EVERY WEEK
JULY 14, 2021
Why Borders are best: the terrier with it all
ISSUE: 28
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THE VOICE OF THE COUNTRYSIDE JULY 14, 2021
Love and art: the Bloomsberries’ country home Village affairs: all of life is here Jersey living, fuchsia jam and John Nash
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ONE FAMILY SPECIALISING IN FINE FURNITURE SINCE 1866
Special purchase wing chairs for immediate delivery To maintain a vibrant workshop throughout the pandemic, we purchased a large number of hides in various finishes at huge savings. We now have an impressive collection of wing chairs available for immediate delivery with the savings passed onto our customers. All chairs are traditionally hand made in our Dorset workshops using hardwood frames, hand carved mahogany legs, deep buttoning, and individual steel springs hand-tied to hessian webbing. For the full selection visit WWW.BRIGHTSOFNETTLEBED.CO.UK/WINGCHAIRS
Melbury in tan with Queen Anne legs.
Limited offer £1,970
Or made in your choice of hide from £2,340
Hambledon in dark tan with Queen Anne legs.
Limited offer £1,970
Or made in your choice of hide from £2,340
Elizabethan in olive with acanthus legs.
Coleridge in antique gold hide with feather seaat cushion, antiqued brass studs, and ball and claw legs.
Or made in your choice of hide from £2,985
Or made in your choice of hide from £2,205
Limited offer £2,525
Limited offer £1,850
COVID-19: Our showrooms provide a secure environment to view our unrivalled stock and discuss your requirements. We have proven hygiene procedures in place and regular rapid testing of our team to ensure we can deliver safely and offer viewings in your home with our much-loved approval service.
OVER 1,000 ITEMS OF EXCLUSIVE CLASSICAL FURNISHINGS IN STOCK
CALL 01491 641115 | WWW.BRIGHTSOFNETTLEBED.CO.UK
nettlebed . oxfordshire . rg9 5dd (open tues - sat)
king's rd . london . sw6 2dx (open mon-fri)
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HACKWO OD PARK, HAMPSHIRE
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n impressive 1,011 acre mixed Estate with a charming Grade II listed family home in a sought-after accessible location. This diverse sporting estate has historic parkland, commercial arable land and stunning mature woodlands.
6 - 7 B E D R O O M S | 5 B AT H R O O M S | 6 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | S TA B L I N G W I T H P O S T & R A I L P A D D O C K S P L A N N I N G F O R A 3 B E D R O O M C O T TA G E | G R A I N S T O R E | O U T B U I L D I N G S | P H E A S A N T & PA R T R I D G E S H O O T B A S I N G S T O K E 4 M I L E S ( L O N D O N WAT E R L O O F R O M 4 4 M I N U T E S ) | O D I H A M 7. 5 M I L E S
Guide price available upon request Knight Frank London & Basingstoke clive.hopkins@knightfrank.com 020 4502 8211 will.matthews@knightfrank.com 020 4502 7347 mark.potter@knightfrank.com 01256 806421 Ref: CHO012037144
knightfrank.co.uk
PAVENHAM, BEDFORDSHIRE Guide Price: £1,600,000 5 Bedrooms
4 Reception Rooms
4 Bathrooms
E EPC
A detached farmhouse on an elevated 40 acre plot with a river frontage, fishing rights, a landing strip and over 7,900 sq. ft. of outbuildings with development potential. The property has been redeveloped using reclaimed materials and has 3,335 sq. ft. of accommodation with underfloor heating throughout. Outbuildings include an oak framed triple carport, garage and log store. The 4,000 sq. ft. main barn includes a ground floor workshop with offices, a cloakroom and kitchen area above. The 500m landing strip is used under the 28 day rule, with scope to increase (STPP). The grounds include formal gardens, woodland and pasture land with half a mile of river frontage.
