Country Life February 2, 2022 Early Property Pages

EVERY WEEK

FEBRUARY 2, 2022

Oodles for poodles We say potato: how the Maris Piper got its name

Lust for lilacs: every garden needs one

ISSUE: 05

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LONDON LIFE

Buchan’s masterpiece: The 39 Steps

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ONE FAMILY SPECIALISING IN FINE FURNITURE SINCE 1866

A pollard burl and turquoise stone inlaid console table, the rectangular moulded edge top above a stone panelled frieze with three drawers, the turned legs joined by a two pollard oak shelves.

One left in stock.

£5,990

Width: 68 inches (173cm) | Depth: 14¾ inches (38cm) | Height: 35 inches (89cm)

NATIONWIDE HOME APPROVAL SERVICE | BESPOKE COMMISSIONS UNDERTAKEN OVER 1,000 ITEMS OF EXCLUSIVE CLASSICAL FURNISHINGS IN STOCK CALL 01491 641115 | WWW.BRIGHTSOFNETTLEBED.CO.UK NETTLEBED

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OXFORDSHIRE

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RG9 5DD (OPEN TUES-SAT)

KING’S RD

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LONDON

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SW6 2DX (OPEN MON-FRI)

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CHAGFORD, DEVON

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n exceptional small estate on the edge of Dartmoor National Park offering peace and seclusion with views over the moor. A restored Grade II listed house, party barn, two cottages and an equestrian yard with six loose boxes.

4 - 8 B E D R O O M S | 4 - 8 B AT H R O O M S | 3 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S T R A D I T I O N A L G R A N I T E B A R N S | 2 O U T D O O R A R E N A S | PA D D O C K S | W O O D L A N D | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 3 0 A C R E S C H AG FO RD 3 M I L E S | E X E TE R 17 M I L E S

Guide price £3,950,000 Knight Frank London & Exeter hamish.humfrey@knightfrank.com 020 4502 7856 mark.proctor@knightfrank.com 01392 240978 Jackson-Stops richard.addington@jackson-stops.co.uk 01392 214222 Ref: EXE012124081

knightfrank.co.uk Winner of six customer service experience awards in 2021

CHICHELEY, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Offers In Excess Of: £2,750,000

6 Bedrooms | 4 Reception Rooms | 4 Bathrooms | N/A EPC

A Grade II listed 18th century farmhouse set in 34 acres with annexes, outbuildings and equestrian facilities. The property has over 6,800 sq. ft. of versatile accommodation including the main house which is split over three floors, a self-contained one bedroom annexe and a detached two bedroom annexe. The 15,500 sq. ft. of outbuildings feature stables, a tack room and several store rooms. The extensive grounds include gardens, pasture paddocks, an indoor school and a full size manège.

Michael Graham Newport Pagnell Gareth Paul 01908 218860 Michael Graham London Bob Bickersteth 0207 839 0888

michaelgraham.co.uk michaelgraham_living

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KIDMORE END, OXFORDSHIRE

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small and private estate situated within a picturesque Chilterns valley. Originally built around 120 years ago, The Copse was completely renovated in 2002 and designed by the renowned architect Roderick James and inspired by the beautiful surrounding countryside.

5 B E D R O O M S | 4 B AT H R O O M S | 2 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | C I N E M A R O O M | 3 B E D R O O M C O T TA G E G Y M / PA R T Y B A R N W I T H F L AT | S TA B L I N G | M A N È G E | P A D D O C K S | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 1 4 .7 1 A C R E S | E P C D R E A D I N G S TAT I O N 4 M I L E S ( L O N D O N PA D D I N G T O N F R O M 2 5 M I N U T E S ) | H E N L E Y S TAT I O N 7 M I L E S

Guide price available upon request Knight Frank London & Henley edward.welton@knightfrank.com 020 4502 7216 will.collins@knightfrank.com 020 3869 4698 nick.warner@knightfrank.com 01491 815299 Ref: CHO090244

knightfrank.co.uk Winner of six customer service experience awards in 2021

Magnificently Restored Old Rectory Lavenham, Suffolk Sudbury: 7 miles, Colchester: 20 miles The Old Rectory sits in an outstanding position in Lavenham overlooking open countryside. 5 reception rooms, 8 bedrooms (5 en suite), 2 further bathrooms, games room, gym, indoor heated swimming pool with entertaining kitchen, 3 bedroom Coach House, 1 bedroom apartment above triple garage and landscaped gardens.

About 3 acres | Guide £5.5 million

Tim Phillips Savills London Country Department 020 3432 4695 tmphillips@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Surrey, Hampton Court

A fine example of a Georgian Manor House occupying just over half an acre and sharing boundary walls with the gardens of Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Airport: 6.4 miles, Central London: 15 miles Reception hall | Drawing room | Dining room | Library | Kitchen/breakfast room | Office | Cellars Master bedroom suite with dressing room and bathroom | 5 Further bedrooms | Family bathroom Roof terrace | Studio | Garage | Gardens and grounds About 0.5 acres

Over 50 Offices across England and Scotland, including prime Central London.

Offers in Excess of £5,995,000

Tom Shuttleworth

Barclay Macfarlane

JSA:

Country Department 020 7591 2232

Fulham Office 020 7731 7100

Miles & Bird 020 3875 3875

thomas.shuttleworth@struttandparker.com

barclay.macfarlane@struttandparker.com

info@milesandbird.co.uk

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

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4 5 HIGH HURSTWOOD, EAST SUSSEX

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grand period property set in mature grounds with stunning southerly views. This magnificent country house further benefits from secondary accommodation and excellent equestrian facilities.

8 B E D R O O M S | 3 B AT H R O O M S | 5 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S G A R A G I N G | 1 0 S TA B L E S | B A R N S | H O R S E WA L K E R | 6 0 M X 2 0 M S A N D S C H O O L LUNGE/TURNOUT RING | TENNIS COURT | SWIMMING POOL

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C O T TA G E & A N N E X E | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 1 8 . 3 4 A C R E S | E P C F CROWB OROUGH 2.5 MILES | FORE ST ROW 8.5 MILE S T U N B R I D G E W E L L S 9. 5 M I L E S | C E N T R A L L O N D O N 4 8 M I L E S

Guide price £3,500,000 Knight Frank London & Tunbridge Wells oliver.rodbourne@knightfrank.com 020 4502 7108 simon.biddulph@knightfrank.com 01892 888494

Winner of six customer service experience awards in 2021

knightfrank.co.uk

THE ART OF SELLING UNIQUE HOMES Odell, Bedfordshire £1,425,000 A beautiful Grade II listed family home with some 3600 square feet, three acres of land, and six bedrooms.The magnificent attached former threshing barn is waiting to be turned into something truly special.

Cold Brayfield, Buckinghamshire £1,175,000 A single storey barn conversion and detached annexe in a super spot, with lovely gardens overlooking fields of sheep.

There are four bedrooms in total, gravelled parking and a double garage.

Felmersham, Bedfordshire £875,000 A gorgeous country cottage with river views and five bedrooms, including two in a downstairs wing which could become an attached annexe.The cottage has a private garden, studio workshop and garage.

To discuss the homes we feature here, or a unique home you wish to sell in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire or Northamptonshire, please contact us.

Artistry Property Agents

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36 St Peter’s Street

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Bedford

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MK40 2NN

01234 889987

www.artistryproperty.co.uk

Unique Village Home Horsted Keynes, West Sussex Haywards Heath: 5 miles, Gatwick Airport: 17 miles Beautifully renovated Grade II listed property in the heart of a sought-after village.

