Country Life September 1, 2021 Early Property Pages by lkhosla

EVERY WEEK

SEPTEMBER 1, 2021

To horse! Our long love affair

ISSUE: 35

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EQUESTRIAN, SCHOOL LIFE & LONDON LIFE SEPTEMBER 1, 2021

Blackberry time: the bramble as detective Works of genius: Freud and The History Boys Schools: the elite eight and farming classes

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ONE FAMILY SPECIALISING IN FINE FURNITURE SINCE 1866

Oil painting on canvas in the manner of 'Mares and Foals in a River Landscape' by George Stubbs, mounted in a burr walnut and gilded frame. £1,790 Width: 42 in. (108cm) | Height: 30 in. (78cm)

Oil painting on canvas in the manner of 'Down The Stretch' by Alfred F de Prades (1844-1883), mounted in an aged hand-made frame. £2,205 Width: 36 in. (92cm) | Height: 26 in. (66.5cm)

Oil painting on canvas in the manner of 'Whistlejacket' by George Stubbs (1724-1806). Stubbs studied anatomy and his pictures of horses are among the most accurate ever painted. Whistlejacket was a racehorse belonging to the Marquess of Rockingham and this composition puts the horse in a pose comparable to a number of earlier monumental equestrian portraits, rearing up against a plain background. The painting has been stretched and mounted in a hand made 3" fluted frame in light antique finish. £1,645 Width: 29¾ inches (76cm) | Depth: 1¾ inches (5cm) | Height: 33 inches (85.5cm)

View items in your home with our approval service... For showroom appointments & home approvals call 01491 641115 or visit www.brightsofnettlebed.co.uk/book - watch our video online. COVID-19: We believe it is in the best interests of our clients and team to continue with our established hygiene protocol. Our team will continue to wear masks with temperature checks, social distancing and regular rapid testing in place when possible, with routine sanitisation of showrooms and vehicles. Masks are available to all showroom visitors.

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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RAMSBURY, WILTSHIRE

oodlands Farm and Stables is a superb equestrian set-up with a large American Barn that houses 27 loose boxes, a secure tack room and an all-weather gallop. The house takes full advantage of its beautiful setting offering wonderful open views and light. 4 B E D R O O M S | 2 B AT H R O O M S | 4 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | S E L F - C O N TA I N E D A N N E X E | 2 B E D R O O M L O D G E M A N È G E | 6 B AY O P E N B A R N | 6 H O R S E WA L K E R | L U N G E R I N G | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 9 6 . 2 A C R E S | E P C D H U N G E R F O R D 5 . 5 M I L E S ( L O N D O N PA D D I N G T O N F R O M 6 4 M I N U T E S ) | N E W B U R Y 1 4 M I L E S

Guide price £3,250,000 Knight Frank London & Hungerford edward.cunningham@knightfrank.com 020 4502 7121 mark.potter@knightfrank.com 01488 758437 Ref: CHO012174960

knightfrank.co.uk

LITTLE BRICKHILL, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Offers In Excess Of: £2,500,000 6 Bedrooms

8 Reception Rooms

8 Bathrooms

TBA EPC

A modern detached house with gated driveway parking, a garage, a swimming pool, gym and sauna and over an acre of enclosed gardens with views of the church to the rear. The property has over 7,100 sq. ft. of accommodation including a detached double garage with a home office. The reception rooms include a cinema room and a bar. All six bedrooms have access to an en suite and three have doors to balconies. A particular feature of the property is the south facing private walled rear garden which has extensive paved terraces, a swimming pool with a decked surround and ornamental ponds. The rest is lawned with established beds and borders, shaped hedges and mature trees.

Woburn Sands Office | Richard Tyrrell | 01908 586400 London Office | Bob Bickersteth | 0207 839 0888

14 offices covering 8 counties and Central London

michaelgraham.co.uk

michaelgraham_living

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LOWER BINTON, WARWICKSHIRE

superb farmhouse with secondary accommodation and equestrian farm with rural views over the South Warwickshire countryside. The Court House is set in a private position within 57 acres of pasture and woodland, enjoying a south-facing elevated position on the edge of Lower Binton. 5 B E D R O O M S | 4 B AT H R O O M S | 4 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | 2 B E D R O O M C O T TA G E | 1 B E D R O O M A N N E X E T E N N I S C O U R T | 3 2 S TA B L E S | FA R M B U I L D I N G S | PA D D O C K S | S M I T H Y | E P C T B C S T R AT F O R D - U P O N - AV O N 4 M I L E S | WA R W I C K PA R K WAY 1 4 M I L E S

Guide price £2,950,000 Knight Frank London & Stratford-upon-Avon jamie.robson@knightfrank.com 020 4502 7203 william.ward-jones@knightfrank.com 01789 863993 Ref: CHO012191272

knightfrank.co.uk

Unlisted Georgian Country House Frant, East Sussex Frant Village: 0.9 miles, Frant Station: 2.3 miles, Tunbridge Wells: 3.4 miles, London: 45.1 miles On the market for the first time in 90 years, a substantial Country House in a delightful, lakeside position. 5 reception rooms, 15 bedrooms (2 en suite), 5 further bath/shower rooms, 2 studies, wine store, coach house, garaging, workshops, stores, summerhouse, further outbuildings, landscaped gardens with lake and paddocks. Main House EPC = G, West Wing EPC = F About 35 acres | Guide £5.5 million

Will Peppitt Savills London Country Department 020 3504 4650 wpeppitt@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Highlever Road, North Kensington, W10

Guide Price £1,860,000 | Freehold

Shauna Walsh Notting Hill Office 020 7221 1111 shauna.walsh@struttandparker.com

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

Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill, W11

Guide Price £15,000,000 | Freehold

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

Demand in the South East is on the increase In July 2021 offers accepted were 79% higher than the five-year average* in the South East region of England, following on from the increase in demand for greater space both inside and outside of our homes. With the area proving more popular than ever, here is a selection of properties currently available.

Shamley Green, Surrey An enchanting attached cottage, full of character, in the centre of the village.

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 | G R A D E I I L I S T E D

Guide price £1,350,000

nigel.mitchell@knightfrank.com 01483 355875

Lodsworth, West Sussex A Grade II listed late Medieval Sussex Wealden hall house, presenting a rare opportunity to restore. 4 B E D R O O M S | 2 B AT H R O O M S | 4 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 1 . 7 7 A C R E S

Offers in excess of £1,750,000

aelish.paterson@knightfrank.com 01428 786268

Benenden, Kent A uniquely designed family house with far reaching views over the High Weald. 5 B E D R O O M S | 4 B AT H R O O M S | 5 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | E P C C

Guide price £2,000,000

simon.biddulph@knightfrank.com 01892 888494 Source: Knight Frank data

Littleton, Hampshire Historic family home set in attractive gardens and close to Winchester.