Bedford Office | Richard Banks | 01234 220000 London Office | Bob Bickersteth | 0207 839 0888
14 offices covering 8 counties and Central London
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michaelgraham.co.uk
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michaelgraham_living
Gascony, France
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GASCONY, FRANCE
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his glorious country manor has been in the same ownership for 30 years, boasting idyllic views of the surrounding parkland. Built around 1800, the property combines superb originality with modern comfort. Including 5.5 hectares of grounds, with an additional 150 hectares of arable land available by separate negotiation. 6 B E D R O O M S | 6 B AT H R O O M S | 4 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | G U A R D I A N ' S L O D G I N G | G Y M OUTBUILDINGS | SWIMMING POOL
Guide price €2,900,000 jack.harris@knightfrank.com +44 20 3468 9178 Ref: RSI012004763
knightfrank.com
Gothic Revival Masterpiece Tenterden, Kent Rye: 10 miles, Ashford International Station: 10 miles (London St Pancras from 37 minutes) An outstanding Gothic style country estate occupying a superb parkland setting in the heart of Tenterden. 5 reception rooms, 8 bedrooms (2 en suite), 2 further bathrooms, tower room and viewing terrace, 2 bedroom coach house, 3 bedroom gatehouse, garaging, landscaped gardens and parkland.
About 45 acres | Guide £5.5 million
Will Peppitt Savills London Country Department 020 3811 1628 wpeppitt@savills.com
savills
savills.co.uk
West Sussex, Coolham
A quintessential small country estate with excellent equestrian facilities Horsham: 7.8 miles, Guildford: 22.5 miles, Brighton and Hove: 23 miles, Gatwick Airport: 25 miles Hall | Drawing room | Dining room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Principal bedroom with en suite dressing room and bathroom 5 Further bedrooms | 2 Family bathrooms | 1-Bedroom cottage | 1-Bedroom flat | 2 Office buildings | 2 Stable yards All weather manège | Swimming pool | Tennis court | Triple garage | Outbuildings | 2 Ornamental ponds Formal gardens | Paddocks and parkland About 51.34 acres
Over 50 Offices across England and Scotland, including prime Central London.
Ken Roberts
Tom Shuttleworth
Guildford Office 01483 306 565
Country Department 07919 128 193
ken.roberts@struttandparker.com
thomas.shuttleworth@struttandparker.com
/struttandparker
@struttandparker
struttandparker.com
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n exceptionally private country house with spectacular 180° degree views. Positioned on the south side of Crockham Hill and set in exquisite gardens and grounds.
5 B E D R O O M S | 5 B AT H R O O M S | 5 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S 2 B E D R O O M G U E S T A N N E X E | 4 B E D R O O M L O D G E C O T TA G E TENNIS COURT WITH SUMMER HOUSE | SWIMMING POOL
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E XT E N S I V E GA R AG I N G & O U T B U I L D I NG S I M M A C U L AT E G A R D E N S & G R O U N D S | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 6 . 3 3 A C R E S E P C E | S EV E NOA K S 8 MI L E S | L O N D O N 2 6 M I L E S
Guide price £7,500,000 Knight Frank London & Sevenoaks edward.rook@knightfrank.com 020 3930 1379 james.crawford@knightfrank.com 020 3930 2523
knightfrank.co.uk
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WEST WRATTING, CAMBRID GESHIRE
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n outstanding Grade II listed Georgian village house surrounded by extensive mature gardens. Formerly the summer residence of the Bishop of Ely, the house is within close proximity to Cambridge and ideal for commuting to London.
6 B E D R O O M S | 3 B AT H R O O M S | 3 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | 3 B E D R O O M C O A C H H O U S E 2 B E D R O O M C O T TA G E | S U M M E R H O U S E | S TA B L E S | F I E L D | O R C H A R D | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 3 A C R E S C A M B R I D G E 1 2 M I L E S | S A F F R O N WA L D E N 1 2 M I L E S ( L O N D O N L I V E R P O O L S T R E E T F R O M 5 1 M I N U T E S )
Guide price available upon request Knight Frank Bishop's Stortford paddy.pritchard-gordon@knightfrank.com 01279 888501 Ref: BST012000547
knightfrank.co.uk
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beautifully presented modern family country house located between the historic town of Sherborne and Bruton -"the Notting Hill of Somerset". The house features high eco-credentials, light spacious rooms and stunning gardens and grounds.
