residential houses close to the centre of Bishop's Stortford and has provided an outstanding family home for many years. The house is close to some outstanding private and state schools and for the commuter there is easy access to the railway station in Bishop's Stortford with regular services to London Liverpool Street and vehicular access to the M11 motorway J8.

The accommodation, as seen from the floorplan, is well proportioned with bright rooms and good ceiling heights. There is a most impressive entrance hallway with a cloakroom and shower room, and at the front of the property a sitting room and working back a drawing room with views out over the garden, a door through to a dining room. At the back of the house there is a kitchen with Range and useful selection of base and wall storage cupboards. There is also a sitting room with doors which open out to the swimming pool and behind this a plant/pool room, a cloakroom and an additional reception room or storage room.

On the first floor there is a large landing and doors off to the master bedroom suite which has an adjoining dressing room and shower room. There are then seven further bedrooms on two floors which include three bathrooms.

There is a considerable amount of character in most rooms which include panelling, exposed timbers and period fireplaces.

Outside, there are two access driveways to the house leading to two double garages. The grounds are well established and private with a curtilage of mature trees. The remainder of the garden is relatively easily maintained and laid to lawn, a good terrace at the back of the house, various small timber outbuildings and a summer house. Almost immediately behind the house there is a swimming pool with a generous terrace.

The current owners have been generous custodians to the property over a considerable numbers of years but the house is currently too large and is to be sold accepting that there is the need for some repair and more significant modernisation.

Historical Note:
There was mention of a house on the current site from before 1060 when William the Conqueror seized the house, later handing it back to the Church (the Precentor of St Pauls Cathedral) and it was then used as the official residents for visiting Clergy. In the 16th Century the house was demolished and rebuilt as the official manor house of Bishop's Stortford. This house remains but has been greatly altered. It seems that the house began life as a hall house but in the late 18th Century it was heightened to three storeys and in the 19th Century the house was faced in brick giving it the appearance of a Stuart mansion.

Notable owners include Lady Margaret Denny (formerly Lady Margaret Edgecumbe) who was Elizabeth I's favourite maid of honour. Elizabeth I gifted the house to her on the occasion of her marriage to the courtier Edward Denny.

The house had connections with the Denny family until the 18th Century and later the Debarry family who leased the house until the turn of the 20th Century.

There is a note of the sale of the house at auction in 1935.

Bishop’s Stortford is an historic market town lying beside the River Stort, offering a range of shopping, educational, recreational facilities and amenities including The Bishop’s Stortford College, golf club, swimming pool, hospital, arts centre, health and fitness club, theatre groups, restaurants, garages etc. In addition, there is a mainline station providing regular services to London's Liverpool Street, and the M11 is on the eastern outskirts of the town giving access to London, M25, Cambridge and the Midlands. Stansted Airport is about 4 miles from the town and provides an ever-increasing number of destinations.