4 B E D R O O M S | 4 B AT H R O O M S | 4 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | G R A D E I I L I S T E D

Guide price £1,550,000

toby.gullick@knightfrank.com 01962 656115

Ryarsh, Kent A refurbished family home set in an idyllic location with a swimming pool.

4 - 5 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 S R O O M S | E P C D

Guide price £1,600,000

madeleine.greenwood@knightfrank.com 01732 807851

Ashford Hill, Hampshire Wonderful family house with equestrian facilities, set in a rural position. Separate cottage also available.

5 B E D R O O M S | 3 B AT H R O O M S | 4 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 1 3 . 0 8 A C R E S | E P C E

Offers in excess of £2,000,000

mark.potter@knightfrank.com 01256 806421

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.

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The Beach Life Lymington, Hampshire Lymington: 4 miles, Buckler’s Hard: 4.8 miles With striking views towards The Needles, this charming beachfront cottage sits in delightful grounds at the end of a private lane. 2 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, garaging/ outbuilding with workshop, stores and cloakroom, slipway, beach frontage of 215 ft. EPC = E About 0.51 acres | Guide £3.25 million Steven Moore Savills Winchester 01962 656 510 smoore@savills.com

George Nares Savills London Country Department 020 3504 4752 george.nares @savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

LUXURY HOMES FOR SALE IN FRANCE

CHARENTE Ref: A05680 €850,000 Excellent 5 gîte complex with 21 bedrooms, 3 swimming pools, garage, gym, tennis court, barn and parking.

GARD Ref: 72437 €935,000 Beautifully restored 4 bedroom Maison de Maître with land, swimming pool and parking.

DORDOGNE Ref: 89172 €550,000 Great 5 Bedroom 18th century watermill with parking, riverside and outbuildings.

HAUTE-GARONNE Ref: 76790 €787,000 Renovated house with 4 apartments, 10 bedrooms, panoramic views and terrace.

CHARENTE Ref: 78494 €1,050,000 Magniﬁcent 6 bedroom 19th century house with outbuildings, parking, wooded land, garage and swimming pool.

ALPES-MARITIMES Ref: 120215 €6,300,000 Exceptional 6 bedroom villa with an amazing sea view, parking, swimming pool and garage. No expense spared.

GARD Ref: 101119 €850,000 Characterful 10 bedroom 18th century house close to the Pont du Gard with swimming pool and garage.

CHARENTE Ref: 88066 €925,000 Beautiful house with 3 renovated gîtes, 14 bedrooms, 2 swimming pools, great view, garage and outbuildings.

VAUCLUSE Ref: A06338 €3,500,000 Superb 6 bedroom house with swimming pool, terrace, 2 apartments, parking, gardens, outbuildings and garage.

www.leggettprestige.com +33 (0)5 53 60 84 88 prestige@leggett.fr

Property is now on Instagram

Your indispensable guide to the capital

IS THIS LONDON’S MOST E XCITING GREEN INFR ASTRUCTURE PROJECT TO DATE? James Corner Field Operations

The Camden Highline

Well, yes, assuming that the charity behind it can secure the necessary funding. The idea? To turn a disused railway viaduct into a park, linking Camden Market, Camden Road, Camley Street and King’s Cross. Like its inspiration, the wildly successful (and my favourite part of the Big Apple) New York

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Highline, the Camden Highline won’t only encompass gardens, but also seating areas, cafes and public art projects. The route, an average of eight yards oﬀ the ground, will take about 20 minutes to walk, bring new and local green space to an estimated 20,000 people and provide £5 million worth

of health and social beneﬁts. So far, the grassroots charity has, among other things, completed feasibility work, secured wideranging political and community support and held an international design competition, won by James Corner Field Operations (creator of South Park at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park). It’s a no-brainer, but now, Camden Highline needs your help: to spread the word and donate towards planning costs, construction and maintenance. Visit www. camdenhighline.com for more details. RP

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LONDON LIFE

News

The sounds of London

NEW interactive art installation has gone on display in Mayfair’s Brown Hart Gardens, W1. Yuri Suzuki’s Sonic Bloom features a tangle of colourful, hollow horns through which passers-by can communicate. Some of the horns—which amplify sound—face upwards, to catch the sounds of the city; others loom overhead and a few are positioned lower down next to built-in seats (painted in antibacterial paint). The installation will remain in place for 12 months.

Putting down roots

UTUMN is shaping up to be a busy season for Lavender Green Flowers— the family-owned florist behind the weddings of Pippa Matthews’s (née Middleton, pictured) and The Countess of Wessex. As well as a brand new flagship store and workshop space at 239, King’s Road, SW3, it’s hosting masterclasses to coincide with the Chelsea Flower Show. Under the guidance of one of the in-house florists, green-fingered enthusiasts can brush up on their floristry skills and learn how to make seasonal bouquets, crowns, wreaths and centrepieces. From £175 per person (www.lavendergreen.co.uk).

It’s back to work we go ORE than half of London office workers are planning to be back at their desks three or more days a week from this month, according to a poll by recruitment firm Michael Page. Only 7% said that they intended to work remotely for the whole week. The statistics—which would see officeworker numbers rise to the highest level since March 2020—will be welcomed by central London’s retailers, hairdressers and new businesses. Some are already planning for the forecasted mass return: The Iris Bar at The Gherkin recently re-opened, with a refreshed cocktail menu to boot. Located at the very top of the iconic skyscraper, with 360˚ views over the capital, Iris Bar also serves nibbles and small plates. Pop in after

work before supper at Helix restaurant on the floor below (www.searcys.co.uk). On Threadneedle Street, EC2, Piazza Italiana is now officially open, following a successful softlaunch period. The smart pizzeria, which offers more than 500 wines, is situated inside the Grade II-listed former home of British Linen Bank (www.piazzaitaliana.co.uk). Gyms are reporting an increase in membership and members working out for longer and later into the night. Last month, high-end, micro-gym company Elysium launched in Aldgate, E1, with sites in Covent Garden, Battersea, Clapham and London Bridge scheduled to open later this year. The gyms must be booked before arrival via the Elysium app and cost £25 per hour (www.elysiumgyms.com).

