Looking for a home that’s one-of-a-kind?
This place fits the bill.
Annables Manor is a Grade II listed manor house near Harpenden, Hertfordshire, that’s home to something very rare.
That thing is a 300-year-old donkey wheel – one of only two still in existence in England.
Built in the 17th century, the wheel used to draw water from a 145ft deep well.
A donkey named Dink would walk inside the wheel to activate the mechanism and pull up an 18-gallon bucket from the well.
All in all, the process would take 10 to 15 minutes, and saved people from any heavy lifting.
This particular donkey wheel hasn’t been used since 1901, but it’s still in good shape and rotates.
Also still in situ is the brick-lined well – which still has water at the bottom.
By the end of the 19th century, donkey wheels were replaced with mechanical pumps, and as a result, there are just two left in England.
The other is at Carisbrook Castle on the Isle of Wight.
To be able to actually own a house with a donkey wheel is a very rare opportunity.
And the good news is that the house, which is up for sale for £4.95million, is pretty special in itself.
Along with the donkey wheel, the property also has a heated swimming pool, a tennis court, and 5.34 acres of land.
The main house has 5,880 sq ft of accommodation, with a kitchen/breakfast room, a living room, a dining room, a snooker room, an office, a music/family room, a TV room, another kitchen, seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, and a cellar. Whew.
Throughout there are old-school oak beams, solid oak floors, and gorgeous open fireplaces.
Outside sit two period outbuildings, one of which has the donkey wheel. The other could be a great studio or office.
There’s also the swimming pool, a Jacuzzi plunge pool, and a pool house with a sauna. Fancy.
Nick Ingle, from estate agents Savills, said: ‘The house is stunning, it’s a very elegant and stylish country house.
‘It’s a pleasure to show people around and everyone that has viewed it has said what a beautiful house it is, which is testament to how well the owners have looked after it.
‘The donkey wheel is just rather special, it’s like going back in time.
‘It looks a bit like a huge hamster wheel but the craftsmanship and the fact it still turns is just incredible.
‘It’s not every day you can see a donkey wheel, in fact it’s believed to be one of only two left in the country. I just love that you can imagine the olden days when it would have pulled the water out of this very deep well.
‘Kinsbourne Green is a small hamlet so you have got a number of other houses there but the house also looks out over fields.
‘You get the best of both worlds because you have that sense of countryside but you’re only 2.5miles from the fantastic market town of Harpenden.’
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