3 reception rooms, 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, conservatory, garden and off street parking. About 3,567 sq ft.

About 0.14 acre | Guide £1 million Rohan Vines Savills Haywards Heath 01444 846 548 rvines@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings

Drawing of St Dunstan-in-the-West by SPAB Scholar Ptolomy Dean

Founded by William Morris, the SPAB protects the historic environment from decay, damage and demolition. It responds to threats to old buildings, trains building professionals, craftspeople, homeowners and volunteers and gives advice about maintenance and repairs. Since 1877 countless buildings have been saved for future generations.

Information about maintaining your home is available through events, courses, lectures, publications and telephone advice.

To support our work why not join the SPAB? Members receive a quarterly magazine, our list of historic properties for sale and access to our regional activities.

www.spab.org.uk 020 7377 1644 A charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales. Company no: 5743962 Charity no: 1113753 37 Spital Square, London E1 6DY

Your indispensable guide to the capital

LONDON’S MOST COLOURFUL CORNER

RBG Kew/Jeff Eden

Orchids 2022, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, TW9

The celebrated garden centre’s annual orchid festival is now in its 26th year (pictured is the 2019 display). This time around, the focus is on Costa Rica, a theme delayed from 2021. The Central American country —bounded by the Caribbean Sea on its eastern shores and the Pacific to the west —is synonymous with environmental riches

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(it’s home to 6% of the world’s biodiversity, despite covering only 0.03% of its land), conservation and happiness (it’s the happiest and most sustainable country on earth, according to the Happy Planet Index (HPI)).

The national flower of Costa Rica is the Guarianthe skinneri orchid, which will be on display, alongside other colourful species

and re-creations of native animals made from plants. Behind the scenes, researchers at Kew are working with the country to construct an orchid family tree, to help better understand the flower. RP Orchids 2022 from February 5 to March 6 (www.kew.org./kew-gardens/whats-on/ kew-orchid-festival)

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LONDON LIFE

News

This ship will go on

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GROUNDBREAKING exhibition on RMS Titanic—featuring 200 objects that have never been seen in the UK before—is now open, 110 years after the liner’s fateful first and last journey. Described as a narrative experience, the exhibition uses photographs, handwritten letters, testimonies and personal belongings to immerse visitors in the lives of those aboard one of the world’s most legendary ships. Echoing James Cameron’s Oscar-winning film, life-size replicas of the ship’s interiors demonstrate the stark difference between a first-class suite and third-class cabin. ‘Titanic: The Exhibition’ is open now at Dock X London, SE16 (www. titanicexhibitionlondon.com).

Early bird gets the breakfast

Lights, camera, crown

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EMBERS of the public are being encouraged to send in their photographs of the Royal Family for an exhibition at Kensington Palace. ‘Life Through a Royal Lens’, which opens on March 4, will display the amateur candid shots alongside works by world-famous photographers, including Cecil Beaton’s photographs of The Queen (below) and the Queen Mother.

As well as charting the changing faces of the monarch and her family, past and present, the exhibition will also show how photography has evolved in the past two centuries. Visit www.hrp.org.uk/kensingtonpalace/whats-on/life-through-a-royal-lens/ life-through-a-royal-lens-photo-submissions to submit a photograph and buy tickets.

Alamy; Royal Collection Trust; Shutterstock

ANGAN’S is now serving breakfast for the first time since its relaunch late last year. The Mayfair restaurant first opened in the 1970s and quickly became a celebrity haunt and benchmark for classic French cooking in the capital, before falling into administration in 2020. Never doomed to fade from memory, it was rescued by restaurateurs Fraziano Arricale and James Hitchen and re-emerged one year later to recapture its glory, with, unsurprisingly, a slew of new celebrities in tow.

Dishes on the new breakfast menu include an Arnold Bennett omelette, caramelised banana French toast and a quintessential English breakfast; available Monday to Friday, 7am to 11am (www.langansbrasserie.com).

A free-to-attend, immersive experience, inspired by the BBC’s The Green Planet, opens this month on Regent Street, W1. The Green Planet Experience, powered by EE 5G, will reveal some of the plant kingdom’s best-kept secrets—accompanied by a 3D hologram of Sir David Attenborough (www.thegreenplanetexperience.co.uk)

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News

LONDON LIFE

(More than)

43%

The percentage of Londoners who would be willing to pay more for a home if a member of the Royal Family lived nearby, says research by Martin & Co. The figure drops to 22% outside of London. The independent estate agents surveyed 1,000 people across the country Crystal Palace Subway is re-opening to the public, more than 60 years after substantial fire damage forced it to close. The Victorian station was built in 1865 and demolished in 1961, but the Grade II*-listed underpass beneath it lived on, albeit abandoned.

Now, it’s being given a lavish makeover and is due to open for visits next year (www.cpsubway.org.uk)

A square deal

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Cult classics in Chelsea Alamy; Royal Collection Trust; Shutterstock

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UXURY car show Salon Privé—the force behind the annual Concours d’Elégance at Blenheim Palace—is coming to London.

Between April 21–23, visitors to Salon Privé London at Royal Hospital Chelsea, SW3, will get the chance to view 60 rare and classic cars up close (and, if they’re feeling flush, drive away with one) and shop from a wide range of luxury brands.

If a golden-oldie automobile doesn’t tickle your fancy, there will also be a wide range of super- and hypercars on display and available to purchase. Visit www.salon privelondon.com for tickets and hospitality packages.

HERE are still a few apartments up for grabs at Lancer Square, Kensington, W8, first launched onto the market in September 2021.

Designed by Squire & Partners, the development includes a swimming pool, gym, sauna and treatment rooms, as well as underground parking and comprehensive concierge services. Particular attention has been paid to the gardens in homage to the site’s former life as the original Kensington Palace grounds and kitchen garden. From £4.86 million for a two-bedroom apartment (www. lancersquare.co.uk)

A pirate’s life for me

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ICKETS to The Pirate Queen: Zheng Yi Sao are now on sale. The one-off online event —organised by the National Maritime Museum and the Queen’s House, Greenwich —will take place on March 9, to mark Women’s History Month (March) and International Women’s Day (March 8).

Zheng Yi Sao, also known as Ching Shih, is often described as the most powerful pirate in history. Born into poverty in Guangzhou China in the late 18th century, she went on to command more than 600 ships and 40,000 men.

Ticket holders will learn more about her extraordinary achievements during the onehour event, hosted by historian Prof Ronald C. Po and guest speakers. Ticket holders are encouraged to pay only what they can (www.event brite.co.uk/e/rebel-womenfemale-pirates-zheng-yisao-aka-ching-shih-tickets229405296417).