Getty; Alamy

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News

4.8%

LONDON LIFE

It takes a village

The potential rise in public transport fares from the beginning of next year. The increase, which has not been officially confirmed, would be the biggest in a decade. It comes after the Government was forced to bail out Transport for London

F you’ve found yourself on Pont Street, SW1, in recent months you might have noticed a takeover of sorts, by Anya Hindmarch. As well as her flagship store, and bespoke boutique, the handbag designer has also launched a cafe (the Chubby Cloud cake is not to be scoffed at) and Plastic Shop (building on the success of the brand’s ‘I am not a plastic bag’ tote, showcasing sustainable collections and environmentally minded collaborations). This month, there’s a new addition to the village: Anya’s Fruit and Veg, open for trading until September 25. ‘I always loved the idea of The Village being a real community and having all kinds of things pop up that you would normally find in a village,’ the designer says. ‘A butcher, a baker and a candlestickmaker. It feels apt to reimagine the essential fruit-and-veg store for our type of village.’ As well as actual fruit and vegetables, the quirky store will also sell collectable stickers, gifts and limited-edition merchandise (www. anyahindmarch.com/pages/fruitandveg).

Book now

West is best

OOTFALL has risen to 50% –60% of preCovid levels in the West End, according to Shaftesbury, the landlord that owns 16 acres of land across Chinatown, Soho and Covent Garden. Retailers in the area have said that trading has improved, particularly

Getty; Alamy

Get your buzz on

on weekends, but they are reliant on overseas tourists and office workers, who are expected to return in the autumn. According to the thinktank Centre for Cities, worker footfall in London, at the end of July, was only 15% of pre-Covid levels.

Some unlikely shoppers have been spotted buzzing around Selfridges on Oxford Street: 100,000 Western bees. They are a vital part of the department store’s new restaurant, Hive, which serves up expertly paired platters of cheese and honey (the star ingredient), as well as afternoon tea and French-inspired savoury dishes. When the bees aren’t busy pollinating flowers in Green Park and Hyde Park, they live in hives on the roof (you can see them through the windows next to the Body Studio section), tended to by beekeeper and conservationist Mark Patterson. The honey they produce is used across the Hive menu, all overseen by founder Khalid Samata (www.hiverestaurant.uk)

USICAL love story The Last Five Years returns to London for the first time in a decade. The show opens at The Garrick on September 17 (www.nimaxtheatres.com) Tickets for The Tragedy of Macbeth, at the Almeida Theatre, are on sale. Little Women actress Saoirse Ronan (above) stars in her UK stage debut (www.almeida.co.uk).

LONDON LIFE Editor Rosie Paterson Editor-in-chief Mark Hedges Subbing Octavia Pollock, James Fisher Art Heather Clark, Ben Harris, Stuart Crowhurst, Dean Usher Pictures Lucy Ford, Emily Anderson Advertising Oliver Pearson 07961 800887 Email firstname.surname@futurenet.com

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Today, we're sending more and more of our clients into space. An extra bedroom, a bigger garden or even a home office? We'll find your perfect fit. And this month to celebrate the long-awaited return of Chelsea Flower Show, we've rounded up a selection of prime London properties with beautiful gardens of their own, providing the perfect oasis of calm in the centre of the city.

Milbourne Grove, Chelsea SW10 Sitting on one of Chelsea's premier residential streets, this immaculately presented house offers gated parking and a large landscaped garden.

Guide price £3,950 per week

ellie.white@knightfrank.com

Queenstown Road, Battersea SW11 A luxurious apartment in the ever popular Vista Development, situated on the seventh floor with a south-facing terrace and beautiful views of Battersea Park. 3 B E D R O O M S | 2 B AT H R O O M S | R E C E P T I O N R O O M | P A R K I N G S P A C E | C O N C I E R G E | G Y M | H Y D R O T H E R A P Y P O O L | E P C B

Guide price £1,200 per week

jack.alisiroglu@knightfrank.com

Upper Terrace, Hampstead NW3 Originally built c.1740s, this beautiful home is arranged over seven floors, including a lift and grand entrance hall that leads to all rooms.

Guide price £15,000 per week

stevie.walmesley@knightfrank.com

All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent and the deposit, an administration fee of £288 and referencing fees of £48 per person will apply when renting a property (if not an AST). (All fees shown are inclusive of VAT.) If the landlord agrees to you having a pet, you may be required to pay a higher deposit (if not an AST) or higher weekly rent (if an AST). Please ask us for more information about other fees that will apply or visit www.knightfrank.co.uk/tenantfees.

Coleridge Square, Chelsea SW10 A spectacular Grade II listed family home in a prime Chelsea development with access to communal gardens. 5 B E D R O O M S | 5 B AT H R O O M S | 2 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | S W I M M I N G P O O L | T E N N I S C O U R T | E P C C

Guide price £7,750,000 Freehold

charles.olver@knightfrank.com

Bloomfield Terrace, Belgravia SW1W Ideally situated close to Sloane Square, this immaculate townhouse is arranged over five floors, with air conditioning and a spectacular west-facing garden.

Guide price £5,650,000 Freehold

bertie.hare@knightfrank.com

Devonia Road, Islington N1 A newly renovated family house striking a balance between contemporary and original period design, with generous entertaining and living space. 4 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 | G A R D E N | E P C C

Guide price £4,250,000 Freehold

nick.moore@knightfrank.com

If you are thinking of letting or selling your property, or would simply like some advice on the London market, call us on 020 3944 6226. We'd love to help you.

