Knight Frank has been instructed to market a remarkable Georgian mansion near Reading.

Inspiring Futures Education has instructed the property consultant to sell the striking Padworth House with a guide price in excess of £5 million.

The 21,600 sq ft, four-floor, Grade II*-listed property, part of a total of more than 51,000 sq ft of built accommodation, is set within 11.04 acres of mature parkland. It was until recently Padworth College.

Period features are found throughout, including a dramatic double-height entrance hall with vaulted ceilings, original fireplaces, intricate cornicing, and French doors that frame sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. The wider grounds include clusters of mature woodland, lawned terraces and a pond.

Surrounding the main house is a range of specialist educational buildings and facilities, including extensive boarding and teaching accommodation, outbuildings and leisure amenities such as a gym, heated outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts. Together, they form a self-contained campus and Knight Frank says the property offers clear potential for a wide variety of future uses.

Padworth’s origins date back to the Domesday Book of 1086, when the land was recorded as being held by William de Eu. The current house stands on what is believed to be the site of the medieval manor, once held by the Coudray family from the 13th Century. The earliest surviving element of the current building is the eastern wing, where internal oak beams date from the late 15th Century.

The estate was significantly remodelled in 1769 by London merchant and Governor of St Thomas’ Hospital, Thomas Brightwell, who commissioned architect John Hobcraft to redesign it in the prevailing Georgian style.

Of note is the decorative plasterwork by Joseph Rose, a master craftsman famed for his work in the style of the Adam brothers. The house remained in private ownership until 1963, when it became Padworth College.

The college was founded by Oxford academic Peter Fison with a mission to bring a tutorial-style approach to sixth form education. Initially established as a girls’ boarding school, it became co-educational in 2005 and joined the Inspiring Futures Education group in 2018.

After marking its 60th anniversary in 2023, a strategic decision was made in 2025 to close the school.

Charlie Freer, director of Inspiring Futures Education, said: “It has been a privilege to steward Padworth College. With its extraordinary heritage and idyllic setting, we are confident that the next chapter will honour the site’s legacy while unlocking its full potential.”

Emma Cleugh, head of education and charities for Knight Frank, said: “Padworth College is a truly exceptional opportunity, combining historical gravitas, architectural elegance, and extensive operational infrastructure in a stunning parkland setting.

“Opportunities of this scale and heritage rarely come to market. While the site’s most recent use has been as a boarding school under the C2 planning class, the property presents potential for a range of alternative uses, subject to obtaining the necessary consents.

“These may include day or boarding education, senior living, residential development, healthcare or hospitality.”

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