6 - 7 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 H O M E O F F I C E | 1 B E D R O O M A N N E X E | D O U B L E C A R P O R T | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 1 . 9 3 A C R E S | E P C C SHERBORNE 5.5 MILES | BRUTON 11 MILES
Guide price £2,100,000 Knight Frank Sherborne luke.pender-cudlip@knightfrank.com 01935 805324 Ref: SHE012187815
knightfrank.co.uk
The Home Counties is the place to buy With its convenient transport connections to London and open countryside, it's perhaps unsurprising that exchanges were up 101% in June versus the five-year average* in the Home Counties. As there's never been a better time to buy, here is a selection of properties that are currently available.
Oxshott, Surrey The Grange is a character home which has been significantly extended and refurbished to a fantastic quality. 5 B E D R O O M S | 4 B AT H R O O M S | 5 - 6 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | E P C D
Guide price £2,950,000
nathaniel.bracegirdle@knightfrank.com 01932 800998
Shepperton, Surrey A stunning manor house built in 1740 in the village of Upper Halliford.
4 B E D R O O M S | 2 B AT H R O O M S | 3 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | E P C D
Guide price £1,795,000
andrew.chambers@knightfrank.com 01932 809938
Esher, Surrey An immaculately presented interior designed family home finished to a high specification throughout. 4 B E D R O O M S | 3 B AT H R O O M S | 3 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | E P C B
Guide price £1,725,000
adam.burlison@knightfrank.com 01372 464496 Source: Knight Frank data
Wallingford, Oxfordshire A charming Grade II listed Queen Anne house in the centre of Wallingford, with views over the castle ruins.
3 B E D R O O M S | 3 B AT H R O O M S | 2 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S
Guide price £1,285,000
matt.davies@knightfrank.com 01491 815299
Binfield, Berkshire A beautiful Grade II listed, 16th century barn conversion set in a rural location.
4 B E D R O O M S | 3 B AT H R O O M S | 3 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S
Guide price £2,300,000
greg.crosse@knightfrank.com 01344 989436
Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire A stunning Grade II listed country home situated within the exclusive, private gated development of Archive Mews on Kingshill Way.
3 B E D R O O M S | 2 B AT H R O O M S | 2 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S
Guide price £1,500,000
harry.prynn@knightfrank.com 01494 853619
If you’re thinking of selling your home, or would simply like some advice on the market, get in touch today. We’d love to help you.
Your partners in property for 125 years
knightfrank.co.uk
Unlock the potential of your home The over 55s are wealthier than ever. Thanks to careful investment and decades of rising property prices they hold the majority of property wealth in the UK; £3.1 trillion and rising. If you’re part of this generation, it’s time to discover how your property could hold the key to a brighter future that starts at home. They say home is where the heart is: a cherished focus for family life, a comfortable refuge, somewhere to welcome friends and make memories. Over the past year our homes have worked harder than ever, doubling as office space, classrooms, makeshift gyms and open-all-hours kitchens. No wonder our passion for them runs deep. Yet a year spent looking at the same four walls has highlighted just how much more we could enhance them to better fit our lifestyles. Home improvements have become a true national obsession: from repainting peeling windowsills to sparkling kitchen extensions, we spent a remarkable £3.4 billion during the third lockdown alone. If you already live in your life-long home but have new aspirations on the horizon, you’ll likely have your own wish-list. Perhaps you want to modernise tired bathrooms, create extra bedrooms for children and grandchildren or add a tech-savvy home office.
