It's so easel on the eye (From Free Press Series)

It's so easel on the eye

The home of internationally renowned artist and author Ron Ranson is on the market for someone with a love of the countryside and a taste for elegance.

Ron and his wife Darlis are moving to the USA, leaving behind their imposing five-bedroomed Clanna Gardens home near the village of Alvington in the Forest of Dean.

Apart from his 27 books, Ron, who has earned a worldwide following, has been teaching watercolour painting to students at his home.

That accounts for the artists' studio with room for up to 17 students - just one of a number of unusual and attractive features of Clanna.

The house is approached by a long, brick-built drive under a canopy of lime trees.

There are two paddocks and a garden set within a ten feet high brick wall - reputedly the largest walled garden in Gloucestershire. There is also a tennis court, woodland, fountains and a small stream.

The house has stone terracing in front. To the right are greenhouses and the Artist's Studio, which could be easily adapted.

Nearly all the many large windows in the house face south, flooding the interior with light.

Beyond the hall, with its twin staircase, is the main reception room with curved ceiling rising to the whole height of the house and lit by a large crystal chandelier.

If that is not breathtaking enough, the room is dominated by the North Light - one piece of glass, ten feet wide and fifteen high.

At first floor level is a Minstrels'Gallery which looks down over the rest of the huge room.

Through French doors is a large Victorian style conservatory with more panoramic views across open countryside and woods to the south and west.

Other features include an en-suite bathroom with marble surfaces and gold-plated fittings. The ornate balustrades are said to have been modeled on those in the Pump Rooms in Bath.

A balcony overlooks the garden with views to the Severn Estuary in the distance.

The walled garden formed part of a large estate in the 1880s, where men toiled to provide the estate's fruit and vegetables. On one corner stood a large artist's studio with its huge north light.

A hundred years later the garden and the almost derelict studio were purchased and restored. The rest of the house was then added, using handmade bricks to match the original building.

In 1994 the property was bought by its present owner and budding artists have been coming from all over the world to attend his workshops.

An annual art exhibition has been staged at Clanna Gardens for four days each September, drawing hundreds of visitors.

The property is ideal for equestrian activities. The two paddocks will accommodate several horses, and riding trails abound in the area.

The only thing to disturb the peace is the occasional call of a pheasant, and yet Bristol, Gloucester and Cheltenham are an easy commute away.

The agents are Archer and Co of High Street, Chepstow, and the house is on the market for £875,000.

For more information ring 01291 626262; e-mail property@archerandco.com, or check out the website at www.archerandco.com