LONDON LIFE Editor Rosie Paterson Editor-in-chief Mark Hedges Sub-editors Octavia Pollock, James Fisher Art Heather Clark, Emma Earnshaw, Ben Harris, Dean Usher Pictures Lucy Ford, Emily Anderson Advertising Katie Ruocco 07929 364909 Email firstname.surname@futurenet.com

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Newly Refurbished Home West Hampstead, London, NW6 West Hampstead Station: 0.2 miles Set over the ground floor of an attractive period house, this home has recently been fitted out with stylish finishes and smart lighting. Open-plan reception room and kitchen, principal bedroom with en suite, 2 further bedrooms, shower room and garden. EPC = E Leasehold, approximately 187 years remaining plus Share of Freehold I Guide 1.2 million James Diaper Savills Hampstead 020 3944 7438 jdiaper@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Impressive Loft Style Living Kentish Town, London NW5 Excellent transport links Within a Victorian gated development, this school conversion top floor apartment is full of light, with double height vaulted ceilings and incredible period charm. Open-plan reception room, 2 bedrooms (1 en suite), lift, porter, CCTV, secure underground parking and communal garden. EPC = C Leasehold (978 years remaining) Guide £1.2 million Harriet Davies Savills Hampstead 020 3944 7489 harriet.davies @savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Muswell Hill

N10

LITTLE BLACK BOOK Muswell Hillbilly Brewers The taproom of this local microbrewery is open all day on Saturday (14, Avenue Mews) Cheeses of Muswell Hill Award-winning shop with a large selection of artisan cheeses from across the world (13, Fortis Green Road) W. Martyn The place to stock up on speciality tea, coffee and chocolate (135, Muswell Hill Broadway) Sally Bourne Interiors From intricate storage jars to striking earrings, this shop is perfect for decorating your home—and yourself (26, Muswell Hill Broadway) The Children’s Bookshop This local gem runs a bespoke subscription service, featuring one handpicked book every month (29, Fortis Green Road)

There’s gold in them there hills

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From Scottish kings to political protest, there’s more to Muswell Hill than its height, finds Carla Passino

SCOTTISH king (Malcolm IV) put Muswell Hill on the map. Legend has it that the sovereign, ‘being strangely diseased, was by some divine intelligence advised to take the water of a well in England called Muswell, which after long scrutination… was found and performed the cure,’ according to Elizabethan cartographer John Norden, who nonetheless expressed healthy scepticism at the story.

The miraculous well (which existed until 1898) and the chapel built near it quickly

became beacons for penitent Londoners, who would journey to pray at the foot of Our Lady of Muswell. Once the Lady had worked her wonders, however, the pilgrims would gather in the far less saintly taverns that embroidered the chapel’s surroundings, for ‘no one objected to pleasure and merriment,’ wrote Walter Besant in his 1906 Mediaeval London, although ‘the merriment was not always seemly, nor was the pleasure always sinless’.

The Dissolution of Monasteries put a swift end to both the pilgrimages and the ensuing

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Alamy; Getty; Pete Syratt/Muswell Hill Brewers

LONDON LIFE

Alamy; Getty; Pete Syratt/Muswell Hill Brewers

Muswell Hill

recreation, with the area passing from the Priory of Clerkenwell to private owners.

Variously known as Muswell, Moswelia, but also Pinnersnall, the steep hill—a relic of the Ice Age—was ill suited to arable farming, but its clean air and fine views turned it into the perfect retreat for the Tudor and Stuart wealthy, not least Sir Julius Caesar, James I’s Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Not much changed during the following centuries, with Richard Loader, an octogenarian interviewed in 1908 by a local newspaper, the Muswell Hill Record, describing the Muswell Hill of his youth as ‘a pretty bit of country’, carpeted in fields and thick with trees.

This rural idyll continued to draw affluent Londoners, including businessman Frederick Lehmann and his wife, Nina, whose social circle ranged from Charles Dickens to George Eliot and Sir Edwin Landseer, some of whom they entertained at their ivy-encrusted Muswell Hill home, Woodlands.

Shortly after the Lehmanns set up home at Woodlands, the heady success of Sydenham’s Crystal Palace brought to Muswell Hill a new place of entertainment whose pull

on Londoners would echo that of the medieval shrine and taverns: the Alexandra Park and Palace. ‘The idea was to build a palace for the people, where Londoners could come and enjoy the park, but also take part in leisure activities and entertainment,’ says spokesman Joe Coggins. ‘It was opened in 1873 to much fanfare, but 16 days later it completely burned down. It was not the most auspicious start, but it is testament to those that wanted it to be a success that they immediately began rebuilding it and it re-opened in 1875.’

‘Clean air and fine views turned it into the perfect retreat for the Tudor and Stuart wealthy’ Alexandra Palace, known as Ally Pally, put on an array of music, magical entertainment, plays, festivals and horse races—in 1880, there was even a Venetian evening in which a choir performed as Singing Gondolas. The 20th century saw a Nelson Ball, complete with

LONDON LIFE

replica of the Trafalgar Square column (in 1905); a former palace waitress parachuting over the building from 4,500ft above (in 1906); the first public television broadcast (in 1936); and performances by Ozzy Osbourne and Queen (in the 1970s). This eclectic approach to events continues today. ‘For me, a particular draw is that, as you walk from one end of the palace to the other, you make your way through a whole mix of things,’ says Mr Coggins, mentioning Shakespeare plays, ice skating and even darts championships (one of the forthcoming highlights is a major production of Persuasion in April).

Perhaps even more enticing than the packed calendar, however, is the view from the top of the hill, which Edward Walford described as ‘unrivalled for beauty’ in his Old and New London, published only a few years after the Ally Pally had opened. The skyline has completely changed since then, but its breathtaking quality remains intact.

Mr Coggins says: ‘You can see the intricacies of the city, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Olympic Park, Muswell Hill and Highgate, and the landmarks along the river, as well 21

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LONDON LIFE

Muswell Hill

as the Shard. You have a snapshot of the whole of London in front of you.’

With the Ally Pally came trains, tramways and roads (although the Tube promised in 1919

by William Kennedy Jones MP never arrived).

Some of the railway tracks have since been turned into the leafy Parkland Walk linking Muswell Hill to Finsbury Park—London’s longest local nature reserve at 4½ miles.

‘Down went the villas of previous centuries and up went rows of pretty red-brick terrace houses’ On the way south from the palace, swathes of spring daffodils give way to skyscraperstudded views across London (most notably from the leggy, 17-arch St James’s Lane viaduct) and the expanse of Cranley Gardens, thick with hornbeams. Now a triumph of Nature, the original railway line was a marvel of engineering when it opened between 1867 and 1873. It managed to take the steep slopes of London’s Northern Heights in its stride and suddenly Muswell Hill became much closer to the ever-expanding capital. The beady eyes of enterprising late-Victorian and

Edwardian developers immediately spotted the opportunity: down went the villas of the previous centuries and up went rows of pretty red-brick terrace houses, although the men who built the new suburb—particularly James Edmondson—showed remarkable foresight in preserving the old trees that made Muswell Hill so attractive.

Another development—of the political kind —also took the hill by storm: the campaign to give women the right to vote. A 1908 piece by the Muswell Hill Record reports an ‘uproarious meeting’ during which a group of young men ‘armed with bells, bicycle horns, squeakers and many other speech-arresting contrivances’ tried to sabotage a talk held by Christabel Pankhurst and Mollie, Countess Russell.

Although confronted with a ‘scene of the wildest disorder’, the two suffragettes were undeterred and their poise ‘won the sympathy of the great bulk of the audience—not a few who had come to scoff remaining to praise’.

Decades later, Muswell Hill would once again become the backdrop for political activism—this time against apartheid—when African National Congress (ANC) leader Oliver Reginald Tambo (pictured page 20) and his family moved to the area. They lived there for almost three decades, although Tambo himself commuted between the UK and the

THE UPS AND DOWNS

Residents love the amount of outdoor space: ‘There’s so much greenery, from Alexandra Palace to Coldfall Wood and the Queen’s Wood Nature Reserve,’ says Marlon Brown of Dexters Residents like the village feel and spectacular views across London Residents could do without some of the area’s steeper slopes—although, notes Mr Brown, ‘if you’re into fitness, this is the neighbourhood for you’

ANC’s headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia.

