£2m Lake District home with past owners' historic artworks

The four-bedroom home is adorned with a pale pink clematis montana and climbing rose under a traditional Lakeland green slated roof. Lakeland artist Alfred Heaton Cooper felt inspired to capture the home in one of his paintings.

Located above the lower slopes of Lingmoor, the home also offers insipiration in the form of its idyllic south facing views out towards Wetherlam, Coniston Fells, Black Fell and Holme Fell.

The home was bought in 1939 by English sculptor, Josefina de Vasconcellos, who died in 2005 and was at one time was the world's oldest living sculptor. She lived there with her painter husband, Delmar Banner, and their artwork that remains there is included in the sale.

This includes many carvings such three carved slates in the garden, an angel’s head over the kitchen door and a George and the Dragon above the master bedrom door.

There is also a panoramic mural, painted from Delmar's memory, of a 360 degrees mountain scape from the high point of Glaramara overlooking all the Lake District fells. 

It is part of a condition of the sale that the couple's artworks, carved oak cupboards and furniture remain in The Bield as it is such an integral part of the property's history.

The charismatic and atmospheric Lakeland home has three bedrooms, four bathrooms and two receptions rooms. 

Visitors are first greeted by an oak paneled vestibule then by a beamed dining kitchen with a panoramic views to the front. The characterful main sitting room has oak wall paneling, book cases and cupboards.

Also on this floor is Josefina’s former studio, the Muller room, and a utility room. At the opposite end is a garage with double oak doors opening to the front garden with a fantastic views across the valley to the fells.

The first floor also has oak doors as well as exposed roofing timbers in most of rooms. The master bedroom has Delmar's 360 oil mural adjacent to two windows with valley views. Clematis blooms frame the outside of these windows.

There is also two further double bedrooms, a bathroom and a separate annex which was Delmar's painting studio/ former bedroom. In here you will find a dining kitchen, bedroom and wet room.

The house sits in natural gardens of around one acre with a backdrop of hardwood trees, the dramatic cliff face of Lingmoor and a narrow stream.

The gardens house three of Josefina’s slate carved statues with red, blue and amber coloured glass. As the sun rises, they shed coloured shafts of light on the ground. The three stones bear an inscription each; ”The star they followed”, “Let there be light” and “The light shineth the darkness”. 

To find out more about this historic property, visit the RightMove listing or call Fine and Country on 01539 889962.