Your partners in property for 125 years

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LONDON LIFE

Chelsea part II

SW3

LITTLE BLACK BOOK The Chelsea Fishmonger It’s not only the fish that’s a draw here: ‘The queue has always been full of interesting people,’ says John D. Wood’s Andy Buchanan (10, Cale Street) Keo Luxurious manicures and pedicures are the star attraction at this nail salon (47, Sloane Avenue) National Army Museum Great collections meet one of London’s best indoor playgrounds—soft-play assault course, anyone? (Royal Hospital Road) Kiki McDonough Timeless jewellery featuring striking gemstones (12, Symons Street) Jago’s of Chelsea This butcher’s is renowned for its English sausages and seasonal game, says buying agent Alex Woodleigh-Smith of AWS Prime Property (9, Elystan Street)

Still in fashion As the Royal Hospital Chelsea gears up to host the delayed flower show, Carla Passino takes a look at the area’s long and stylish history, Mary Quant included

ATER this month, the Royal Hospital Chelsea will become a beehive of gardening activity, as landscape designers descend armed with field maples, sedges and late-flowering perennials to create gardens that promise to nurture, restore and give the entire area new hope after the past difficult 18 months. This is the first time in the Chelsea Flower Show’s 108-year history that it takes place

in September—it started life as the Great Spring Show and has never moved seasons since—but the pensioners and staff at the Royal Hospital Chelsea are looking forward to it with the usual enthusiasm. ‘The Royal Hospital has hosted the show since 1913 and we are very proud to continue to do so,’ says heritage manager Tina Kilnan, who explains that many Chelsea pensioners are themselves keen gardeners: ‘We have allotments

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Chelsea part II

here where they can grow flowers and vegetables and one resident even has a very successful grapevine.’ In its 329 years of history, Sir Christopher Wren’s magnificent building has remained true to its purpose as a place to care for soldiers ‘broken by age or war’—a remarkable feat, considering how much the world has changed around it—as well as becoming a treasure trove of British history (the heritage manager’s favourites are the eagles taken as spoils in the Napoleonic wars). Over time, it has also witnessed whiffs of scandal that one wouldn’t associate with such a venerable institution. ‘Drunken episodes at local taverns and illegitimate children of pensioners were not unknown.’ But for every pensioner that might have misbehaved in the past, there have always been dozens more who endeared themselves to residents of Chelsea and beyond, whether during the Second World

War, when many joined the defence efforts, forming two Home Guard units, or today, when the hospital works closely with the local community and schools. Of course, the shenanigans of the pensioners paled by comparison with the scandals of the gentlemen about town and Society ladies who met at the Ranelagh Pleasure Gardens in the grounds south of the hospital (the ladies ‘swimming by you like swans’, according to a Leigh Hunt story in The Gentleman’s Magazine). But Ranelagh was as ephemeral as it was glorious: no trace of it remained by 1817 when, in A Morning’s Walk from London to Kew, Sir Richard Phillips stared in disbelief at the dismal ‘scene of desolation’ and pondered: ‘Is such… the end of human splendour?’ Much more sedate, but also much more long-lived is another local institution: the four-acre Chelsea Physic Garden. Founded

LONDON LIFE

in 1673, ‘it came to be because the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London leased land for 61 years in order to grow plants to help their students recognise those that could kill and those that could cure,’ explains director Sue Medway. Continuously tended for the past 348 years, the garden, like the hospital, is still fulfilling its original mission to demonstrate ‘the value of plants in people’s lives’, although, these days, it may mean highlighting their role in fighting the climate emergency, as much as providing the basis for remedies. The upcoming restoration of the Victorian glasshouses, with their tenderplant collection, in time for the 350th anniversary promises to make the space even more appealing. Greenery of a different kind occupied swathes of Upper Chelsea, north of the King’s Road. Today’s mix of elegant red-brick buildings in the streets behind Sloane Street 21

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LONDON LIFE

Chelsea part II

and the pastel sequence of small, but perfectly formed houses in Bywater Street, Godfrey Street, Burnsall Street, Smith Terrace and Markham Street were once nurseries, market gardens and grazing. A watercress seller and a pig merchant still lived locally in the mid 19th century, but, by then, much of the open land had been built over. This was thanks in part to John Bull, a gardener who must have discovered that properties were more profitable than plants, because ‘by 1836, he had built 22 small houses in a curving terrace,’ according to A History of the County of Middlesex. An even greater transformation—in atmosphere if not architecture—took place about a century later, when, in 1955, Mary Quant and Alexander Plunkett-Greene opened a shop, Bazaar, on the corner of the King’s Road and Markham Square. Quant, her miniskirts and her bob haircut would go on to revolutionise fashion across the world, outraging some people, enthralling many more and turning Chelsea into the glamorous hub of the late 1950s and the Swinging Sixties. Following in her footsteps, other legendary shops opened across the road that had once been used by Charles II to reach Hampton Court Palace: Joseph Ettedgui’s hair salon, which later evolved into the iconic clothes

store; the Chelsea Drugstore’s bars, boutiques and record shops, which offered a delivery service carried out by a group of girls dressed in purple catsuits, riding motorcycles; the Pheasantry nightclub, where Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice first met Yvonne Elliman, the original Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar; and Kiki Byrne, whose eponymous owner designed the gold bikini worn by Margaret Nolan in Goldfinger. Even more fabled than the shops were the parties of the Chelsea set—a group of unconventional models, actors, aristocrats, musicians and designers, many of whom delighted in shocking the more priggish segments of British society, not least by holding Champagnefuelled revels on the Circle Line.

‘Even more fabled than the shops were the parties of the Chelsea set’ Chelsea may have become much tamer since then, but it still keeps its creative edge. One of the area’s latest acquisitions is the Saatchi Gallery, which moved to the former Duke of York’s Headquarters—a redevelopment of the site that had once been the Royal

THE UPS AND DOWNS

Residents love the dazzling choice of restaurants, including Stanley’s in Sydney Street (a favourite with Toto Lambert of Knight Frank), Claude Bosi’s Oyster Bar (suggested by Alex Woodleigh-Smith of AWS Prime Property), and Le Colombier off Chelsea Square (recommended by John D. Wood’s Andy Buchanan) Residents like the many cultural institutions on their doorstep, from the Cadogan Hall to the Royal Court Theatre and the Saatchi Gallery Residents could do with a better way for pedestrians to cross Sloane Square

Military Asylum—in 2008. Now a charity, the gallery has a symbiotic relationship with the area, drawing from its ‘vibrant backdrop’, according to spokeswoman Georgina Greenslade, as well as providing learning opportunities for schools, colleges and community groups. With a packed programme of shows— including, this month, ‘JR: Chronicles’, the largest solo museum exhibition of French artist JR—the Saatchi Gallery ‘is proud to lead the next chapter in Chelsea’s artistic legacy’. Chelsea Part I was published on May 5

Burnsall Street, £4.5 million Once home to actress and singer Diana Dors, this bright, airy townhouse is beautifully decorated in contemporary style. The 2,123sq ft interior spans five floors, with a large bedroom in the basement, an openplan kitchen and reception area on the lower ground floor, a principal reception room on the raised ground floor and three bedrooms upstairs. Lurot Brand (020–7590 9955)

