Country Life 23rd November 2022 - Early Property Pages

Modern Masterpiece

Gilling East,North Yorkshire York Station: 15 miles (London King’s Crossfrom2hours)

Award-winningarchitect,MarkBramhall, hasdesignedthishome witha perfect balanceofmodernarchitecture, at one withnatureinthe peacefulHowardianHills.3 receptionrooms, 6ensuite bedrooms, interconnecting self-contained apartmentwith 3enensuite bedrooms,separateindoor swimming poolwith further accommodation, deerparkand gardens. Freehold |Council TaxBand=H|EPC =B About 66 acres|Guide £8million

Meet theSavillsPrivate Office

TheSavillsPrivate Office wasthe brainchildofthe late David Forbes —amuchrespectedfigure in theprime property industry —and has gonefromstrengthtostrengthsince its inceptionin2007. It wasset up to be asingleand confidential pointofcontact forprivateclients and theirfamily officesto have easy access into ourglobal networkand expertise.As such,itwas apioneeringconceptinthe industry.Today,our team numbersare 19 (and growing) across theworld,all of whom areleaders in theirsectors

To buildonDavid Forbes’legacy,JonathanHewlett is taking up therole of Chairman of ThePrivate Office.Havingstarted hisestateagency career in London in 1986,and joiningSavills eightyears later, Jonathan nowcountsmanyownersofthe capital’sfinest properties as personalfriends. Supporting him to grow thebusiness and lead it forward will be twolongstandingmembersofthe team alreadywellknown to clients of ThePrivate Office.Onthe onehand is AlexChristian as Head of London.Overthe course of more than 20 years, he hasamassed anear encyclopaedic marketknowledge and hasanaddress book that’s theenvyofour competitorsboth in theUKand overseas. On theother is Crispin Holborow as Head of Country. Crispinis, of course,known to manyCountry Life readersfor hisunrivalledknowledge of thecountry houses and estatesmarketalongsidehis deep passionand appreciation forBritish architecture and landscapes

Further UK PrivateOfficeexperts includeIsabella BirchReynardson,Ned Baring,RoryMcMullen, OllieMarshall, WilliamDuckworth-Chadand Kristina Sukhareva.

NewKensington Townhouse

Kensington, London W8 Kensington Gardens: 0.5miles,HydePark: 0.9miles Designed anddevelopedbyFinchatton, this newlybuilt townhouse haswonderfulgrand proportionsand anewly reinstated periodexternalfacade,located in Kensington’s De Vere ConservationArea. 3reception rooms, 5bedrooms(3 en suite),2further bathrooms, kitchen,guest cloakroom,study,media room,gym,utility room,off-street parkingfor acar (RBKCresidents parking permit) anda41ftgarden.Freehold ICouncil TaxBand=H|EPC =B 4,672sqft|Guide £14.25 million

AT HOME IN HAMPSHIRE

LET KNIGHT FRANK GUIDE YOUTHROUGH THE COUNTY’S GOLDEN LIFESTYLE

Hampshire’senduring appeal starts with its natural beauty, awinning blend of coast and countrysidepunctuated by charming villages, markettowns andcities. It’s an ideal backdrop fora healthy, outdoor lifestyle, within easy reach of London and supportedby excellent schoolingand awiderange of elegantpropertiesand estates.Edward Cunningham from Knight Frank’s Prime CountryDepartment,along-time Hampshireresident himself, outlines the county’s merits and explains how his team’s in-depth knowledge and experiencehelpsbuyers find their ownprime Hampshirehomes.

knightfrank.co.uk

Toby Turnage Lymington Office

HampshireisawonderfulmixofNationalParks,historiccities andpocketsofamazingcountryside,atrueopen-airplayground. There’sboatingatLymington,walkingandbikingintheNew Forestandworld-classfishingalongtheiconicchalkstreams oftheItchenandTestRivers.Thisfresh-airlifestyleismatched byexcellentconnectionsandschooling.Londoniswithin50to 80minutesbycar,theairportsofthesoutheastareonhandand first-rateeducationoptionsincludeBedales,Farleigh,Cheam andHorrisHillaswellasnumerousotherseniorschoolswithin theCounty

