Haslingfield Manor, 5 High Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

A House with Royal Heritage
Originally constructed in the mid-16th century by Thomas Wendy, physician to Henry VIII, and host to Queen Elizabeth I during her 1564 progress to Cambridge, Haslingfield Manor is one of Cambridgeshire’s most historically significant private homes.

What remains today is a beautifully preserved and imaginatively reimagined portion of a once vast H-plan mansion. Two timber-framed bays have survived the centuries, their roofline elevated in the late 17th century to create three elegant storeys. Crossing a late 1600s red brick bridge over the original moat, you arrive at a house that seamlessly blends timeworn grandeur with deeply contemporary design.

Interiors by Ilse Crawford
The current owners commissioned Studio Ilse, led by globally renowned designer Ilse Crawford, to reimagine the interiors with a sense of understated elegance and emotional warmth. Her portfolio includes Soho House New York, Babington House, Ett Hem in Stockholm, and Duddell’s in Hong Kong, and her influence is unmistakable here.

The result is a series of exquisitely detailed, liveable spaces:
- A drawing room that opens via double doors to the beautifully designed gardens
- A kitchen and breakfast room complete with original wine cellar
- A library, study, and additional reception rooms that offer both intimacy and scale

Throughout, natural textures, muted tones, and tactile materials celebrate the building’s fabric while creating an unmistakably modern home.

Accommodation Overview
The accommodation is laid out across three principal floors:

- Entrance Hall, Drawing Room, Library, Sitting Room, Study, Reception Room, Kitchen/Breakfast Room (with Wine Cellar), Play Room, Laundry Room, and Cloakrooms

- First Floor:
- Principal Bedroom Suite with His and Hers Dressing Rooms, Walk-in Wardrobe, Ensuite Bathroom (with rolltop bath, large walk-in shower), and a private yoga room/snug
- Two further ensuite bedrooms, both with dressing areas

- Second Floor:
- Three additional bedrooms and a family bathroom

Ancillary buildings include a garage converted to a home gym, potting shed, and practical storage spaces.

Gardens by Dan Pearson
Internationally acclaimed landscape designer Dan Pearson—recipient of multiple RHS Chelsea Gold Medals and creator of the Delos Garden at Sissinghurst was commissioned to bring his naturalistic philosophy to the grounds of Haslingfield Manor.

Set within a moated island, the gardens offer a poetic interplay of structure and softness, with:
- A formal rose garden
- Kitchen garden and greenhouse
- Grass tennis court
- Children’s play area nestled among mature trees
- Wood-fired hot tub for evenings under the stars
- Gently flowing lawns and artfully planted borders designed for year-round interest

Every sightline has been considered. Every path leads to somewhere restful, somewhere surprising.

In Summary
Discreetly positioned yet richly storied, Haslingfield Manor is a home unlike any other—where royal history meets contemporary design, and landscape and architecture speak the same quiet, timeless language. Just outside one of the UK’s most vibrant cities, this is a rare chance to own one of Cambridgeshire’s most important homes, carefully restored and curated for 21st-century life.