Flood Street, £4.25 million Contemporary interiors meet rare outdoor space at this brick townhouse south of King’s Road. The 2,051sq ft of living space includes a large family room, a striking kitchen that opens onto a terrace, an elegant reception room, a study and three bedrooms, with the master suite taking up the entire first floor. There’s also a panoramic roof terrace. Knight Frank (020–7861 1790)

Bywater Street, £3.95 million This delightful, pastel-coloured house has 2,249sq ft of accommodation, with the living areas on the lower floors (cinema room in the basement, kitchen and dining area on the lower ground floor and the reception room on the ground floor) and three bedrooms upstairs, including the master suite, which occupies the entire top floor. Savills (020–7730 0822)

Alamy; Getty

At home in Chelsea

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CADOGAN SQUARE, SW1X £6,950,000 LEASEHOLD

[3 bedrooms] [3 bathrooms] [2 reception rooms] [caretaker] [balcony] An outstanding first floor lateral apartment featuring a fabulous double aspect 24ft drawing room with intricate panelling, cornicing and four metre ceiling height. The principal bedroom suite has a mezzanine dressing area and over five metre ceiling height. EPC E 020 4502 7588

SLOANESQUARE@HAMPTONS.CO.UK

HAMPTONS.CO.UK

LONDON LIFE

The great and the good

Seasonal suggestions

Here’s looking at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

What to do Like spring, autumn is the time to reset and clean. Tincture sells award-winning cleaning and home products that are all biodegradable and devoid of any toxic chemicals (www.tincturelondon.com) What to eat Chestnuts are typically harvested mid September through to December. Pick up a cone of freshly roasted ones streetside or book a table at Hélène Darroze at The Connaught (www.the-connaught.co.uk)

• The flower show has been held in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea since 1913, save for two gaps during the World Wars. Nowadays, more than 160,000 people attend every year, including The Queen (above, in 1973) • The show’s predecessor was the RHS Great Spring Show, which launched in 1862 in Kensington. Between 1888 and 1911, it was held at Temple Gardens on the Embankment

Shop of the month

Good News

2 3 , B E R W I C K S T R E E T, W 1

• At the first Chelsea Flower Show, some 250 exhibitors set up shop inside one large marquee—including one showing bonsai trees for the first time. Their appearance sparked a trend for rock gardens that lasted throughout the war. Today, more than 500 exhibitors take up some 23 acres • Awards include best in show, best courtyard garden and best city garden, with separate medals for flora, vegetables and floristry

OOD NEWS—it sometimes feels as if there’s a lack of it. Good or bad, our newsagents and corner shops are on the decline: 2,845 in 2019, down from 3,082 in 2018. Despite this, we owe them a lot, because alongside supermarkets, they were the only shops open in lockdown, feeding us news (with a bar of Dairy Milk on the side) and a lifeline to the outside world. Apparently, the number of newspapers in circulation in April 2021 was up year on year, so perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel? Workers returning to the still half-empty offices across the capital would also help. There’s nothing glamorous about Good News, but it’s the place to go for daily newspapers and more specialist magazines and its hard-tomiss, bright red frontage is an instant mood booster. If it’s glamour you’re after, head to nearby Dean Street, where Romil Patel has restored his newsagent’s shop front to its former Georgian glory. Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 7pm; Saturday, 9am to 7pm (020–7437 8580)

Illustration by Polly Crossman; Getty; Alamy

What to buy Indulge your inner child and stock up on new stationery. Shop at Choosing Keeping (www.choosingkeeping.com), Present & Correct (www.presentand correct.com) and London Graphic Centre (www.londongraphics.co.uk)

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LONDON LIFE

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

Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, Kingly Court, W1

A green space HORNIMAN MUSEUM AND GARDENS, 10 0 , L O N D O N R OA D, S E 2 3

F you’ve never ventured to Forest Hill, now is the time. Not only is the museum excellent—a fascinating and invigorating blend of natural history, ethnography and musical instruments with an aquarium and butterfly house to boot—it has gardens to match. There’s the colourful blast of bedding in the Arts-and-Crafts Sunken and Display

Illustration by Polly Crossman; Getty; Alamy

London curiosities ON THE FACE OF IT

CULPUTURES of Truth and Fortitude, flanking the Recording Angel, by F. W. Pomeroy preside over the 1900– 07 entrance to the Central Criminal Court, EC4, familiarly known as the Old Bailey.

Gardens (above), built in 1936 and showcasing plants for materials and fibre, dyes and medicine; an attractive new bee garden that absorbs nitrogen-dioxide pollution and is planted with nectar-rich floral species. Star of the show in September, however, is the award-winning Grasslands Garden, a beautiful, tactile mix of North American and South African perennials including grasses, agapanthus, hesperantha and nerines. For more green-space inspiration, read ‘A London Floral’ by Natasha Goodfellow, out now (Finch Publishing, £ 8.50)

Pass it on

IRE ANCIENT BATHS, a series of subterranean, Roman-inspired bathing pools in Charing Cross, are now open. Experiences include the caldarium (hot bath) and flotarium (salt bath). Somewhat bizarrely, the baths are housed in the cellar of author J. M. Barrie’s former home (www.beaire.com).

The eternal question: if you’re in central London with an hour to spare, where should you have lunch? In a corner of the city not short on options, Imad’s Syrian Kitchen stands out not only for the quality of the cooking and its competitive pricing, but for its story. Imad Alarnab was running three successful restaurants, juice bars and cafes in Damascus when war broke out. In six days, he lost everything he’d built. He left the country with £12 to his name and, after making it to Calais, started cooking for other refugees. He was granted asylum in the UK and moved to London with his wife and children in 2015. After hosting pop-ups and putting on a series of sell-out charity supper clubs, he opened the doors of his first restaurant in Britain last May. The airy space at the top of Kingly Court off Carnaby Street used to be Darjeeling Express, now in Covent Garden. We visit on a sultry lunchtime. The windows are open, every table is full, and the open kitchen is happily busy. We order sumac-spiked hummus and baba ghanoj drizzled with tahini and pomegranate seeds, the aubergine’s blackened skin a treat with every scoop. They both come with enormous, pillowy pitta bread, straight from the oven and irresistible even on a 30˚C day. These by themselves would be enough, but we can’t resist ordering more. The falafel, gorgeously crunchy on the outside with a hole in the middle, are a world away from the sad little pucks that pass for them elsewhere in Soho. A salad of watermelon and rocket strewn with halloumi ‘noodles’ is summer encapsulated, and the fattoush is a textural riot of fudgy baby aubergine, cucumber, avocado and strips of crisp flatbread. Everything we have is vegetarian, but on the meat side of the menu kabab hindi (minced lamb, chopped tomatoes, mixed spices and pine nuts) looks a hit. Dense, toothsome Syrian ice cream, garlanded with pistachios and candyfloss, crowns a vibrant meal that still feels homely in the best possible way. The perfect lunch, in other words. Emma Hughes