From the turreted Edwardian house at the corner between Windermere Road and Alexandra Park Road, his wife, Adelaide, and, when home, Tambo himself, campaigned for ‘one man, one vote’, until eventually President Frederik Willem de Klerk removed the ban on the ANC in 1990 and the family returned to its home country. Now, a statue of Tambo watches over the ancient trees and playing fields of the Recreation Ground that also bears his name, turning the once rural backwater of Muswell Hill into a symbol for the global fight against discrimination.

At home in Muswell Hill

Connaught Gardens, £1.85 million In a quiet area between Muswell Hill Broadway and Highgate stands a contemporary development offering a range of stylish family homes.

Spanning 2,496sq ft, one of the houses there comes with four bedrooms, two reception areas and a beautiful kitchen, plus private garden, balcony and driveway.

Kinleigh, Folkard & Hayward (020–8883 0123; www.kfh.co.uk)

Cranbourne Road, £981 per week A painstaking renovation has brought to the fore the period charm of this 1,733sq ft property. On the ground floor, the entrance hallway, with its beautifully restored original flooring, leads to two reception rooms and a spacious kitchen and dining area, which overlooks the private garden.

Upstairs are four bedrooms.

Hamptons (020–3369 4566; www.hamptons.co.uk)

Queens Avenue, £3.2 million Every detail is eye-catching at this five-bedroom, double-fronted house.

The 3,628sq ft interior, perfect for entertaining, is full of delightful period features—the fireplaces are especially fine—interspersed with contemporary touches, including a cinema room and a sauna in the magnificent master suite, which takes up the second floor.

Dexters (020–8444 2388; www.dexters.co.uk)

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MILL HILL, NW7 GUIDE PRICE

£3,395,000 FREEHOLD

[7 bedrooms - all en suite] [staff accommodation] [orangery] A beautiful family home surrounded by lovely gardens situated in a small cu de sac close to open countrywide.

Features include a sweeping staircase, triple height reception hall and spectacular kitchen/family room. EPC 020 3925 6579

WHETSTONE@HAMPTONS.CO.UK

HAMPTONS.CO.UK

LONDON LIFE

The great and the good

Seasonal suggestions Poor February–it’s the month everyone likes to hate.

Christmas is but a distant memory and spring still feels a long way away. Get through the lull by hunkering down to watch the rugby and eating plenty of excellent food What to do

Here’s looking at dining in London

• The first restaurants—as we think of them today—appeared in London in the late 18th century, a natural continuation of the inns and taverns that had hitherto been popular. Food stalls lined the Thames as early as the 12th century • We might think that the regularity with which restaurant and hotel chefs bring out cookbooks is a new phenomenon, but the practice was, in fact, happening more than 200 years ago. In 1783, John Farley of the popular London Tavern, in Bishopsgate, published The London Art of Cookery for ‘every housekeeper, cook and servant in the kingdom’ • Multiple restaurants claim to be London’s oldest restaurant, including Wiltons, which opened in 1742 as an oyster, shrimp and cockles stall in Haymarket. In 1805, it morphed into a fishmonger with a sit-in oyster bar and, in 1840, a ‘proper’ restaurant just off St James’s Street. It moved to its current location, on Jermyn Street, in 1984. Rules opened in Covent Garden in 1798 (100 years later, the first COUNTRY LIFE offices would open opposite it). The restaurant specialised in game, which wasn’t rationed during the Second World War—ensuring Rules’s survival and growing popularity

Shop of the month

E5 Bakehouse

ARCH 396, MENTMORE TERRACE, E8

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Open Monday to Friday, 7.30am–4.30pm; Saturday and Sunday, 8am–5pm (020–8525 2890; www.e5bakehouse.com)

HE best loaf in London—crusty and sour, with a deliciously moist, loose crumb—isn’t in the centre of town and doesn’t lurk behind the usual shopfront. E5 Bakehouse, the maker of Hackney Wild sourdough, sprawls beneath three railway arches a stone’s throw from London Fields, in a stretch of Hackney known for firstwave restaurant pop-ups and artisanal food stalls (Broadway Market is 10 minutes south on foot). You know you’re getting close from the queue of people and dogs down the pavement.

Founder Ben Mackinnon worked in corporate sustainability before signing up for a bread-making course in 2010, and sustainability underpins E5: the bakery is powered by renewable energy, the products are made from British wheat and the packaging is biodegradable.

There’s a café attached to the bakery, where you can stay for a bowl of Bircher muesli or a sandwich. Sticking your nose in as you walk across London Fields is a pre-workday luxury. Jo Rodgers

Illustration by Polly Crossman; Getty; Alamy; Country Life Picture Library/Future Plc

The he Six Nations kicks off on Saturday, February 5. If you don’t have tickets, watch in style at Daffodil Mulligan, Shoreditch, EC1—sister restaurant to Corrigan’s and Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill—or The Hero of Maida pub, in Maida Vale, W9.

What to eat The close season for English venison is fast approaching. Make the most of it at Covent Garden’s Rules restaurant, WC2, and Bellamy’s, off Berkeley Square, W1. Alternatively, look to Fallow (My plate of view, facing page).

What to buy Valentine’s Day is nearly here, so buy flowers—for yourself or someone else.

Carbon-neutral florist Petalon delivers across the UK (www.petalon.co.uk).

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LONDON LIFE

M Y P L AT E O F V I E W

Fallow, 2, St James’s Market, SW1

A green space MIDNIGHT APOTHECARY AT T H E B R U N E L M U S E U M , R A I LWAY AV E N U E , S E16

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HIS tiny botanical oasis crowning Brunel’s groundbreaking (literally) Thames Tunnel shaft in Rotherhithe is one of London’s most unusual gardens. Planted in 2012, it now organises regular cocktail nights with drinks made from things grown in the garden: pineapple sage, rhubarb, rosemary, Szechuan

peppercorns, fennel and angelica seeds. From April to October, these run every Friday and Saturday night, but, this month, you can cosy up around a fire pit, complete with s’mores kits and organic mulled cider and smoked sagesyrup hot toddies (Saturday, February 12).

Entry includes a guided descent into Brunel’s Grand Entrance Hall. From £8 (https:// midnightapothecary.designmynight.com) Natasha Goodfellow is author of ‘A London Floral’ and her next guide, ‘A Cotswold Garden Companion’, will be published next month (www.finchpublishing.co.uk)

Illustration by Polly Crossman; Getty; Alamy; Country Life Picture Library/Future Plc

Psst... pass it on

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London curiosities ON THE FACE OF IT

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O 20, Portman Square, W1, designed by Robert Adam in 1773–76 for Elizabeth, Countess of Home. Home House was restored by the collector Samuel Courtauld in the 1920s and was formerly the home of the Courtauld Institute of Art.

AVE you noticed that the ‘mind the gap’ announcements at Embankment station sound different to every other London Underground station? In 2012, the words were digitised across the network, much to the distress of Margaret McCollum. She visited the station every day to hear the voice of her late husband, Oswald, who, in the 1970s, had made the original announcements. The staff were so moved that they found his recordings, digitised them and had his voice reinstated.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines fallow as ‘an area not used for growing crops, especially so that the quality of the land will improve’, ‘a period of time when nothing is created or produced; not successful’. By either of these metrics, Fallow is misleadingly named.

Here is a truly seasonal menu and one that’s an unequivocal, joyful success.

After opening as a pop-up at 10, Heddon Street, W1, at the start of the first lockdown, Fallow found a permanent home late last year on the corner of St James’s Market and Haymarket.

