A property built as the prelude to the famously unfinished Woodchester Mansion is up for sale.

The lodge house 'Scarhill', sits on the drive to Woodchester Mansion in Stroud and was built in approximately 1860 by the same Leigh family.

Designed by Benjamin Bucknall, the Grade II listed property has been well cared for by just two families; the Leighs and since, the Wooldridge family and descendants.

William Leigh's granddaughters Blanche and Beatrice Leigh occupied the property until its sale to the Wooldridge family in 1949.

Devout Catholics the Leigh sisters were responsible for the creation of St Joseph's Catholic Church in Nympsfield and the associated primary school, still operational today.

Agents for the property, Sage Residential said: "Scarhill is a welcoming, well-balanced and unpretentious property while at the same time showcasing a breath-taking arrangement of high-Victorian Gothic-style architecture.

"Internally the stone vaulted ceilings are mimicked by curvaceous stone mullioned windows each with a generous window seat."

The property also features a farmhouse-style kitchen, pantry, sitting room, dining room, four double bedrooms, double garage and workshop.

The advert on Rightmove adds: "Outside, the property is set in just over one acre of garden, a well-used family space which is predominantly laid to lawn.

"The gardens are flanked by National Trust woodland, land belonging to the nearby Gliding Club and the adjoining 3.3 acres (approximately) of private pastureland (available for sale by separate negotiation)."

The property is on the market with a freehold guide price of £1.2million.