This “architectural gem” for sale was designed to be a palace and could be a dream renovation project.

Blackborough House, in Blackborough, is a Grade II Listed country mansion that was never completed and is in need of a complete renovation.

The mansion was built in 1838 by George Wyndham, the fourth Earl of Egremont and was designed as an Italianate palace by renowned architect James Thomas Knowles.

But financial problems hit the Earl and his original vision never came to fruition.

The Earl divided the property into two residences, where he lived with his cousin, the local Rector.

It remained a rectory for a while and for a time became a school.

During World War II it was used as a Quaker training centre for conscientious objectors, before later becoming a youth hostel.

It was also used as a car breakers’ yard for some time, where the car collector Ralph Sanders homed numerous old cars.

Inside, Blackborough House has 14 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms and nine reception rooms, split into two sides – the East and West Wing.

In the West Wing there is a galleried library, a triple height stairwell, cinema room and two 70’ foot entrance towers.

Up the stairs to the first floor there are three-bedroom suites and an office, while on the second floor there are four more bedroom suites and a gym.

The second floor also offers a self-contained apartment with two more bedroom suites.

The East Wing, while currently acting as a separate dwelling, can be incorporated into the main house.

This part of the property has three bedroom suites and an open plan living space and kitchen kitted out with roof lanterns.

The grounds spread just over 10 acres and feature a mature woodland, a formal walled garden, a small stream and a swimming pool.The property is nestled in Blackdown Hills, which spreads along the border between Somerset and Devon and has been named an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

It is perched on a hill, overlooking its 10 acres of parkland and the rolling Devon hills.

The current owner has already made a start on the renovation but has been forced to sell as work has taken him out of the country.

When he bought the house, he had environmental sustainability at the forefront of his mind.

With the help of the latest green technology, he has managed to bring the derelict mansion into the 21st century.

He has installed solar panels, a biomass boiler, planted different trees to positively contribute to the environment, replenished the soil and introduced wildlife such as ducks to the land.

The owner, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I was always very clear from the start that I wanted to do up the house being conscious of the environment.

“I thought that the house lent itself very well to showcase historic building techniques with the latest technologies and energy transition for sustainable means.

“To illustrate that we have two huge solar arrays, which are already tailored towards winter production, which means we try and keep the house off grid at all times.

“There is a huge battery storage facility and it’s got about 30 kilo watt hours, which is almost enough to drive to London.

“Even though it is an ostentatious English country house it still can be done up with very green principals.”

The owner bought the house in November 2020 when it was in complete disarray.

He added: “The house was an absolute wreck when I bought it. There was car scrap everywhere so I spent a huge amount of time sorting it out.

“We simply didn’t know what lay underneath the overgrowth, so we found car axles and there was metal all over the place.”

Through extensive work, the owner began to uncover hidden gems like the walled garden and even a swimming pool.

He said: “We just didn’t know how big the walled garden was or what it was like because it was like Jumanji.

"So when we sorted it and found the most beautiful walled garden it was great.”

The property is being sold by estate agent Humberts for £1,495,000.

The current owner commented: “It’s been a very interesting and fun journey - I just don’t have the time to continue it.

“Whoever takes it on will have an incredibly special house and I hope they give it the same love as I have.

“I hope they will care for it and love it as much as I did. And I hope that they will recognise the green opportunity."