Chefs Will Murray and Jack Croft met when cooking at Dinner by Heston and have since teamed up with business partner James Robson. Sustainability is the thing here, but they haven’t merely stuck the word on the menu and left it at that. They have a smallholding in Surrey that supplies the kitchen and much of the cooking is given over to ingredients that might otherwise go to waste: so there’s cod’s head in sriracha butter, salmon belly whipped and served in marrowbone brioche, beef from retired dairy cows and vegetables front and centre. Corn ‘ribs’, deep fried until sweetly crisp, dusted with a smoky house seasoning mix and accompanied with lime for squeezing, are peerless drinking food, whereas caramelised cauliflower croquetas do justice to the entire vegetable. The mushroom parfait, served with grilled focaccia, is a revelation: chestnut, button and shiitake mushrooms transformed into a deeply savoury, umami-rich pâté topped with a generous blanket of truffle. There’s venison grilled to a blush pink with henof-the-woods mushrooms and pointed cabbage. For pudding, there’s sourdough soft-serve ice cream and a Pump Street chocolate ganache with coffee.

Every plate—all clever enough to make you lay down your cutlery and say ‘wow’ —is served with seamless style by one of the best front-of-house teams around.

Far from having a fallow period during the many trials they’ve endured, Messrs Murray, Croft and Robson have created what is quite simply one of London’s most exciting places to eat right now.

Emma Hughes

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Start your London adventure in 2022.

If you're dreaming of a home in the UK's vibrant capital this year, we can help. From smart one bedroom rental apartments in the City, palatial townhouses in leafy Kensington and Chelsea, or a quirky East End penthouse - we've got you covered. Take a look below at what's currently on the market with us and get the wheels in motion for your New Year property plans...

If you're thinking of selling or lettings your home, or would simply like some advice on the market, call us on 020 3797 0774.

We'd love to help you.

+67% Prospective tenants were up 67% in December 2021 vs the five-year average.*

Millfield Lane, Hampstead N6 Guide price £9,000 per week

mumzad.soobhany@knightfrank.com

Boundary Road, St John's Wood NW8

Queens Gate, South Kensington SW7

Guide price £2,500 per week

Guide price £3,250 per week

chanel.rodriguez@knightfrank.com

lucy.haynes@knightfrank.com

Source: Knight Frank data December 2021 versus the five-year average.*

As well as rent and the tenancy deposit, tenants who do not have the protection of the Tenant Fees Act 2019 will be asked to pay an administration fee of £288 and referencing fees of £48 per person. All fees shown are inclusive of VAT. Tenants may also be asked to pay a higher deposit if they wish to have a pet if the landlord agrees. Please ask us for more information about other fees that will apply or visit www.knightfrank.co.uk/tenantfees

Alderville Road, Fulham SW6 Guide price £2,750,000

Grenville Place, South Kensington SW7 thom.atkins@knightfrank.com

Guide price £2,200,000

rebecca.higgins@knightfrank.com

+45% Prospective buyers were up 45% in December 2021 vs the five-year average.*

Barford Street, Islington N1 Guide price £2,000,000

nick.moore@knightfrank.com

Albert Bridge Road, Battersea SW11 Guide price £2,700,000

Gloucester Crescent, Camden NW1 andrew.fisher@knightfrank.com

Your partners in property for 125 years Winner of six customer service experience awards in 2021

Guide price £3,950,000

orly.lehmann@knightfrank.com

knightfrank.co.uk

LONDON LIFE

The great and the good

February at a glance We’re all guilty of ignoring what’s on our doorstep, so we’ve made it easier for you. Here’s what’s happening this month

From top: Art

by The Prince of Wales is on show; James McAvoy stars in Cyrano de Bergerac; and ceramics take centre stage

Below: The Courtauld Gallery is showing ‘Van Gogh Self Portraits’.

Bottom: Elizabeth I’s locket ring can be seen at the British Library

Alamy; Marc Brenner; Vincent van Gogh Foundation; The Chequers Trust

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HIS is undoubtedly The Queen’s year–her Platinum Jubilee year to be exact–but that hasn’t stopped other members of the Royal Family trying to get a lookin. An exhibition of The Prince of Wales’s work at The Garrison Chapel at Chelsea Barracks, SW1, runs until February 14. Entry to view the 79 watercolours–the majority are of landscapes close to the artist’s heart– is free and you do not need to book (www.princesfoundation.org). Other exhibitions include ‘Van Gogh Self Portraits’ at the revamped Courtauld Gallery, WC2, (follow with lunch at Spring restaurant at Somerset House), open now until May 8, and ‘Surrealism Beyond Borders’ at Tate Modern, SE1, from February 24 to August 29 (www.courtauld.ac.uk/whats-on/vangogh-self-portraits-22; www.tate.org.uk/ whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/ surrealism-beyond-borders). Back in the realms of royalty, it’s your last chance to read letters exchanged between Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots in ‘Elizabeth and Mary: Royal Cousins, Rival Queens’ at the British Library, NW1. The artefacts –the letters sit alongside items such as Elizabeth’s ‘heart and stomach of a king’ speech and eye-witness accounts of Mary’s execution–are on display until February 20 (www. bl.uk/events/elizabeth-and-mary). With Omicron waning, a night at the theatre need not come with quite as much worry. Performances of Cyrano de Bergerac at the Harold Pinter Theatre, SW1, start this week. James McAvoy stars (www.haroldpintertheatre.co.uk/shows/cyrano-de-bergerac).

Alternatively, snag a ticket to The Collaboration at the Young Vic, SE1, a reimagining of the meetings between Andy Warhol and JeanMichel Basquiat in the 1980s (www.youngvic.org/whats-on/thecollaboration). Finally, the Independent Ceramics Market, part of the London Design Festival, starts on February 12 at Truman’s Social Club, E17 (www.trumanssocialclub.co.uk/ whats-on/independant-ceramics-market).

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TWYFORD AVENUE, N2 £2,150,000

FRREHOLD

[5 bedrooms] [3 bathrooms] [2 receptions] [lovely garden] A charming spacious family home approached by a carriage driveway in a sought after location. The property has many period features and original fireplaces as well as a superb vaulted kitchen which allows light from all sides. EPC C 020 3918 2339 MUSWELLHILL@HAMPTONS.CO.UK

W W W. HAM P TO N S .C O.U K

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LONDON LIFE

HIDING IN

PLAIN SIGHT Many will have wondered what lies behind the huge windows of the Victorian-era studios on one of London’s busiest roads. Rosie Paterson takes a peek

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RIVING east or west, in or out of London on the A4, it’s hard not to notice the imposing terrace of eight Renaissance revival houses on the south side of Talgarth Road. The steep stone steps leading up to each front door; the arresting brick façades with strap-work friezes and terracotta detailing; the impossibly tall, round-headed windows that project forward, looming large over the road. They look so out of place next to the streams of traffic, drivers white knuckled at steering wheels.

Of course, it wasn’t always like this. When the terrace was built in 1891, it looked out onto a narrower street—horse-drawn carriages clip-clopping by—a line of mature trees and the grounds of St Paul’s School beyond. It was designed by architect Frederick Wheeler for fine-art publisher James Fairless, although the latter had no intention of living there and the houses, named St Paul’s Studios, were marketed to bachelor artists living and working in Kensington and Fulham. Previous residents of note include Ruby Levick (1871–1940), a Welsh sculptor and medallist, and William Logsdail (1859–1944), whose oil painting St Martin-in-the-Fields (1888) is in Tate Britain’s collection. Years after Fairless sold the freeholds, non-artists started to move in, such as Dame Margot Fonteyn (1919–91), who used the space at number eight as a dance studio.