Perhaps you’d like to make your home more eco-friendly, or do you dream of landscaping the garden? If you are over 55, your property could hold the key to realising the lifestyle you deserve, in the home you love. Let Knight Frank Finance show you how. Your Trusted Property Adviser You’ll know Knight Frank as one of the world’s leading property firms who, for 125 years, has provided clients with trusted property advice. The team at Knight Frank Finance offer the same outstanding expertise across every aspect of property finance, from advice on lending for complex property portfolios to first-time buyer mortgages. For 125 years we have helped our clients make the right decisions at every stage of life. That’s why establishing our Later Life Finance service in the UK, exclusively for the over 55s, was a natural extension to our role as your lifelong partners in property.
Property pictured: Godalming, Surrey - Guide price £5,000,000 - Contact Knight Frank Country Department on 020 7861 5390
A Mature Market Later Life Finance options include retirement mortgages and equity release, terms you may have heard before. Put aside any preconceptions though, because today they are part of a rapidly maturing market, and an essential component of financial planning.
David Forsdyke Head of Later Life Finance
“Later Life Finance is quite simply a market transformed,” explains David Forsdyke, head of the service at Knight Frank Finance. “It has evolved into one dramatically more flexible than we’ve seen before, with over 500 products available. For clients that means significantly better choices.”
David has over fifteen years’ industry experience and has previously worked for the Financial Conduct Authority and the Equity Release Council. He and his team work closely with your wealth advisers to ensure our recommendations fit seamlessly with your overall financial objectives.
“It is no surprise that improving our homes is at the top of the list when it comes to reasons for releasing equity from our properties. More homeowners are looking to adapt their homes to better suit their needs and fit in with changing lifestyles, whether that be working from home or spending more time with family. The right improvements can add significant value to your property and be a sensible investment too. A conservatory can add 10% while turning a garage into living space or converting the loft into an additional bedroom can add 15%.”
Contact David directly for trusted financial advice on: 01483 491 069 david.forsdyke@knightfrankfinance.com
knightfrankfinance.co.uk
Using your property wealth wisely gives you the most important prize of all: choice. Whatever you hope to achieve, we can help you find a way.
+44 (0)20 8022 5727
How Later Life Finance Gives You Choices
Knight Frank Finance is a whole-of-market mortgage and insurance adviser with an extensive network of over 200 high street lenders, private banks and financial institutions. We work through a full range of options for every client, to provide you with a complete understanding of your choices.
David explains some of the details: “Let’s say you are planning an extensive renovation of your downstairs living space. By choosing what’s known as a lifetime mortgage, you can release funds on a gradual basis over the duration of your project, without needing to repay the loan every month. Or you may simply want to redecorate your living room. No problem, because a lifetime mortgage also allows you to access a single lump sum to meet those one-time costs.” These are just a couple of examples. Making use of your property wealth in this way requires careful consideration and quality advice, available for you with Knight Frank Finance. As we celebrate our milestone 125th anniversary this year, let us help you make the most of your next milestone, whatever that might be.