In-demandlocationsincludevillagesclosetothecommuter hubofBasingstoke,WinchesterandtheGeorgianmarket townsofAlresford,StockbridgeandBishopsWaltham.Prime propertiesincludehandsomethatchedcottages,Georgian rectories,dowerhouses,substantialestatesandimpressive newlybuiltcontemporaryhomes,pricedfrom£2,500,000to wellover£15million.Rightacrossthispricerange,around35 percentofourannualsalesarecompletedoff-market,another keyreasonforpotentialpurchaserstogetintouch

KnightFrank’sseniorstaffinourfourHampshireoffices, Basingstoke,Winchester,LymingtonandHungerford,share decadesofexperienceinthelocalmarket.Theirteamwork withinHampshireandtheirwidercollaborationwithourprime countryteambasedinLondonproviderealbenefitsforour clients,blendingin-depthlocalknowledgewithourextensive nationalandinternationalnetwork

WeliveinHampshire,weknowitintimatelyandwe’rehereto shareourknowledgewithyou.

Your partners in property

You’remorethan aquick escapeto the country.

So we go further to land youthe perfectcatch.

Let’stalkaboutwhat reallymovesyou.

There’smore to making your move.

We go further to offer the right property advicefor you.

Your partners in property

Let’stalkaboutwhat reallymovesyou.

Forthe people who well-appointed, ve-

arelooking fora bedroom dog’s home.

HINWICK, BEDFORDSHIRE

Guide price: £7,950,000

Arecently renovated Grade I-listed Queen Anne manor house set in 37 acres of gardens, parkland, lakes and woodlandandforsaleforonlythethirdtimeinover300years.Accommodationofover30,000sq.ft.isspread over three floors and includes several licensed function rooms. Outbuildings include three estate cottages, stables and an 18th-century clock tower

Property market Penny

APASSION for restoration is a com mon thread in the story of three charming, but quite different family houses that have graced the property market in recent weeks. The first of these is Merry Hall in Agates Lane, Ashtead, Surrey, the home, from 1946–56, of the writer and playwright Beverley Nichols and the subject of a popular trilogy of books—Merry Hall (1951), Laughter on the Stairs (1953) and Sunlight on the Lawn (1956)—in which he describes, with char acteristic waspish humour, the acquisition, renovation and landscaping of the run-down Georgian country house in the aftermath of the Second World War. Still wonderfully reminiscent of a bygone era, Merry Hall is now for sale, for the first time in 45 years, through Tom Shuttleworth of Strutt & Parker’s country department (020–7591 2232), who quotes a guide price of £3.25 million.

Nichols is best remembered for his books about his homes and gardens, the first of which was Down the Garden Path (1932), in which he describes the difficulties and delights of maintaining a Tudor thatched

cottage in Glatton, Cambridgeshire. By 1946, however, Nichols had fallen out of love with the beams and bumps of Tudor architecture and was looking for something different. He later wrote: ‘I wanted a house. And I wanted a Georgian house. And I wanted a garden of at least five acres: a garden which, for preference, should be wrecked and lost and despairing.’

His search ended on an autumn day when he and a friend saw the house of his dreams through the branches of a copper-beech tree. In the course of the next 10 years, he renovated the elegant, Grade II-listed Georgian house and established the gardens, which, although now less than an acre, are still beautifully laid out as a series of outdoor ‘rooms’ bordered by stone balustrading, trellising and low walls topped with decorative railings. Architectural shrubs and perennial plants fill borders and decorative beds, with mature trees creating dappled shade and terracing providing space for relaxed outdoor dining.

The house offers more than 6,000sq ft of accommodation on three floors, including entrance and inner halls, impressive drawing

and dining rooms, a study, conservatory and kitchen/breakfast room, a large billiard room with double doors leading onto the terrace, 10 bedrooms and four bathrooms. A driveway to the side of the house leads to a parking area and garage with potential for development, subject to the necessary consents.

Over in east Kent, Simon Backhouse of Strutt & Parker’s Canterbury office (01227 473707) is handling the sale of Grade II-listed Errol House at 68, Stour Street, Canterbury. A former medieval hall house, the property was gentrified in the late 18th century, and rescued from a state of dereliction by its cur rent owners, Richard and Lisa Cochrane, following a painstaking, four-year-long restoration programme. The agents quote a guide price of £2m for one of the city’s most impor tant houses, a description that comes from research by Canterbury Archaeological Trust, which suggests that, during the late-medieval period, a timber-frame house on the site was probably the home of the Atwood family, one of whom, Thomas Atwood, was four times mayor of the city ‘in Henry VIII’s days’.