Each house came with living quarters for a housekeeper in the basement, an en-suite bedroom on the ground floor and a huge vaulted studio on the first floor—lit by those large, north-facing windows. The artists could control the amount of light let into the studio using roller blinds that slid across the top of each window diagonally. The rules were strict. Tenants had to be working artists and they had to be unmarried. If, at some

Photographs by Daniel Gould

Artist James Vaulkhard is keen to retain the rustic nature of his St Paul’s Studios home

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LONDON LIFE

point down the line they decided to get hitched, their tenancy would come to an immediate end. Rules that ‘would not be enforceable now,’ says current resident and architect Marius Barran.

Now in his early seventies, Mr Barran can remember going down Talgarth Road several times a week as a child, from his preparatory school in South Kensington to playing fields in Mortlake (now part of The Harrodian School). ‘They sort of stuck in my mind.’ In 2014, he noticed that the end-of-terrace house was for sale and scheduled a visit, more out of curiosity than anything else. What he found behind that mysterious façade that he’d long pondered over surprised him: a substantial garden, large rooms and unique access to the street behind (the other seven houses are hemmed in by the road to the front and the railway line running into Barons Court Station at the back). An architect by day, Mr Barran snapped up the house and set to work adapting it for everyday use.

‘It was charred... the surveyor said it was typical of an incendiary bomb. Perhaps on its way to Fulham Docks?’

The previous owner had been an American art collector, who bought the house in the 1970s as an interesting work of art, rather than as a dwelling; the tenants before her had been equally non-domestic. During the Second World War, the Government acquired several of the houses—including Mr Barran’s—and instructed the RAF to erect mezzanine levels on the first floor, directly underneath the picture windows, so that soldiers lying supine would be able to spot enemy aircraft flying overhead towards possible targets.

In one of the mid-terrace houses, owner James Vaulkhard found evidence of bomb damage in the attic space and roof during renovation works. ‘When I moved in, I retiled the roof and when the tiles came off we realised that the whole of the structure was charred.

It was charred from the outside in… the surveyor said it was quite typical of an incendiary bomb. Perhaps on its way to Fulham Docks?’

Fairless would have no doubt approved of Mr Vaulkhard—an alumnus of Charles Cecil Studios and Studio Della Statua, Florence, Italy, and working bachelor artist. One of his Charles Cecil classmates, Isabella Watling, lives to his right, and portrait artist James Hayes to his left. Clare Shenstone—an artist who rose to prominence in the 1980s, posing

Architect Marius Barran is now a resident, having long admired the studios from afar

for Andy Warhol’s Chelsea Girls film poster and undertaking commissions for fellow artist Francis Bacon—lives towards the western end of the terrace, beyond the second James.

In Mr Vaulkhard’s first-floor studio, the exposed brick alcoves hint towards a time when his house and Miss Watling’s became one (the owner of both, a Turkish tycoon, needed a large open space in which to store his printing presses). Bar the roof, the majority of work that the artist has undertaken has been cosmetic: ‘We stripped the plaster back and noticed that the brickwork was in good condition so [we] simply pointed that. I want to keep the character of the building, the rusticness.’ An Aga has recently been installed in the basement kitchen; next on the list is a replacement portrait window: ‘It’ll sit on foam foundations so it can move a bit in the vibrations from the road,’ he explains. He paved the garden himself—‘it’s falling apart, so perhaps I should’ve got a tradesman in to do that as well’—and there are gates into the two gardens either side that the trio use to come and go from each other’s houses.

There’s a strong sense of community inside the house, too: curator Cassie Beadle and artist Christabel Blackburn (winner of the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year award) rent rooms on the first floor; journalist, musician and creative director of Mortimer House J. P. Pryor lives in the basement.

Mr Vaulkhard sleeps in the attic, at the top of a perilously steep set of stairs; Mr Barran sleeps in the first-floor studio, a replica roller blind and bespoke shutters blocking out light and noise from the A4. The former’s feels a little more like what Fairless likely had in mind: the smell of turpentine, pots of brushes and easels askew; painted canvases—some portraits, some of Turner-esque London-scapes, and others more abstract works inspired by Singapore’s Botanic Gardens—piled up against the walls. On a shelf is a heavy book left there

by Mr Vaulkhard’s predecessor, Basil Al-Bayati, a prominent Iraqi architect. One can only guess at who might move in next.

James Vaulhard’s next exhibition is at Asia House, 63, Canedish Street, W1, March 22–29 (www.jamesvaulkhard.com)

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Advertisement promotion

A day in Bermondsey A London Square home is ideal to enjoy the area

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ONSIDERING the brilliance of its bars, restaurants and clubs, you could be forgiven for thinking that SE1 is purely a night-time destination. Excitingly, most residents would say that a day spent in Bermondsey and its environs is time even better spent.

London Square’s new Bermondsey development is the perfect base to explore the many delights that the area has to offer, as its prime location means that Bermondsey Street, the Brewery Mile and various local food markets are all walking distance away. The development, centred around the iconic former Branston Pickle Factory, is the area’s newest community: a mixture of brand-new, contemporary living and restored industrial chic, with a focus on comfort, open space and the Arts. The development, which is impressing buyers and residents alike, has won the prestigious Silver Award in the Best Apartment Scheme category at the 2021 WhatHouse?

Awards. Apartments and duplexes are selling fast and only three duplexes remain, each offering more than 1,200sq ft of stylish living space reimagined with a private ground-floor entrance.

So what to do with a day in Bermondsey?

Perhaps a nice breakfast at one of the many

Food meets vintage goods at Vinegar Yard

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With a superb location and stylish decor, the properties at London Square are selling fast

cafés and restaurants along Bermondsey Street would be a sensible start. From the full English to something far more exotic, fans of any cuisine could hardly be disappointed by the fare on offer on this bohemian street. But should that not be enough, perhaps a wander to Borough Market or (for those who know) Maltby Street Market will fix the issue. The Cheese Truck, a Maltby Street regular, does some of the best sandwiches in London and La Pepia brings the best of Venezuela to SE1.

Fans of craft brewing will have already found their Mecca along the Brewery Mile.

It’s here that some of the UK’s best beers and ciders are made, with breweries such as FourPure, Brew By Numbers and The Kernel all based in the arches. There are far too many to visit in a single day (believe me, I have tried), but you’ll be sure to find a tipple that appeals, whether it’s a straightlaced IPA or some watermelon-infused tonic made by the most creative minds in British brewing. Those arches not filled with beer are home to local independent businesses and artisans, producing anything from top ramen (Bone Daddies) to award-winning cheeses at the Kappacasein dairy (try the Bermondsey Hard-Pressed) and honey, to name a few examples.

Should you need to work off all that food and drink, there is no shortage of ways to do it. For those who love a bit of adrenaline, the Arch Climbing wall at Building One + is one of the largest in London. For those with a fear of heights, a nice walk along the Thames Path or around Southwark Park will do wonders. There’s tennis at the public

courts on Bermondsey Street, as well as outdoor yoga in Bermondsey Spa Gardens (across the road from London Square).

If neither of those work, then feel free to dance away at the Printworks club in Surrey Quays, famed for its day parties. For those culture vultures, an afternoon could easily drift away exploring the White Cube gallery, the Fashion and Textile Museum or even only browsing the many galleries that line Bermondsey Street itself.

It’s here that some of the UK’s best beers and ciders are made Bermondsey makes the best of its former industrial heritage, whether that’s a brewery under an arch, a market in an alleyway or a club in a printing press. London Square’s development is the latest iteration on that heritage, allowing new residents to feel at home instantly in one of London’s most bohemian and sought-after areas. With 24-hour concierge service, a gym and a Zone 1 location, it’s hardly surprising that apartments are selling fast and the time to join is now.