We can help with: •
Mortgages, including large loans and complex requirements
•
Bridging Finance
•
Country House, Farms & Estates Finance
•
Personal and Life Insurance
•
International Finance
•
Finance for property purchases at auction
Country House with Private Island Shiplake, Henley-on-Thames Henley-on-Thames: 3 miles, Reading: 6 miles, Oxford: 27 miles Handsome country house in a majestic setting with about 34 acres. Lot 1: principal house with 6 reception rooms, 10 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, indoor swimming pool, sauna/wet room, tennis court, 3 cottages, summerhouse, workshop, landscaped gardens and private island in the middle of the River Thames. Lot 2: about 24 acres of woodland. EPCs = D-E About 34 acres | Available as a whole or in 2 lots | Whole: Guide £8.1 million or Lot 1: Guide £7.75 million
Ed Sugden Savills London Country Department 020 3627 7413 esugden@savills.com
Stephen Christie-Miller Savills Henley 01491 817 993 schristie-miller@savills.com
savills
savills.co.uk
B Listed Georgian Mansion Biggar, Lanarkshire Edinburgh: 30 miles, Glasgow: 50 miles Attractive country house set within exceptional parkland policies. 3 reception rooms, 5 principal bedrooms, stable block, coach house with apartment above, 2 bedroom gate lodge, walled garden with greenhouse. About 41 acres of ground (Lot 2) available in addition. About 17 acres | Available as 2 lots | Lot 1: Offers over £825,000; Lot 2: Offers over £150,000 Andrew Thomson Savills Edinburgh 0131 516 0890 athomson@savills.com
savills
savills.co.uk
Diversified Residential Estate Bures, Suffolk Bures Station: 2 miles, Stansted Airport: 30 miles Beautiful estate with substantial income stream, within easy reach of London and Stansted Airport. Moated country house, Grade II listed granary, 6 further residential properties, stabling, estate office, Grade II listed barn, outbuildings, productive arable land, amenity woodland. EPCs = C-E About 494 acres | Guide £10.5 million Charlie Paton Savills London National Farms & Estates 020 3811 1633 cpaton@savills.com
Jim Bryant Bryant Land and Property 01223 842 675 jim@bryantlandandproperty.com
savills
savills.co.uk
Hidden Countryside Gem Whipsnade, Bedfordshire Berkhamsted: 9.3 miles, Harpenden: 10 miles Elegant period home with good eco credentials and ancillary accommodation in lovely grounds. 4 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms, swimming pool and pool house, 1 bedroom lodge house, music studio/cinema, extensive garaging and wonderful landscaped gardens. EPC = D About 2.9 acres | Guide £2,999,995 Nick Ingle Savills Harpenden 01582 803 710 ningle@savills.com
savills
savills.co.uk
rettie.co.uk
ST E V E N SO N H O U S E
O F F ERS OV ER £4,0 00, 000
E A ST LOTH I A N
A stunning historic residential estate totally refurbished to the highest standard set in about 22 acres of beautiful gardens and parkland with three additional dwellings.
STEVENSON HOUSE A superbly restored and renovated country house dating from circa 1560 surrounded by beautiful gardens and policies. Three grand reception rooms, three informal reception rooms, snooker room, spacious open-plan kitchen with dining area, usual domestic o�ces, lift to all �oors, master bedroom suite, four en-suite bedrooms, three further bedrooms and two bathrooms. Extensive garaging and outbuildings. GARDENS
ADDITIONAL DWELLINGS Three houses and cottages.
PARKLAND
AMENITY
Stunning mature formal and informal gardens.
Grass paddocks with stable block and �eld Shelter.
Riverside setting and specimen trees.
ABOUT 21.84 ACRES (8.84 HECTARES)
ANDREW SMITH 0131 624 9087 | 07702 317276 andrew.smith@rettie.co.uk
EDINBURGH | GLASGOW | MELROSE | ST ANDREWS | BERWICK UPON TWEED | NEWCASTLE | LONDON
BELLDIP FARM, HUNGARTON, LEICESTERSHIRE A substantial country home offering excellent equestrian facilities,Belldip Farm is set within manicured paddock land of approx. 8 acres. Up to 25 further acres may be available by separate negotiation. The property itself offers approx. 6,000 sq ft of accommodation and has been recently renovated and modernised. Features include a grand reception hall, large open plan farmhouse style oak kitchen with large family room/sitting room off with glass doors opening onto the terrace with stunning views overlooking open countryside and six bedrooms. A range of outbuildings to include a 2 bed self-contained annexe/staff flat, a workshop, tack room, stable block with 6 stables, brick field shelter and an open fronted barn. Market Harborough 16 miles with mainline train to London St Pancras in 57 Minutes 13 miles to the popular market town of Oakham and within easy access to some of the best schools in the midlands.