Painstaking restorations have made for three warmly welcoming and grand family homes

Merry halls

Churchill

Grade II-listed Merry Hall is an elegant Georgian house surrounded by beautifully presented gardens in Ashtead, Surrey. £3.25m

Further research carried out by the Cochranes, who bought the house in 2013, revealed that the Georgian front was added in 1783, work made possible by the success of the owner’s brewery, which was located nearby. However, it was a very different picture that confronted the couple when, in 2013, they bought the house as a near ruin and embarked on an epic restoration that took 1,460 days to complete.

The project involved 15,200 hours of labour; the removal of 750 tons of spoil; the sourcing of 25,000 reclaimed bricks and 78 tons of reclaimed Yorkstone flags; the use of 18 tons of three different blends of lime mortar and 18 tons of lime plaster and render; and the purchase of 48 windows with 478 crown glass units, 32 salvaged cast-iron radiators, and 1,140sq ft of 18th-century oak flooring.

Find the best properties at countrylife.co.uk

Above and right: Grade II-listed Errol House is described as one of the most important houses in the city of Canterbury, Kent. £2m

Property market

The result is a home of historical integrity, elegance and charm with more than 5,616sq ft of living space on three floors, featuring an impressive reception hall and three groundfloor reception rooms, including a panelled parlour, a formal dining room and a glorious drawing room with ornate ceiling plasterwork, full-height sash windows and panelled walls depicting hand-painted native flowers. To the rear of the house is the kitchen/breakfast room, created by incorporating a former 17thcentury laundry.

A Georgian staircase leads to the first-floor library, two double bedrooms, the principal bedroom suite and the family bathroom with its splendid Victorian shower bath. The sec ond floor houses two further bedrooms and a bathroom, with a large attic bedroom above. Outside, the garden is enclosed by high brick walls festooned with climbing roses and cleverly planted to create a space of tran quillity and calm.

Tranquillity and calm come with the keys to Spring Farm at Gressenhall in rural north Norfolk, a meticulously restored 14th-century farmhouse with two barn conversions set in 13 acres of rolling lawns, wildflower meadows and historic spring-fed ponds, five miles from Dereham and 20 miles from the coast at Wellsnext-the-Sea. Tim Hayward of Jackson-Stops

in trendy Burnham Market (01328 801333) quotes a guide price of £2.15m for the idyllic farmstead, which takes its name from the holy Well of St Agnes that sits on its land and was once a staging point for pilgrims on their way to the Marian shrine at Walsingham. Vendors Gary and Judith Harris had been living and working in Dubai when, in the mid 2000s, they decided to retire to the UK. They bought Spring Farm in September 2015 and, after almost two years of restoration and

renovation, they spent their first night in the farmhouse on September 20, 2017. The res toration of the two 15th-century barns was completed in December 2019. Mrs Harris recalls the process: ‘Spring Farm, which is unlisted, was a forgotten gem. However, by engaging a genealogist and architectural historian, we discovered that the farmhouse had probably been a religious hall house and one of some stature, judging from the ornately carved oak beams and other many ritual protection markings. Although once a cherished family home, the farm needed resuscitation. The farmhouse had no central heating and only one working fireplace, and the two 15thcentury barns were about to collapse. Now, thanks to innovative roofing insulation and a modern ground-source heat pump, combined with triple glazing and underfloor heating, this once-cold collection of buildings offers warmth and comfort throughout.’

The farmstead, which is supplied by an abundance of fresh spring water, stands in a private and peaceful location with no over head wires or pylons. The main farmhouse offers 2,284sq ft of well-organised living space, including three reception rooms, a kitchen/ breakfast room and a utility room on the ground floor, with the entire first floor taken up by the principal bedroom suite. The 15thcentury barns provide excellent entertaining space and four guest bedrooms with bath rooms en suite.

