Be the Lord or Lady of Fardel Manor: medieval Dartmoor home linked to Sir Walter Raleigh and Pocahontas comes with its own chapel and lordship

Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh's former family home has been listed for sale in Devon, complete with its own 13th-century chapel and the chance to buy the official lordship title of the property.

Grade I-listed, stone-built Fardel Manor on the southern fringes of Dartmoor has a fascinating history, dating back thousands of years.

It was recorded in the Domesday survey of 1086 as a Saxon estate named Ferdendalle but the Fardel Stone, found used as a bridge across the stream in the grounds in the 19th century and now in the British Museum, has a bilingual inscription in Latin and Ogam seemingly referring to a chieftain from some time between the 5th and 8th centuries.

Raleigh's father lived here at the beginning of the 16th century before passing it to Walter's brother. Walter himself visited often, as did one of his ship's captains John Rolfe, husband of the real-life Pocahontas. Their seven-year-old son is believed to have been brought up at Fardel after she died.

The current owner is Father Benedict Ramsden, an archpriest in the Russian Orthodox Church, who has lived there with his wife Lilah since 2001. Their three daughters have lived in the separate three-bedroom cottage in the grounds at various times.

Father Benedict has worked closely with English Heritage on renovations over the past 17 years. Highlights of his tenure include remodelling the chimneys and turning the library, which was split into five rooms in the 1950s, back into a gallery.

A THOROUGHLY MODERN MANOR
The house itself includes four bedrooms, one ensuite, and a screens room - formerly the Medieval Hall - with a huge central fireplace. There is a drawing room, dining room and study. Modcons like the fitted kitchen, central heating and contemporary bathrooms have been thoughtfully integrated.

Outside are five acres of land, a lake, a gorgeous swimming pool, a rose garden and an orangery. Stone walls and high hedges offer excellent privacy from the neighbouring farm, and don't be surprised to find resident peacocks roaming around.

Now approaching his eighties, Father Benedict is selling up to move to his smaller and more manageable property in nearby Totnes.

Emma Tallack from the Exeter branch of Jackson-Stops estate agents who are marketing the manor, described visiting as "like stepping back in time".

"I've never been to a property like it," she says. "I went in the side door and there was coffee boiling on the Aga. It's not as overwhelmingly massive as you think it's going to be once you're inside and the grounds are absolutely stunning."

Emma reckons the next owner will be "an eccentric, maybe a pop star", or at least someone who is "really into period properties and doesn't mind putting money into the upkeep".

"It's in great condition throughout and certainly isn't shabby, but maintenance costs will be pretty high and the garden could do with a bit of TLC," she says, encouraging potential buyers to consider how they could make the place their own.

"People might look at the chapel and wonder why they'd want one, but if you took out the current owner's stuff it would make a really good party barn."

As for the lordship, it isn't automatically transferred to the new owner. Father Benedict bought it for £5,000 and could still hold onto it despite no longer living there, but would "probably sell it on" along with certain items of furniture.

Fardel Manor is on the market through Jackson-Stops for offers in excess of £2million.