£6,000 PER CALENDAR MONTH
For more information on this property or to book a viewing please get in touch:
OAKHAM: 01572 757979 | UPPINGHAM: 01572 821935 | MELTON MOWBRAY: 01664 491610 | STAMFORD: 01780 484555 PETERBOROUGH TRAIN STATION MEET & GREET: 01733 788888 | GRANTHAM TRAIN STATION MEET & GREET: 01476 855618 office@mooresestateagents.com | www.mooresestateagents.com
THE HOME OF PREMIUM PROPERTY O U R PR OPE R T Y PAGE S A R E W H E R E T H E F I N E S T HO U SE S A R E SHOWC A SE D T O A R E F I N E D, W E A LT H Y R E A DE R SH I P I N B O T H T H E U K A N D OV E R SE A S
COUNTRY LIFE is where buyers search for their dream For property advertising information please contact Oliver Pearson: oliver.pearson@futurenet.com – 07961 800887
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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
Property market
Penny Churchill
Holding out for a hero The battle for Trafalgar Park raged for a century and the Wiltshire estate now comes to the market after a victorious restoration
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RITING in Country Life (April 3/10, 1997), the magazine’s former Architectural Editor the late Giles Worsley referred to stately Grade I-listed Trafalgar Park, near Salisbury, Wiltshire, as ‘the Flying Dutchman of the property world, endlessly seeking an owner and being sold on while the fabric slowly decayed’. The fine country house built by John James of Greenwich in 1733 for City grandee Sir Peter Vandeput was nevertheless described as ‘an estate agent’s dream, a house that always seemed to come back on the market’. Sir Peter died in 1748 and, four years later, Standlynch Park and its surrounding estate
were bought by William Young, later Governor of Dominica, and sold by him to Henry Dawkins MP, who added the north and south wings designed by John Wood the Younger of Bath. Dawkins also commissioned his friend and fellow member of the Society of Dilettanti, Nicholas Revett, a founding member of Britain’s Greek Revivalist movement, to design the portico, interiors for the north wing and a number of chimneypieces. He then commissioned fashionable Italian painter and engraver Giovanni Battista Cipriani to paint the scenes in his music room, now known as the Cipriani Room. Following Dawkins’s death in 1814, the Standlynch
Park estate was bought by the Crown on behalf of the Nelson family as reward for the Admiral’s victory at Trafalgar in 1805. Horatio Nelson having died in the battle, Standlynch Park, renamed Trafalgar House, its estate and a substantial pension were settled on his brother, William, an unassuming Norfolk clergyman who was created 1st Earl Nelson. Enriched by marriage and inheritance, his successors expanded the landholdings to 7,196 acres by 1884. However, the estate failed to weather the farming depression of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and, after the Second World War, the imposition of punitive death duties
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Find the best properties at countrylife.co.uk
Facing page: The stately façade of Grade Ilisted Trafalgar Park in Wiltshire. £11m. Above and right: Magnificent reception rooms designed by Nicholas Revett have been restored to their 18th-century glory and the withdrawal of the Nelson pension by the then Labour government forced the sale of Trafalgar House and its remaining 3,415 acres to the Duke of Leeds in 1948. The Duke’s son-in-law, Viscount Chandos, later bought Trafalgar House with only 10 acres of land when the rest of the estate was sold to the neighbouring Longford Castle estate in 1953. The Chandos family lived in some style at Trafalgar House until 1971, when Lord Chandos sold it to a City banker, who, in 1978, sold it in turn to an entrepreneur who ran a successful business from the stables, but found the house surplus to requirements. In 1992, he sold the property to a Swedish hotelier with a passion for Nelsoniana. He was granted planning consent to convert it to a boutique country hotel, but was stopped in his tracks by the recession of the early 1990s and chose not to proceed. Despite frequent advertisements in Country Life, Trafalgar House remained unsold and
uninhabited and the buildings—especially the north wing, which had lain empty since the Second World War—continued to deteriorate. Disaster loomed until, one day in 1995, Michael Wade, a passionate supporter of opera, music and the Arts, went to see the house on a whim, was totally smitten, bought it that year and renamed it Trafalgar Park. He envisaged converting the south wing into a family home, using the central block