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Exceptional Family House Swan Walk, London SW3 Sloane Square Underground Station: 0.7 miles Tall Victorian terraced house on the market for the first time in over 50 years. 5 reception rooms, 2 kitchens, 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, utility room, vault, self-contained 1 bedroom flat at lower ground level, patio garden and terrace. EPC = D Freehold | 4,528 sq ft (420.66 sq m) | Guide £7.75 million Tom Lamb Savills Knightsbridge 020 4502 8837 tlamb@savills.com

Matthew Morton-Smith Savills Chelsea 020 3504 7252 mmsmith@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Family Living in Chelsea Tregunter Road, London SW10 South Kensington Underground Station: 0.8 miles Beautifully extended house on one of Chelsea’s most desirable roads. Double reception room, kitchen/family room, 6 bedrooms, further staff bedroom suite, 5 bathrooms, media room, gym, private parking and 42 sq ft south-facing garden. EPC = D Freehold | 6,273 sq ft (582.78 sq m) | Price on application Richard Gutteridge Savills Sloane Street 020 3944 4130 richard.gutteridge @savills.com

William Duckworth-Chad Savills Sloane Street 020 3944 1279 wdchad@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

LONDON LIFE

The great and the good

September 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

Clockwise, from above: It’s back to school time; Mathematics: The Winton Gallery at the Science Museum; ‘Epic Iran’ at the V&A; the Photo London annual fair

Science Museum; V&A Museum, London; Alamy; Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos, courtesy Augusta Edwards Fine Art;

EPTEMBER heralds the start of another school year and a welcome excuse to stock up on more stationery. Thankfully, London has a cornucopia of exhibitions, festivals and events (new and old) to entertain and educate those of us for whom exams are but a distant memory. From September 1 to October 17, some of Mayfair’s finest shops, including Burberry, Loewe and Max Mara, will unveil art-inspired window installations as part of Art in Mayfair, in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Arts. Large-scale sculptures will appear across the area and Gary Hume-designed flags will hang along the length of Bond Street. The 19th London Design Festival returns on September 19, with events taking place from King’s Cross to Southwark (www.londondesign festival.com). And in Somerset House, photographers, galleries and publishers from around the world come together for the major annual photography fair, Photo London, September 9–12 (www.photolondon. org). It’s your last chance to get up close and personal with ceramics, art and textiles from millennia gone by at the V&A’s ‘Epic Iran’ exhibition. Tickets are available until September 12 (www.vam.ac.uk). The Science Museum’s temporary Covid vaccination centre has reacquainted many with its fascinating collections, none more so than the Zaha Hadid Architects-designed Mathematics: The Winton Gallery. Spanning 400 years, the gallery demonstrates how mathematics are an intrinsic part of everyday life, guaranteed to excite even the most maths-phobic former students (www. sciencemuseum.org.uk). Keen and budding architects alike should check out the Open House London Festival, taking place on September 4–12. Organised by Open City, a charity dedicated to making the capital’s architecture more accessible, events include workshops, guided tours and talks. The 20th Century Society will present a list of at-risk buildings from the 1900s (www.open-city.org.uk).

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EVELYN GARDENS, SW7 £1,950,000 SHARE OF FREEHOLD

[2 double bedrooms] [1281 sq. ft L] [2 bathrooms] [2 receptions] A raised ground and first floor maisonette, forming the grandest portions of a former late Victorian townhouse. This property also benefits from it’s own private entrance and has a west facing terrace providing direct access to the beautiful communal gardens. EPC D 020 3918 4577

CHELSEA@HAMPTONS.CO.UK

HAMPTONS.CO.UK

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SKY-HIGH P PLANTING With the cost of land at a premium as the benefits of Nature and green space become ever more compelling, roof gardens are having their moment in the sun, says Natasha Goodfellow

LONDON LIFE

INK flamingos and fountains; palm trees and cypresses; a Spanish garden; a Tudor garden; a woodland garden…anyone who remembers the roof gardens atop the former Derry & Toms department-store building on Kensington High Street will know that a lack of soil need not be a barrier to the imagination. With a little creativity—and a good structural engineer —almost anything that can be created at ground level can be emulated at altitude. In the past decade or so, the capital has seen an increasing number of gardens in the sky: it’s now estimated that, at 371 acres (an area larger than Hyde Park), London has more elevated green space than many other high-rise cities, including Singapore and Tokyo, Japan. The Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden, SE1, provides a charmingly bucolic setting for a drink and a chat above the melee of Waterloo’s Southbank. Crossrail Place Roof Garden, E14, is a 3,200sq ft plot of international planting, sweet gums and tree ferns. And at 120, Fenchurch Street, EC3 (due to re-open later this year) a lift shoots up 15 storeys toward an earthly paradise in the clouds, complete with cordoned pear trees, walls of jasmine and 80 wisteria plants that wind along the canopy structure above.

‘To take a stark space and see it filled with bees and butterflies—it can be transformational’ Homeowners are seeing the benefits, too, thanks, in large part, to the past 18 months of semi house arrest. ‘Across the board, everyone feels they need to be surrounded by more greenery or Nature now,’ reveals garden designer Tony Woods of Garden Club London, who estimates he’s seen an uptick of about 35% in enquiries for roof terraces in the past year. ‘People are coming to us because they want to grow vegetables or they want to create a wildlife haven. To take a really stark space that was perhaps only ever visited by a couple of pigeons and see it filled with bees, butterflies, hoverflies —it can be transformational.’ Roof gardens can also transform your lifestyle by increasing your living space, allowing you to cook, entertain or even shower outside and making the most of Limited materials and ebullient planting— with foxgloves among drought-tolerant salvias—make this roof terrace, designed by Adolfo Harrison, seem larger than it is

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LONDON LIFE

Left: Tony Woods added an arch of evergreen jasmine for privacy on a Marylebone balcony. Right: Stefano Marinaz’s Gasholders space are favourites), hardy succulents, birch and smaller pine trees and grasses that the gardener leaves standing over winter so their seedheads add interest through the colder months. Grasses are a stand-out feature in one of Mr Marinaz’s recent projects on top of Gasholders—a luxury apartment and penthouse block—in King’s Cross, N16. The work was an exercise in drought-tolerant planting—the site simultaneously bakes in the unobstructed sun and is buffeted by cold winds. He planted Anemanthele lessoniana and gaura, Iris ‘Kent Pride’, phlomis and two small golden rain trees (Koelreuteria paniculata), which have panicles of yellow flowers in spring and attractive pendant seed pods in autumn. ‘It needs very little water,’ explains Mr Marinaz, ‘but it still looks fresh, abundant and lush.’ That project was all about foregrounding and framing the fantastic views of the London skyline, but, where no grand prospects are to hand, there is still plenty you can do. ‘A simple water table can be incredibly effective,’ says Mr Woods. ‘Sitting nearby, watching the clouds reflected on the surface—it’s very meditative and calming.’