Spring Farm is hidden away in 13 acres of lawns and meadows in north Norfolk. £2.15m

Original oak beams are a feature of the restored 14th-century farmhouse at Spring Farm

The farmstead stands in a peaceful location with no overhead wires or pylons

Theelephantinthe workshop

Jeweller PatrickMavrosissupportingefforts to preserve East Africa’s super tuskerswitha percentage of theproceedsfromhis latest collection

FOR more than thirty years, Tusk Trusthas supportedforward thinking andsuccessful conservationinterventioninAfrica. From theplainsofthe Serengetitothe rainforests of theCongo Basin, it workstowards afuture in whichpeopleand wildlife canboththrive across theAfrican continent

Themostfamouslivingtuskerisa magnificent elephant called Craig, whichlives in Amboseli National Park,Kenya.His tusks arereminiscentofabygoneera—he is areallyremarkablespecimen and aposterchild of effectiveconserv ation. Craigcaptured theimagination of celebrated AfricanjewellerPatrick Mavros,who created hisnew Tu Collection to shinealight on theremainingsuper tuskers andthe necessit preserve them forfuturegenerations

a r y remarkable s imen a poster child effective conserv Craig cap the imagination brated African jeweller Patrick , who his n Tusk shine a light the remain g super and the necessity to for future generations. he , mighty e t has e inspiration and distinctive collection,’ says Mr Mavros. e are d to p er the vener Trust to work towards To commemorate

‘The wise,mightyelephanthas been theinspiration behind this bold an distinctivecollection,’saysMrMavro ‘Weare honouredtopartner with thevener able Tusk Trusttoworktowards protecting thesetimelesscreatures.’Tocommemorate the10thyearoftheTuskConservationAwards, 10%ofthe profitsofthe newcollectionwill

be donatedtoTusk’stirelessefforts towardswildlifeconservation. This cludesthe preservation of elephants roughthe BigLifeFoundation, which ects more than 1.6million acres of wilderness in theAmboseli-TsavoKilimanjaroeco-system, home to Craig andthe last stronghold of East Africa’s preciousfew supertuskers

ThePatrick Mavros Tusk collection includestwo pairs of earrings,two ndants,abraceletand apairofgen an’s cufflinks. Each piececomes in either sterlingsilveror18-caratgold

donated to Tusk’s t s efforts towards wildlife conservation. s the s h the g Life Foundat 1.6 million of the Amboseli-Tsavo o eco-system, d the precious few super tuskers e Patrick os coll s two rrings, two pendants, a bracelet and a pair of gencufflinks piece com g silver or 18-ca t gold

Thegold piecesalsofeature asparkling diamondeye

Tuskearringswith diamondin 18-caratgold

Formorei on PatrickMavros, 020–7052 0001orvisit www.patri ros.com

Thewise, mighty elephant hasbeenthe inspirationbehind this bold and distinctive collection

Craig,theelephantthatcapturedPatrickMavros’simagination,infrontofMountKilimanjaro

thee tt

capturedPatrick vros’simagination,infrontofMount

New gardens at Chelsea

LEADING property firms are announcing their plans for next year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Savills revealed last month that their garden will be the show’s first ‘working kitchen’ and will be designed by Mark Gregory. The design will ‘speak to the firm’s commitment to promoting sustainable development’ and will showcase combined ornamental and edible planting. The garden (above) will offer ‘both a sanctuary and a source of the very best in flavours and nutrition’.

Inspired by the ‘architecture, warm tones and sculptural planting of the mediterranean landscape’, RHS rookie Filippo Dester will take charge of Hamptons’ sponsored sanctuary garden (below), alongside four-time Gold-medal winner Tony Woods. The garden will focus on creating the ideal outdoor entertaining space,

a reflection of the social changes that the past few years have brought about. It will be a ‘peaceful and relaxing garden designed to capture all the elements of convivial entertaining in a sweet smelling, alfresco setting,’ say Hamptons.

Developer London Square has announced that it is sponsoring a sanctuary garden by James Smith that will focus on the theme of community. ‘We are thrilled to be back at Chelsea with such a talented designer as James Smith,’ said Jo McDonagh, group sales and marketing director of London Square. ‘The theme of community is at the forefront of everything we do… and this will be a marvellous opportunity to showcase the importance of green spaces and the vital role they play in every new neighbourhood we create.’