for corporate entertaining and transforming the derelict north wing into an auditorium based on elements of Revett’s original design. Despite the support of Worsley and other architectural experts, who maintained that the alterations involved were ‘markedly less damaging than earlier proposals for which planning consent was given’, the conservationists refused to allow the removal of internal walls in the north wing to accommodate 115
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Property market
Unlisted Redlynch House, set in 19½ acres of private parkland in Wiltshire, is a prime candidate for restoration and refurbishment. £3m
the auditorium central to Mr Wade’s concept. Undaunted, he soldiered on and, over the past 30 years, has restored Revett’s grand portico and magnificent reception rooms in the main three-storey house, notably the Baroque hall, the Saloon and the Cipriani Room, which provide a spectacular setting for musical and theatrical events, weddings, conferences and an impressive location for television and film dramas. The main house offers three further reception rooms, five bedrooms and three bathrooms on the first floor, and a further six bedrooms, two bathrooms and a kitchen on the second floor. True to his original plan, Mr Wade has reconfigured the south wing as a practical, two-storey family home with a large new kitchen/breakfast room, a splendid octagonal dining room and a family sitting room on the ground floor, plus a principal bedroom suite, two further bedrooms, a bathroom and studio on the second floor. The partly restored north wing contains some important Revett interiors, including a particularly fine ceiling inspired by the Temple of Bel at Palmyra, with six further rooms on the first floor. Most importantly perhaps, Mr Wade has bought back more than 56 acres of Trafalgar’s original parkland from the Longford Castle estate and created a new tree-lined entrance driveway with planning consent for a pair
of gate lodges. Sadly, his remarkable odyssey looks set to end with the launch onto the market of his cherished Trafalgar Park estate, for which Savills (020–7409 8881) quote a guide price of £11 million for the whole, including the original stables and the disused Standlynch Church, now a romantic folly. ‘As one of the most architecturally authentic 18th-century houses in England, set in an outstanding rural location on the edge of the New Forest National Park and Cranborne Chase, Trafalgar Park is, indeed, a country-house agent’s dream,’ says selling agent Crispin Holborow.
The Baroque hall, the Saloon and the Cipriani Room provide a spectacular setting The Nelson connection in this part of the world was reinforced when, at some point before 1833, the Revd William Nelson bought the early-19th-century Redlynch House in the nearby village of that name for his son-in-law Samuel Hood, 2nd Baron Bridport. Ownership of the house changed hands in 1843 and, throughout the late 1800s and the first half
of the 20th century, it was owned by members of the gentry or retired military officers. It is also thought to have been, at some point, the New Forest hunting lodge of the Monckton/ Ilchester family of Abbotsbury, Dorset. For sale through Savills in Salisbury (01722 426820) at a guide price of £3m, Redlynch House, set in just over 19½ acres of private parkland on the edge of the village, has been in the hands of its present owners since 1968. The 12,000sq ft house, which is unlisted, boasts a series of well-proportioned reception rooms, including a 48ft-long drawing room with two large Regency-style bow windows, an elegant dining room overlooking the rose garden, a sitting room, seven bedrooms and five bathrooms, all of which retain an air of faded grandeur although in need of refurbishment and restoration. In addition, there are seven attic rooms and extensive cellars. A large study, the present kitchen and various utility rooms are located in a 1960s extension, which could be adapted to create a large family kitchen/breakfast room, subject to planning consent, suggests selling agent James McKillop. The sale includes a pair of semi-detached three-bedroom cottages, a Grade II-listed two-bedroom lodge cottage and a number of dilapidated outbuildings and stores, including a former cottage, stables and garaging.
