A beautiful 19th-Century mansion that once belonged to Queen Elizabeth II’s late cousin is now available as a holiday let
Bixley Manor, in picturesque Norfolk, England, was home to Lady Mary Colman who served as an extra lady -in-waiting to Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy.
She was married to Sir Timothy, a member of the famous Colman Mustard family and Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk.
The couple, whose wedding was attended by the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, both died in 2021.
Now, after refurbishment, their sprawling country pile has been listed as a “haven of privacy and luxury” on the holiday letting site kate & tom’s.
The manor, a 10 minutes’ drive from Norwich, is fit for a king with 10 bedrooms, nine bathrooms, and spectacular grounds complete with tennis court, hot tub, swimming pool, and croquet lawn.
Its dining room has a variety of original features, while the huge property also boasts music and games rooms, a library, and an open fire.
The gardens, designed by Lady Colman and Sir Timothy, are said to be an “ever-giving festival of flora” with a “magic carpet” of open lawn, flowering borders, and diverse woodland.
There is also an al-fresco dining terrace with gas barbeque, a rose arbour, a wildlife pond, and kid’s play equipment, according to kate & tom’s.
Children and up to three dogs are welcome, while there is parking for 10 cars – ideal for hen parties, which are considered “upon request”.
The manor is currently available for a two-night mid-week break for up to 20 people for just £1,850.
Its website says: “Sip gin under cerulean skies in a magic carpet of a garden created by Sir Timothy and Lady Mary Colman.
“Bixley Manor in Norfolk sleeps 20 family and friends happy to swim in the pool, hang out in the hot tub, load the logburners and snuggle up for Netflix nights in a high-ceilinged haven of privacy and luxury.”
Lady Mary, née Bowes-Lyon, was related to the Queen through the Queen Mother as the daughter of Captain Michael Bowes-Lyon and Elizabeth Margaret Cator.
She was the twin sister of Lady Patricia Bowes Lyon and sister to Fergus, the 17th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and to the Honourable Albermarle Bowes Lyon.
Captain Bowes-Lyon, who served in the Army, was one of the four brothers of the Queen Mother.
She married Sir Timothy in 1951, aged 19, at St Bartholomew-the-Great at Smithfields in London, and the pair moved to Bixley Manor, on the outskirts of Trowse, Norfolk, in 1953.
Lady Colman and Sir Timothy both died in 2021 aged 88 and 91 respectively.
Images: kate & tom’s.
