THE imposing former Eden home of Margaret Thatcher's distinguished right hand man, Willie Whitelaw, is being offered for sale with a guide price of almost £1.7m.

Viscount Whitelaw was a stalwart of the Conservative party for 28 years, holding numerous offices in Cabinet and entertaining many dignitaries from his Penrith home, Ennim.

Now, the illustrious property is being sold by H&H King of Penrith with a guide price of £1,695,000.

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The seven-bedroom house - which has its own gate lodge and is surrounded by nine acres of grounds, gardens and woodland - was acquired in 2001 by the current owner from Celia Whitelaw, widow of the former MP for Penrith and the Border.

Since then the property has been refurbished to a high standard, and now offers an excellent quality of living surrounded by beautiful grounds and countryside.

Richard Stronach, managing director of H&H King said: “Willie Whitelaw was a great ambassador for Cumbria and we are delighted to have been invited to sell his former home, as many would say if only the walls could talk.

"It is rare that a property with such an interesting past comes on the market, and it is even rarer for it to be of such a high quality.

"Ennim is a truly special place and provides everything a buyer could wish for; an intriguing history, stunning period features, modern amenities and an idyllic location.”

Throughout Ennim’s history, the property has been used for entertaining, and today still offers ample opportunity to do just that with reception rooms and a large dining room, complete with ornate mahogany chimney piece. There is a large kitchen, recently refurbished, and a second smaller kitchen with a four oven AGA, pantry and scullery.

Overlooking the gardens the library has been maintained in its original style, with fitted handcrafted shelving and a carved oak mantle over the fireplace. Upstairs, the master suite offers commanding dual aspect views across the countryside, with an additional dressing room with fitted units and a large ensuite bathroom. In addition to this there are a further six bedrooms, two of which have dressing rooms and three which are ensuite.

For more information visit www.hhking.co.uk or call Richard on 01228-810799.