Finding homes in the New Forest can be tricky, but finding Holmes is no longer a problem, as Bignell Wood near Minstead, former home of Arthur Conan Doyle, is up for sale. The property was acquired by Conan Doyle as a gift for his wife, in 1924, and the pair lived there until 1930. Currently owned by the interior designer Jane McIntyre, the house comes with eight bedrooms, seven bathrooms and 10 reception rooms, including a ‘study in scarlet’. £2.95 million, with Spencers New Forest (01590 622551)

COUNTRY LIFE wins top award

COUNTRY L IFE is the nation’s best property magazine, according to the judges at the Property Press Awards. The magazine beat five other finalists to claim the crown in front of industry figures at a gala dinner last week.

Editor Mark Hedges said: ‘Since its inception in 1897, COUNTRY L IFE has been the home of premium property, whether advertising or editorial. The history of the nation has been bought and sold through our pages, from the finest country houses to Stonehenge, and this award is a fine recognition of the work we do.’

Other winners included the Financial Times, which won the prize for National Newspaper Property Supplement, and the Oracle Group, for PR Agency of the Year—this year was the first that recognised the efforts of PR teams and agencies. The winner of the grand prize of Property Journalist of the Year was Melissa Story. For the full list of nominees and winners, visit www.propertypressawards.com

James Fisher

Properties of the week

Sales stable as downsizers rise

THE property market is ‘looking a little rosier’ after the drama of the ‘mini-Budget’, says Dominic Agace, CEO of Winkworth. Speaking to the Property Exchange podcast, Mr Agace also said that downsizers are set to sell the family home and prices are likely to fall, but that sales demand shall continue.

‘It has been a dramatic time since the mini-Budget, with the crisis around gilts and an increase in interest rates, but things are looking a little rosier,’ he said. ‘The market lives off momentum. There was huge momentum due to low interest rates, with prices up by 20%. What we are seeing now is a slightly earlier Christmas as people settle down to the new environment with interest rates and the cost of finance. We may see 5% coming off prices this year, but that is in the context of 10% price increases this year and 20% over the past two years in some areas.’ Mr Agace also added that demand for

properties, although down this year, is roughly at 2019 levels. His comments were echoed by Adam Stackhouse, director of development and commercial investment at Winkworth, who added that ‘there is no sign of panic, more a pause for breath and a moderation of the market against record periods of growth’.

Market and economic conditions are also likely to mean an increase in larger properties coming to the market, with the cost of energy, building and main tenance all up. As a result, there will be more oppor tunity to buy that ‘oncein-a-generation house, which may have been with one family for more than 30 years,’ adds Mr Agace. However, he warns that there is still a lack of political will to tackle the long-term chal lenges in the market, most notably hous ing supply. Landlords are seen as the ‘whipping boys’ for the lack of social hous ing and the major issue is supply. ‘No government has delivered on this in the past 20 years,’ Mr Agace notes.

Chelsea props powering up

FANS of redeveloped London power stations may have been disappointed not to get the opportunity to live in the newly opened Battersea Power Station, but fear not, for Chelsea Waterfront’s historic Lots Road Power Station is slowly taking shape and is due for comple tion in 2023.

First built in 1905, Lots Road provided power to London’s Underground for almost 100 years. One of the country’s first steel-framed buildings, the station consumed 700 tons of coal each day. A London Transport poster even described its switchboard as ‘the modern Jupiter, hurling his lightning’. Sales were launched in September, with two-bedroom apartments starting at £1.7 million (www.powerhousechelsea.com).

Buyers embrace sustainability

WITH COP27 having just finished, new research by developers British Land has found that the environmental impact and energy efficiency of properties have never been more important. More than half of UK adults agree that sustainability with regards to housing is a key consideration when renting or buying. When polled, a quarter of respondents admitted that they would pay a premium to live in a more energy-efficient home. Those figures are higher among those aged between 18 and 34 years old, demonstrating the increasing value of green issues among future generations. ‘This research shows that sustainability is increasingly front of mind for people—particu larly younger generations—and it is starting to translate into bigger life decisions, including house purchases,’ says Matt Webster of British Land. ‘The real challenge in the residential space is the operational performance of existing stock and making sure these are energy efficient.’