A collection of 60 or so properties dotted around 4½ acres of manicured lawn in the shadow of Salisbury Cathedral, The Close is probably one of the grandest settings in England.

Now, one of its larger and most historic Georgian houses, the Walton Canonry, is for sale for £3.5m. Set in 1.5 acres, the Grade I-listed property comes with single bank fishing rights on the River Avon, which flows past the bottom of the garden, and uninterrupted views across water meadows.

Rushing in where angels feared to tread — and where English Heritage keeps a watchful eye on every stone — Adam Mills, a retired company director, and his wife, Patricia, bought the house almost a decade ago, and have spent six years and an undisclosed sum restoring the ground and raised ground floors.

“It was semi-derelict when we moved in,” says Mills. “The damp rose 5ft up the walls, and the original kitchen was boarded up and mouldering.”

The seven-bedroom home is filled with light, has high, decorative ceilings and panelled reception rooms. Many of the original features remain, including fireplaces with marble surrounds, stone flooring, wooden shutters and even wax on the inner door of the cellar, used to detect whether servants had crept down there when the owners were away.

The Mills — who succeeded in buying the freehold from the deanery after a long struggle — have done just as much work outside, transforming what was little more than a field into a knot garden with a terrace. They are now selling up and looking for somewhere that is smaller, and a little less of a challenge.

“Understandably, my wife wants to spend more time with the grandchildren than the builders, even though I think she has become a deeply skilled clerk of works,” says Mills.

The Walton Canonry has an illustrious pedigree of owners, including Canon Isaac Walton, the son of Izaac “The Compleat Angler” Walton, after whom it is named. Its former non-ecclestiastical tenants, who had to be vetted by the deanery, include Rex Whistler, the artist, Robert Key, the MP for Salisbury, and the author Leslie Thomas. Sir Edward Heath, the former prime minister, lived next door.

So, who will be next? “These grand houses attract a more discerning clientele,” says David Ruddock, the selling agent. “Someone who might have made their money in the City and wants to retire to a grand house with stature.”

The Walton Canonry is for sale for £3.5m with Savills, 01722 426 820, www.savills.co.uk

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