An Elizabethan manor house in Norfolk, built by the man who arrested Guy Fawkes and which sold at auction four years ago, is now for sale again for a “record-breaking” price-tag after a major project to restore and renovate it.

An Elizabethan manor house in Norfolk, built by the man who arrested Guy Fawkes and which sold at auction four years ago, is now for sale again for a “record-breaking” price-tag after a major project to restore and renovate it.

Ashwellthorpe Hall, near Norwich, is for sale with Strutt & Parker for a guide price of £2.95 million, making it one of, if not the most expensive, residential properties to come on the market in Norfolk.

The property restored by a private UK company, has been kept as one huge house instead of being divided up and boasts six bedrooms, six en suites, an au pair's apartment, coach house and 18 acres among other features.

Alastair Brown, of Strutt & Parker, said: “This is a beautifully restored country house, one of the most prestigious and expensive ever to be on the market in Norfolk. It is particularly individual because of its Elizabethan origins and the moat and lake. There are some wonderful walks within the fantastic gardens and grounds".

Only entire estates like Intwood Hall, offering more than 700 acres and several additional properties, have sold for more and with the prime market in Norfolk and North Suffolk being around the £1.5-£2 million mark, pushing the £3 million barrier is considered to be setting a new standard in house prices.

Louis de Soissons, director of Savills, said: “There are no houses which have sold for close to £3 million in Norfolk; that is breaking ground.”

However, Ashwellthorpe Hall is the latest in a long line of prestigious country house to come on the market in this area - many of which have sold extremely quickly. Sheringham Hall, a National Trust property, was for sale earlier this year with Savills for a guide of £2.35 million and last week it exchanged contracts. Savills alone has sold six houses in excess of £1.5 million since January.

This comes as gloom surrounds the housing market however the prime sector in Norfolk is staying relatively strong because buyers often come from outside the county, although do have connections with the region, and most are not affected by the credit squeeze because they do not need to borrow funds and have a good credit history.

The sale of Ashwellthorpe Hall comes four years after it sold at auction, the first time in almost 50 years that the property had come on the market.

Built in around 1600 by Sir Thomas Knyvett, who was the man who arrested Guy Fawkes, the hall remained the family home for more than 300 years and has only changed hands four times.

The property, mentioned in Sir Nicholas Pevsner's Buildings of England, is of architectural merit with restored mullioned windows and octagonal chimney flues. It has been beautifully restored throughout with original features retained and restored with large reception rooms painted in period colours and some exceptional en suite bathrooms installed. Of particular note is a stunning designer kitchen and a new oak staircase has also been added.

Ashwellthorpe Hall is for sale for a guide of £2.95 million with Strutt & Parker on 01603 617431.