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Properties of the week
Edited by Annunciata Elwes
You are cordially invited
‘Freedom day’ is almost upon us and these houses are certainly fit for a party London TW10, excess £15 million On the gentle slope of Richmond Hill, Grade I-listed The Wick is a secret Georgian paradise that feels like a country house, albeit hopping distance from the heart of the capital, enjoying as it does the only view protected by an Act of Parliament. Lush terraced gardens meander down to an idyllic swimming pool and pool house, with the Thames elegantly curving in the distance. There are five bedrooms, two en suite and with dressing rooms, in this 8,500sq ft property over four floors that, as well as an entrance hall and reception and dining rooms, has a vinery, conservatory, dumb waiter, former billiard room (now a studio or office), dog room, breakfast room, vaulted kitchen and storage vaults. Unsurprisingly, the view from the drawing-room balcony is sublime. Pereds (020–7221 1404)
Buckinghamshire, £3.25 million Farrow & Ball shades reign supreme at Quarry Lodge, an unusual three/four bedroom house slightly elevated from the Thames on the outskirts of picturesque Marlow, made characterful by its turret, complete with weather vane and domed portico, and large boathouse at the 120ft mooring. Beautifully restored with new electrics, plumbing and heating, new bathrooms and wallpapers by Zoffany and Little Greene, there’s also a dining room (served by a dumb waiter) that opens onto a first-floor roof terrace. Downstairs, a limestone fireplace with a woodburning stove and carved stone heads reclaimed from a Welsh church completes the family sitting room and, outside, amid attractive terraced gardens descending to the river, a separate studio could also be used as a home office. Hamptons (01628 260324) 118
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Bedfordshire, £2.6 million Were it not for the Grade II-listed ruins of a stone bridge, now a charming garden feature, and the well-maintained moat that wraps around two sides of this sizeable property, one might forget it had ever been fortified at all. The present Bletsoe Castle is a much-renovated house of late16th-century origins, which was used as a farmhouse from the early 19th century; it’s now a glorious family home in a sunny spot with eight bedrooms and seven reception rooms, including a billiard room. The three principal entertaining rooms, with their traditional fireplaces and exposed beams, are interlinked and open onto the garden—ideal for a summer drinks party. The house’s 24¼ acres contain beautiful gardens, mostly laid to lawn, with colourful beds, specimen trees and shrubs. There’s a walled garden filled with vegetables and fruit trees, plus paddocks, a tennis court, two one-bedroom grooms’ cottages, stables, tack room, green house, barn and further outbuildings. The village of Bletsoe is about six miles from the county town of Bedford. Michael Graham (01234 220000)
Devon, excess £1.5 million A talking point in itself, Park Hill House’s Modernist, starkly white exterior stretches over five floors, allowing for 4,600sq ft of accommodation, all connected by a lift. On a private, elevated spot a little way back from Torquay harbour, it has been beautifully maintained as a holiday let since it was built in 2009. There are five/six bedrooms and the views over palm-fringed Tor Bay from almost every room and various balconies are exceptional—the aspect to be had from the top floor, entirely occupied by the sitting room, is of particular note. Landscaped gardens are dotted about on different levels with sitting areas and a pergola; a striking glass sun room runs the full width of the property and there’s even a cinema/games room. Jackson-Stops (01392 214222)
Local heroes The disbelieving church organist Illustration by Emma van Zeller
9000
Angela doesn’t let her passion for the preachings of Richard Dawkins get in the way of her love of church music. She bangs out Onward Christian Soldiers and Thine Be The Glory with a gusto that would put the Salvation Army to shame. Pieces that require a lighter touch, however, are more of a challenge; at a recent wedding she blamed her faltering rendition of Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring on the failings of the organ. When she suggested a replacement, the treasurer of the PCC pointed out that it would be cheaper to find a new organist. But the blunder she has yet to live down is the time she was spotted by Maj Topbrass reading The God Delusion during the sermon. When challenged by the vicar, she pleaded for her job, not least because she’s keen to hedge her bets, ‘just in case Richard Dawkins got it wrong’. GK
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