THE former West Somerset home of Brideshead Revisited author Evelyn Waugh is on the market for about £5 million - half a million less than its original price.

Combe Florey House, a 12-bedroom Georgian property and the writer’s home for ten years until his death in 1966, was first put up for sale last April for £5.5 million. A spokesman for estate agents Strutt and Parker said: “It has everything when it comes to the perfect family home, with a tennis court, party barn, swimming pool and 34 acres of land.

“We will now receive offers for more than £5 million.”

Evelyn Waugh bought the Grade II listed house in 1956 for £7,500, three-quarters of his annual income at the time, and died there ten years later at the age of 62.

His son, the writer Auberon Waugh, later bought the house from his mother. After he died in 2001, his family remained at Combe Florey until 2008.

In the Waughs’ time there, the house was visited by celebrities like the poet John Betjeman, actors Peter Cook and Alec Guinness, and writers Salman Rushdie and Muriel Spark.

An Elizabethan house on the land was pulled down after the Civil War and the 18th Century manor house built to replace it. The property was extensively remodelled by William Frauncies in 1730 with fine ceiling mouldings, panelled doors, chimney-pieces and original stone and wooden floors throughout. 

The property has more than 16,000 sq ft of living space arranged over four floors with wine cellars and storage in the basement, kitchen/breakfast room, family room, library, study, drawing room, dining room, sitting room, 12 bedrooms and seven bathrooms.

There is also an orangery, a three-bedroom cottage, workshops and a coachhouse, as well as the party barn and pool house. The grounds include a pond and fountain, a courtyard, three inter-connecting walled gardens and parkland and pasture.

The Strutt and Parker spokesman added: “It’s rare to find a house of such good stature, standard and significance as Combe Florey House, and one with such a fascinating and rich history.

“There’s a lot to offer here for potential buyers. As with many Georgian country homes, their proportions and elegance stand the test of time, making them well suited to modern family life.

“This part of the world has been somewhat of a well-kept secret and Combe Florey House is a hidden gem that’s been well looked after over the years.

“The length of time it’s spent in the ownership of the Waugh family is testament to how treasured it has been as a family home.”