Global property consultancy, Knight Frank, has been instructed by Inspiring Futures Education to bring to market the former Padworth College, a Georgian mansion with extensive educational facilities, located near Reading, Berkshire.

On the market for offers over £5m, the site is set within 11.04 acres of mature parkland and offers more than 51,000sq ft of buildings.

At its heart is Padworth House, a distinguished Grade II*-listed Georgian mansion extending to 21,600sq ft across four floors.

Period features are found throughout, including a dramatic double-height entrance hall with vaulted ceilings, original fireplaces, intricate cornicing, and French doors that frame sweeping views of the surrounding countryside.

And the wider grounds include clusters of mature woodland, lawned terraces and a pond.

Surrounding the main house is a range of specialist educational buildings and facilities, including extensive boarding and teaching accommodation, outbuildings, and leisure amenities such as a gym, heated outdoor swimming pool, and tennis courts.

Together, they form a self-contained campus with clear potential for a wide variety of future uses.

Padworth’s origins date back to the Domesday Book of 1086, when the land was recorded as being held by William de Eu.

The current house stands on what is believed to be the site of the medieval manor once held by the Coudray family from the 13th Century.

The earliest surviving element of the current building is the eastern wing, where internal oak beams date from the late 15th Century.

The estate was significantly remodelled in 1769 by London merchant and Governor of St Thomas’ Hospital, Thomas Brightwell, who commissioned architect, John Hobcraft, to redesign it in the prevailing Georgian style.

Of note is the decorative plasterwork by Joseph Rose, a master craftsman famed for his work in the style of the Adam brothers.

The house remained in private ownership until 1963, when it became Padworth College.

The college was founded by Oxford academic, Peter Fison, with a mission to bring a tutorial-style approach to sixth form education.

Initially established as a girls’ boarding school, it became co-educational in 2005 and joined the Inspiring Futures Education group in 2018.

After marking its 60th anniversary in 2023, a strategic decision was made in 2025 to close the school, bringing this unique estate to market.

Charlie Freer, director of Inspiring Futures Education, said: “It has been a privilege to steward Padworth College.

“With its extraordinary heritage and idyllic setting, we are confident that the next chapter will honour the site’s legacy while unlocking its full potential.”

Padworth College combines countryside seclusion with excellent connectivity as the estate is ideally situated just nine miles from Reading, with access to high-speed train services to London Paddington in under 30 minutes.

And the M4 motorway is only six miles away, providing swift road links to Heathrow Airport (approximately 40 minutes by car) and Central London.

Emma Cleugh, head of education and charities at Knight Frank, said: “Padworth College is a truly-exceptional opportunity, combining historical gravitas, architectural elegance, and extensive operational infrastructure in a stunning parkland setting.

“Opportunities of this scale and heritage rarely come to market.

“While the site’s most-recent use has been as a boarding school under the C2 planning class, the property presents potential for a range of alternative uses, subject to obtaining the necessary consents.

“These may include day or boarding education, senior living, residential development, healthcare, or hospitality.”