TIPS AND TRICKS Choose your plants carefully Grasses and evergreen Mediterranean plants, such as rosemary, thyme, lavender and santolina, are all good bets Don’t simply place pots around the edge of the space Layer your planting—as you would in a normal garden—and try to create a sense of journey and discovery using taller plants or screens to conceal areas Use faux concrete or terracotta planters Pots and planters made of fibreglass will save on weight. Metal planters will need insulating to avoid frying plant roots Try to break the wind Don’t try to stop it entirely, as you won’t be able to. Trellis, laser-cut screens or delicate metalwork with plants trained up them are all good bets Use durable materials Softwood and plastic are unlikely to last very long

Mischa Haller; Jason Ingram/Photography; Alister Thorpe

a view, if you’re lucky enough to have one. ‘It doesn’t have to be big to smell like a garden,’ points out designer Stefano Marinaz. A few scented climbers on a tiny balcony can make a world of difference. What is more, roof terraces usually require less maintenance than a traditional garden—no lawns to mow, fewer slugs to do battle with and no pesky foxes digging holes. That’s not to say they’re without issues. Many will require planning permission and you should always check what your building’s weight-bearing capacities are with a structural engineer (plants in pots of damp soil can be very heavy). You’ll need protection from the sun and the wind: the latter can be extremely drying and, if you’re not able or willing to water plants, you’d be wise to install an irrigation system. You will also need to consider drainage and privacy—for you and your neighbours. Most importantly, you need to choose plants that can cope with these exposed conditions. ‘There’s more scope than you might think, as long as you plan the type and depth of soil carefully,’ says Mr Woods. He favours aromatic herbs (sage and creeping rosemary 32

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A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON CONTEMPORARY LIVING A vibrant new city quarter steeped in iconic architecture and a revival of art deco design. A place to shop, eat and live in convivial style. Stunning apartments that epitomise modern luxury and offer a fresh brand of city living. Panoramas of true splendour from every window filling the rooms with colour and verve. The views from the heights of The Broadway are exquisite and before now, never been seen. From Buckingham Palace to St James’s Park, Houses of Parliament to the London Eye, choose your favourite perspective and indulge in a view that will take your breath away. The Broadway London, SW1 is the latest addition to Northacre’s celebrated collection of extraordinary addresses in the capital. 1 bedroom apartments from £1.75m* 2 bedroom apartments from £2.75m* 3 bedroom apartments from £3.85m* 4 bed, 5 bed and penthouses POA*

DISCOVER MORE enquiries@northacre.com +44 (0) 207 349 8000 thebroadwaylondon.com *Prices correct at time of publication

LONDON LIFE

Where is home in London? I live in the most beautiful flat in Kensington; it’s only three rooms, but they’re large and graceful. The flat belongs to interior designer Lucy Eadie, so it’s been decorated with flair and imagination. I have a beautiful red Venetian-glass chandelier to complement the red-baize walls of my drawing room/office/ dining room. Those walls and wood, now filled with my furniture, which tends to err on the side of kitsch (such as a pink Victorian chaise), gives the overall effect of a tart having moved into a humidor—which I find amusing and pleasing in equal measure!

‘I found the sound of taxis rattling over the cobblestones so romantic’ Then we’d be taken to buy new shoes, which were entirely impractical as they required a button hook, but our mother insisted on them, along with our despised sailor dresses. We would rip them off as soon as we got home and compete over how many leftover doughnuts from my father’s shops we could eat! What are your home-from-homes in town? I practically live in Kensington Gardens and 5, Hertford Street. I have two dogs, a terrier, Ethel, and Ernest, an enormous greyhound cross whom I recently rescued. Both get outrageously spoiled at 5, Hertford Street and love going as much as I do. I’m so fond of everyone who works there, particularly Michael, who has been with the Birleys for a lifetime. More local to my flat are San Pietro on Stratford Road—which has terrible lighting, but delicious Italian food, including proper Neapolitano pizza—and The Scarsdale Tavern, which is so charming it’s almost quaint. A walk through the park takes me to The Grenadier, which is believed to be haunted and has very

For real French butter and glamorous decoration, The Wolseley on Piccadilly is unbeaten

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

Mar tha, Lady Sitwell

The model, muse and designer talks to Flora Watkins about getting her hair cut at Harrods and taking her dogs to 5, Hertford Street good sausages. My favourite thing to do on rare weekends in town is a long walk on Hampstead Heath, then a late lunch at The Spaniards Inn. It’s also said to be haunted, by many ghosts, Dick Turpin and Black Bess included.

days throughout Covid. [Founder] Gizzi Erskine has been my best friend forever and, as well as many fantastic original recipes of her own, she has stolen—and then improved—many of my family’s recipes over the years.

What favourite haunts did you rush back to once lockdown eased? I really missed good sushi—it simply doesn’t travel. The Wolseley; I adore Schnitzel, which it does very well, and there’s real salty French butter for the excellent bread—and the decor… it works with my whole wardrobe. Then, of course, there are Duke’s and Alessandro’s legendary martinis. I yearned for them during lockdown. Giz ‘n’ Greens has opened on the roof of John Lewis on Oxford Street; its amazing sourdough pizza deliveries were my cheat

What are you working on at the moment? I am relaunching my label Sitwell & Whippet, which makes stylish clothes for fieldsports. We were bespoke before—now, we are relaunching as made-to-measure and made-to-order, with a few design feature options to keep your piece personal. In time, I hope to expand Sitwell & Whippet to everything the stylish girl needs from field to fender, with the primary focus on sustainable, beautifully made wardrobe staples and heritage pieces. www.sitwellandwhippet.com

Georgina Preston

What are your earliest memories of London? My sisters and I grew up in Norfolk, but my father [the restaurateur and high-end grocer, Justin de Blank] spent most of the week in London. He lived on Elizabeth Street; it was still cobbled then and I found the sound of taxis rattling over the cobblestones so romantic and longed to be out in one, dashing from party to restaurant to party. As small children, we were brought to London to get our hair cut at Harrods. I remember they had goldfish in round windows in the walls to keep us still.

