Luxury fashion founder Roger Saul lists historic Sharpham Park Estate for £8 million

By Laura Linham

13th Jun 2023 | Local News

Roger Saul, the founder of luxury fashion brand Mulberry, which started in Shepton Mallet has decided to sell his home at Sharpham Park.

With a price tag of £8 million, the property is being marketed by Carter Jonas Rural and Roderick Thomas in collaboration with Christie's International Real Estate.

Spanning over 268 acres, the estate boasts a rich history dating back to the Bronze Age. It comprises a magnificent 15th-century manor house, quaint cottages, a deer park, thriving orchards, an organic farm, and a mill.

The estate's traditions, architecture, and historical significance have been a source of inspiration for the Mulberry brand.

The first lot, available as a whole or in smaller portions, features exquisite gardens, an indoor swimming pool, a tennis court, stables, a cider orchard, meadows, and a stunning 44-acre woodland.

The second lot encompasses the 24-acre Mill complex, which includes its own private drive, farm buildings, and timber-clad structures showcasing an elegant 18th-century stone-fronted showroom. The property also boasts a solar plant, a carp pond, a fruit orchard, meadows, and a 250-tree organic walnut orchard with a production facility. Additionally, two further lots consist of 200 acres of organic arable pastureland.

Roger Saul and his wife Monty first acquired a portion of Abbots Sharpham in 1977, later acquiring the remainder of the estate.

They embarked on a remarkable historical restoration journey, planting 4,000 English hardwood trees in 1993. In 2003, the farmland was transformed into an organic haven, a deer park was created, and walnut and fruit tree orchards were meticulously planted, accompanied by extensive avenues and hedges. A purpose-built spelt mill with offices and a warehouse was established in 2007.

Today, the estate is home to red deer, Shropshire sheep, and the birthplace of the renowned Sharpham Park organic food brand, which originated from their spelt crops.

Owned by the Abbots of Glastonbury for over 300 years, the estate witnessed significant historical events. Richard Whiting, the last abbot of Glastonbury, was taken from his beloved kitchen at Sharpham in 1539 to face trial and ultimately be hung, drawn, and quartered by Henry VIII's commissioners. Notable figures such as Sir Edward Seymour, an Elizabethan poet, and Henry Fielding, the acclaimed author of Tom Jones, who was born in the Harlequin chamber in 1707, have also called Abbotts Sharpham their home.

Abbotts Sharpham's remarkable ambience also served as the backdrop for the debut of Mulberry Home's interiors collection in the 1990s. The collection's features, showcased in the renowned Elle Decoration's inaugural edition by editor Ilse Crawford, continue to inspire the house's decor today.

     

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