Downton Abbey meets Waitaki

527 Burnside Road, Oamaru. Vendor: Alison and Bruce Albiston.

BURNSIDE HOMESTEAD, 527 BURNSIDE RD, OAMARU

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SIZE: Land 5.1866ha, house approx 610sq m + coach house 110sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: More than $2 million (including chattels).

INSPECT: By appointment.

ON THE WEB: bayleys.co.nz/550697

SCHOOL ZONES: Five Forks School, Weston School, Oamaru Intermediate, St Kevin’s College, Waitaki Girls’ and Waitaki Boys’.

CONTACT: Sue Morton and Bronwen Byers, Bayleys, 027 600 5777 (Sue) or 021 622 594 (Bronwen).

AUCTION: December 11, at 3 Deans Ave, Christchurch (unless sold prior).

Guests at Oamaru's historic Burnside Homestead often exclaim they hadn't expected a Downtown Abbey-type experience in New Zealand.

The visually elaborate boutique B&B homestead set in parklands in Waitaki bears the vestiges of life eased by servants, right down to the working bell system. These days the inhabitants of the cook's kitchen, butler's servery and maid's scullery are the homestead's owners of 40 years, Bruce and Alison Albiston.

Bruce's chaplaincy background took him and former nurse-midwife Alison to the South Island, and buying Category I registered historic home Burnside cemented their future there.

Bruce says: "When we laid eyes on the homestead we fell in love with it. We love historic buildings."

The extravagantly ornamented grand-bay villa adorned with sweeping verandas has a separate coach house and is in park-like gardens of more than 5ha and around 400 mature trees, designed under the tutelage of early English designer Joseph Paxton.

A New Zealand Prime Minister and executives associated with The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe film are among those who've stayed here. Descendants of Antarctic expeditionary Robert Falcon Scott stayed for a week for 100-year commemorations of his ship arriving in Oamaru to break the news his party had perished.

The name "Burnside", for someone living beside a burn or stream, reflects the Scottish heritage of John Forrester Reid, who built the homestead around 1900.

Rooms surround an octagonal "Great Hall", which opens up like a small cathedral lit by high rose glass windows.

Image 1 of 11: A century of history lives in kauri hallways of villa that has attracted heads of government and movie moguls.

The author of a book about historic houses wrote that she felt as much awe entering the homestead as walking into Venice's St Mark's Square. Exquisite original detailing includes patterned leadlights, ornately crafted fireplaces and painstakingly hand grained kauri doors.

Original antique furniture remained with Burnside as it became the country home of the Hudson family of manufacturers Cadbury Fry Hudson and then the Albistons' property. This tradition will continue as the extensive chattels list includes an impressive Jacobean black oak dining suite carved with the features of "Braveheart" William Wallace. Insurance will be transferred to new owners.

The room-like central hall and the dining room are accompanied by a graceful drawing room, a billiards room and a conservatory opening to the rose garden. Dinners for booked groups sometimes include fruit from the heritage orchard.

There are four guest suites and bedrooms in the main home and the servants' original back wing includes three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, bathroom and laundry.

The Albistons created an apartment in former attic rooms, which has a sitting area, study, sewing area, bedroom, en suite and walk-in wardrobe.

Bruce says the the homestead is light and comfortable with central heating.

Its triple barn can shelter three vehicles.

New owners can decide whether to maximise business or to embrace it as their own glorious private homestead.