Prices for a one-bedroom apartment begin at £645,000, with units ready to move in from early 2022. The remaining two- and three-bedroom duplexes begin at £1.14 million and are ready to move in now. Visit www.londonsquare.co.uk for more details

LONDON LIFE

‘There’s such a rich history... it gives us a lot of things to think about and draw on’ Original art features prominently in your eclectic interiors. Where do you find it?

When we built the Charlotte Street Hotel (15–17, Charlotte Street, W1), which is in Bloomsbury, the Bloomsbury Group was very out of favour. I was able to buy a lot of works

by Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, Roger Fry and Alfred Wolmark. Philip Mould’s Gallery (18–19, Pall Mall, SW1) recently had a fantastic Bloomsbury exhibition. We’ve bought lots of different art works at Sarah Myerscough Gallery (The Old Boathouse, 1, White Hart Lane, SW13). Cristea Roberts Gallery (43, Pall Mall, SW1) is good, not only for original art, but also prints on handmade paper, and London Craft Week (9–15 May) is always such an eye-opener to go around.

Flowers to savour at Gilding the Lily in South Kensington

T H E C A P I TA L A C C O R D I N G T O ...

Kit Kemp

The designer and hotelier talks to Flora Watkins about art, inspiration and London’s hidden heritage I love the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy (Burlington House, Piccadilly W1).

We’ve bought quite a few things from there.

house. I take flowers in every week from the seller outside South Kensington tube station (Gilding the Lily, Pelham Street, SW7).

How can non-residents of your hotels see the collections?

We run Art Walks from the Haymarket, Ham Yard and Charlotte Street hotels, taking in the collections, then going on to a couple of really good exhibitions in the area and sitting down afterwards for lunch or afternoon tea.

Do you have a favourite neighbourhood restaurant?

We have a favourite pizzeria, Da Mario (15, Gloucester Road, SW7), around the corner; we’ve been going there since the children were tiny. It’s a family-run Italian and has been absolutely packed through the pandemic.

The thing is, I’m always going to my hotels, testing to make sure our food is up to standard.

I’d always go to Number 16 (16, Sumner Place, SW7) and have coffee in the garden. I love Brasserie Max at the Covent Garden Hotel; it has a really sharp lemon tart. In the evening, we often go to Haymarket Hotel (1, Suffolk Place, SW1). It’s next to the Haymarket Theatre and opposite Phantom of the Opera— a great place to watch people going by. www.firmdalehotels.com

How do you get around town?

I walk to work every day from our house in Hyde Park Gate, past Imperial College, so I’m always thinking about those scientists working on how to get rid of Covid. Then I walk down Exhibition Road, past the V&A and Natural History Museums. My office is in a house just opposite the V&A. I never wanted to work in an office, so this makes me feel as if I’m simply going to another

Alamy; Simon Brown

What is your favourite part of London?

I’m so lucky with what I do because I get to know different areas of London—there are so many stories from unassuming little streets.

When we’re doing a hotel [the Kemps’ company, Firmdale Hotels, has eight in London], I’m always looking up the history of the area.

Ham Yard Hotel in Soho (1, Ham Yard, W1) was blitzed during the war, then, in the 1960s, became an area for wonderfully seedy clubs such as The Scene, where The Who and the Rolling Stones played. Covent Garden Hotel (10, Monmouth Street, WC2) was the site of an old French hospital. Our first hotel, Dorset Square (39–40, Dorset Square NW1), was the home of the original Lord’s cricket ground and the site of a balloon ascent by Lunardi.

There’s such a rich history; when we’re thinking about inspiration, it gives us a lot of things to think about and draw on.

Are there any parts of London left for you to explore?

I’m so lucky because, as a trustee of the Heritage of London Trust (www.heritage oflondon.org), Nicola Stacey, the chief executive, makes me put on my jeans and go and climb up church towers in Bermondsey when clocks need replacing or see a grotto in Twickenham. It’s a wonderful charity; it gives money to help restore smaller things, such as fountains, Sarah Siddons’s statue and the weathervanes on top of Queen’s House in Greenwich.

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A PRIVATE COLLECTION OF SCENT BOTTLES AUCTION 17 FEBRUARY VIEWING IN LONDON

BOUCHON CASSIS SCENT BOTTLES, NO. 494 designed 1920 | moulded R. LALIQUE 11cm (4 3/8in) high

Estimates range: £2,000-9,000

For viewing opportunities, the fully illustrated catalogue & free online bidding, please visit lyonandturnbull.com

LONDON 0207 930 9115 | EDINBURGH 0131 557 8844 | GLASGOW 0141 333 1992 | www.lyonandturnbull.com

Property market

Penny Churchill

Pride of place Two country houses with a fascinating history and beautiful surroundings have flourished after careful restoration by their current owners

Dating back to about 1700, Grade II-listed Chobham Park House sits at the heart of a 100-acre estate near Chobham in Surrey. £15m

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HE launch onto the market of the historic Chobham Park estate, near Chobham, in leafy north-west Surrey, at a guide price of £15 million through Knight Frank (01483 565171), signals the resumption of normal service at the upper end of the country-house market following the Christmas break. Built using older materials in about 1700 on a site owned by Chertsey Abbey

since 675, the principal estate house, Grade IIlisted Chobham Park House, has been in its time a manor house, a royal hunting lodge, a gentleman’s country seat, a tenanted farmhouse, a grand country house and now, once again, is the heart of a pristine country estate.

First recorded in 1535, Chobham Park was reputedly purchased by Henry VIII from John Cordery, Abbot of Chertsey, two years before

Chertsey Abbey itself was dissolved; soon afterwards, the King had the park extended to some 500 acres. In July 1558, Henry’s daughter, Queen Mary, sold the manor to her chancellor, Nicholas Heath, Archbishop of York, for £3,000. On the Archbishop’s death, the Chobham manor house and estate passed to his nephew, Thomas, who sold them in 1606 to Francis Leigh, later 1st Earl of Chichester.

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Find the best properties at countrylife.co.uk

A large kitchen and breakfast room is a feature of the immaculate Chobham Park House

or early 18th century, given that its listing entry dates the present Chobham Park House at ‘about 1700’. Some 30,000 bricks from nearby Woking Palace were used in the rebuilding, carried out probably by John Martin Jnr, who sold the estate in 1720.

From the late 1770s, Chobham Park House and farm were occupied by a succession of tenant farmers, until, in 1908, the estate was bought by Aynesely Greenwell, a wealthy Londoner who had the farmhouse altered and converted into a residence suitable for an Edwardian gentleman.

Twice sold in the 1920s, again in 1934 and after the war in 1947, from 1968 until 1985, Chobham Park—its lands by then much reduced in size—was owned by Sir Cranley Onslow. It was later acquired by entrepreneur Anthony Tiarks, who, in 1996, sold Chobham Park House to Michael and Francesca Evans, the current owners. In 2001, Mr and Mrs Evans bought Chobham Park Farm and Chobham Park Cottage, together with the associated riding stables and some 50 acres of land, thereby restoring the estate to its earlier Edwardian configuration.

Today’s immaculate Chobham Park estate comprises the beautifully restored, 8,427sq ft, Georgian-fronted manor house, which is set at the end of a long, tree-lined drive and surrounded by 100 acres of formal and lawned gardens, paddocks and parkland and woodland, about 1½ miles from Chobham village and five miles from Woking.

The house, which has planning consent to extend by a further 3,500sq ft, offers elegant accommodation on three floors, including entrance and reception halls, four reception rooms, a large kitchen and breakfast room, a splendid master suite, seven further bedrooms and five bathrooms. It comes with extensive private offices, three secondary houses—a converted tithe barn, plus two estate cottages—and everything a sporting family could wish for, including an outdoor swimming pool, tennis court, gymnasium and billiard room, and an impressive, 26-box stable courtyard and polo yard.

Elsewhere, Savills (020– 7409 8823) and Knight Frank (020–7861 1717) are joint agents in the sale of Grade II-listed Kington Manor, on the edge of the village of Kington St Michael, three miles from Chippenham, Wiltshire. It is another impeccably restored manor house with a long and fascinating history, for which the agents quote a guide price of £6m. The original manor house, which dates from about 1600, was modified several times by Sir Charles Snell and his descendants, before finally being demolished in 1851.

It was rebuilt in Victorian Gothic style in 1864 (possibly by the architect J. L. Pearson) for Sir Herbert Prodgers, who retained the front façade of the original building.

In 2008, having sold his American business, marketing expert Gianfranco Chicco and his wife, Clare, were looking to buy a family home in the country. In the course of the

Some 30,000 bricks from Woking Palace were used in the rebuilding

A year or so later, Leigh sold his Chobham estates to Antony Cope, who, in turn, sold them in 1614 to William Hale. In 1654, Hale’s son, John, sold the old manor house to Henry Henn, whose descendants were still in possession in 1681. For much of the Henn family’s ownership, Chobham Park House was let to tenants, one of whom was James Martin, a prosperous East India merchant, whose son, John, later bought the estate. The old manor house was pulled down in the late 17th

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Property market

Imposing Kington Manor, near Kington St Michael in Wiltshire, boasts a fascinating history dating back to about 1600. £6m

following year, they viewed no fewer than 40 country houses before eventually settling on Kington Manor, which ticked all the boxes in terms of facilities, schools and access by road or rail to London and Heathrow.

Set in almost 15 acres of gardens, paddock, woods and a lake (‘perfect for wild swimming, but too cold for an Italian owner’), the house had been used as a weekend retreat by the previous owner, whose country idyll came to an end with the financial crash of 2008. During the present owners’ tenure, Kington Manor has undergone extensive and sympathetic remodelling, yet retains its historic character and charm, as in the vast open-plan kitchen/ breakfast room, which incorporated a former machine store to create a relaxed dining area for families with a passion for cooking.

In all, the house offers 13,657sq ft of living space on three floors, including entrance and inner halls, five reception rooms, a gym/ cinema, and five first-floor bedrooms and bathrooms, with six further bedrooms and two bath/shower rooms on the second floor. The owner’s passion for gardening is evident in the wooded garden, with its enchanting treehouse, the secret knot garden and the vegetable garden that provides everything needed for genuine Mediterranean cuisine.

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Riding high in East Sussex

LIVER RODBOURNE of Knight Frank’s country department (020–7861 1093) quotes a guide price of £3.5m for the ultimate bijou equestrian estate, Broom, at High Hurstwood, near Crowborough, East Sussex, close to the Crowborough Beacon Golf Club and the Ashdown Forest, in the High Weald AONB. Broom House is a handsome, eight-bedroom, 1920s house built in neo-Gothic style, with an annexe and cottage set in about 18¼ acres of lawns and paddocks, with breathtaking southerly views. Equestrian facilities ‘to die for’ include American-barn stabling for seven horses, further stabling and barns, a full-size sand school, a smaller arena for lunging or turnout, a horse-walker, and a block of mature woodland, recently cleared to create a network of walking or riding tracks.

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VEEDON FLEECE CARPETS A Handmade Tradition Veedon Fleece undertakes commissions to any design and colour specification to a maximum size of 20m by 8m and prides itself in the quality of its work created for iconic homes, both town and country. www.veedonfleece.com veedon@veedonfleece.com T: 01483 575758 veedonfleececarpets

Bespoke and Timelessly Elegant Belgravia Interior by Douglas Mackie

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Properties of the week

Carla Passino

Get toasty Buyers who yearn for a welcoming kitchen that’s the heart of the house have their pick with these stove-equipped properties Kent, £1.85 million A red Aga adds colour as much as warmth to the lovely kitchen at this four- to five-bedroom house in Lynsted, near Faversham. Grade II-listed Jeffries originally dates from Tudor times, but it has been sympathetically extended and today combines period features, such as inglenook fireplaces, exposed beams and leaded windows framing delightful country views, with modern elements, including a granite-topped island flanking the Aga in the kitchen.

Outside, the five-acre parkland grounds have a paved terrace, plus a lovely pond, a vegetable garden and a fullsize tennis court. Strutt & Parker (07739 262738) Cambridgeshire, £1.1 million A black Rayburn presides over the kitchen and breakfast room at Cheriton House, in Thorney, perfecting the room’s farmhouse look. But the Rayburn is only one of the many charms of this 18th-century, Grade II-listed property, which stands on the village green. The 5,005sq ft interior is full of delightful details, from large sash windows to fine fireplaces. Four reception rooms, including the large first-floor drawing room, make Cheriton House well suited to entertaining. Also on the first floor are four bedrooms, with another four in the attic, which is reached from the back stairs. Outside is a partially walled garden and a large outbuilding that could be converted into an annexe (subject to planning consent). Fine & Country (01780 750200)

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9000

Kent, £3.75 million At The Moat, on the outskirts of Benenden, a dual Aga (gas and electric) is the crowning glory of the colourful kitchen, which also has hand-painted cabinetry and a central island with granite work surfaces. As the name implies, this Grade II-listed Wealden hall has a moat, which was restored by the current owners. The property has 15th-century origins—it was part of a larger estate that Lord Rothermere split in 1912—and has many striking features, such as exposed beams, latch doors, an inglenook fireplace and a king post on the second floor. There’s also a hand-painted mural in the dining room, which portrays the property and its grounds. Upstairs are eight bedrooms, plus a lavish master suite complete with two dressing rooms and a sauna in the bathroom. The leaded-light casement windows take in wonderful views of the 21½ acres of gardens and grounds.

Hamptons (01892 640316)

Suffolk, £2.75 million The kitchen and breakfast room at Grade II-listed Cedar Court, in Alderton, near Woodbridge, is nothing short of magnificent. A stately blue Aga complements the bespoke units and underfloor heating ensures there’s no visual clutter to distract the eye. The same attention to detail pervades the entire house, which has five elegant reception rooms, including a 32ft formal dining room with full-height glass doors opening onto the terrace. Four bedrooms take up the first floor, with six more on the second floor. The gardens outside combine lawns with mature trees, orchard, kitchen gardens, meadows, a water garden and a terrace that’s perfect for alfresco dining. Knight Frank (020–7861 1069)

Berkshire, £3.495 million A cream Aga takes pride of place in the lightflooded kitchen at Castleman’s House, in Kiln Green. The kitchen is large enough to dine in (there’s a breakfast table), but the more than 6,500sq ft interior at this grand Grade II-listed property also includes a separate formal dining room. The house is ideal for entertaining, with its vast sitting room, billiards room and the spectacular drawing room, which has a double-height vaulted ceiling and French doors opening onto the garden. Upstairs are eight bedrooms spread across two floors. The grounds, which at the rear border Castle Royale golf course, extend to nearly 3½ acres of lawns, gardens and terracing.

Savills (01491 843000).

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