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Further Entries Invited Orientalist Art, 20 October 2021, London

Our Orientalist Art auctions are held each October in London and feature works by leading Orientalist artists of the period, such as Ludwig Deutsch and Jean-Léon Gérôme. Entries for this sale are invited until the 10th September. Contact us today via telephone or email, or submit items online at sell.bonhams.com to receive a complimentary valuation of works in your collection.

ENQUIRIES: Charles O’Brien +44 20 7468 8360 charles.obrien@bonhams.com

LUDWIG DEUTSCH At the Mosque Sold for £560,750 inc. premium

Your property, your legacy. 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 are part of this generation, discover how your property could hold the key to creating a family legacy that you can realise today. September heralds the start of another academic year, a month fizzing with purposeful post-holiday energy. It’s time to set new plans and fresh priorities and where better to start than with the family finances. Our financial priorities change over time. Once we’ve achieved our own milestones, thoughts often turn to the next generation. You may want to support your children to set up a business, step onto the property ladder or renovate their own forever home. Or perhaps funding your grandchildren’s education is the priority: fees at independent schools rose at an inflationbusting annual rate of around 4% between 2000 to 2020 to an average of over £15,000 for day pupils and £36,000 for boarding students, making timely planning essential. Whatever your plans, your property could play a key role in your family’s future. With sensible planning and a keen awareness of tax implications, not only can you support those closest to you, but you can also make prudent financial choices. Recently released official figures show that the number of families in the UK facing Inheritance Tax in 2020-21 rose by a third, with the number expected to increase still further over the

coming year. No wonder some 52% of high-net-worth individuals in the UK view tax planning as central to their wealth management strategy. If you are over the age of 55, now could be the right time to explore the potential in your property. 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 personalised property advice. The team at Knight Frank Finance offer the same outstanding expertise across every aspect of property finance. We provide trusted advice to a wide range of clients, from those with lending requirements for complex property portfolios to first-time buyers seeking their first mortgage. 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 those over 55, was a natural extension to our role as your lifelong partners in property.

Property pictured: A family home with heritage, Beaulieu, Hampshire – Guide Price £5,500,000 Contact Knight Frank Country Department on 020 7861 1080

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 this is a rapidly maturing market that has become 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. “The market has evolved into one dramatically more flexible than we’ve seen before, with nearly 700 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.

“Many of my clients are choosing to release equity from their property to provide a living inheritance for their children. By taking a holistic approach and considering all the financial assets at our clients’ disposal, we can often demonstrate how they can create new wealth and opportunities for younger generations by borrowing against their property. For example, one asset-rich couple chose to raise what’s known as a lifetime mortgage against their main residence to provide funds for their son’s next property purchase. By making a significant financial gift now, my clients not only facilitated an immediate major step up the property ladder for their son, but also reduced the Inheritance Tax bill he might face in the future.”

Contact David directly for trusted financial advice on: 01483 491 069 david.forsdyke@knightfrankfinance.com

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. How Later Life Finance Gives You Choices David explains some of the details: “Modern Later Life Finance products allow you to take a lump sum, a fixed amount each month, or enjoy the flexibility of having access to funds when needed. And while flexibility has increased, the cost of borrowing has dropped dramatically in recent years, making it more attractive than ever. This can really open up new opportunities.” At this time of year, you may be thinking about school or university fees for your children or grandchildren. Consider a lifetime mortgage, which gives you the flexibility to choose how you access your equity. You could release funds on a gradual basis to support their education over the long-term without needing to repay the loan every month. Or you may prefer to take out a one-off amount, as some schools offer a discount for fees paid as a lump sum. It’s your choice. These are just a few examples. Making use of your property wealth in these ways requires careful consideration and bespoke 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.

knightfrankfinance.co.uk +44 (0)20 8022 5727

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. Speak to us about: • • • • • • •

Lifetime Mortgages Retirement Mortgages Country House, Farms & Estates Finance Large Mortgages and complex requirements Bridging Finance Personal and Life Insurance International Finance

Property market

Penny Churchill

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again

Two historic Cornish beauties have links to Daphne du Maurier and, across the Tamar in Devon, there is an impressive Arts-and-Crafts country house

Arts-and-Crafts Trow Hall enjoys some 10,000sq ft of living space and 33 acres of grounds near Devon’s Jurassic Coast. £3.3m

HE Jurassic Coast resort of Sidmouth lies at the mouth of the River Sid in a picturesque valley between Peak Hill to the west and Salcombe Hill to the east, surrounded by the East Devon AONB. Although its origins predate recorded history, Sidmouth remained a village until the expansion of coastal resorts in the 18th and 19th centuries saw it established as a fashionable seaside retreat of international renown.

Wealthy patrons built grand Georgian and Victorian houses in and around the town. However, in the early 20th century, a triumvirate led by Col J. E. H. Balfour of Balfour Manor, with his solicitor W. H. Hastings and the architect R. W. Sampson, changed the face of Sidmouth. Thanks to a number of early commissions initiated by Col Balfour, who as lord of the manor was extremely influential in local affairs, Sampson quickly established his architectural practice in the town.

For a period of more than 40 years following his arrival in 1891, Sampson was responsible for almost the entire architectural layout of early-20th-century Sidmouth. A prodigious design portfolio included residential and commercial projects, great and small, among them the town’s flagship Victoria Hotel. Over the years, he designed hundreds of houses in and around Sidmouth, at least six of which were built for his own occupation.

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Find the best properties at countrylife.co.uk

The ‘captivating’ Bellscat estate and farmhouse in Cornwall overlook the River Fowey. The property also comes with a small barn that offers two further bedrooms. £2.25m

Many of Sampson’s grandest country houses were built in his favourite Arts-andCrafts style, among them the classic Edwardian Trow Hall, 2½ miles inland from Sidmouth, and 16 miles south-east of Exeter. Built in 1902, it is now on the market through Knight Frank (020–7861 1717) at a guide price of £3.3 million. Although unlisted, the imposing 10,243sq ft house, which stands on high ground overlooking the Sid Valley, has retained its Edwardian splendour, thanks to a sympathetic programme of modernisation executed

by its current owners and the privacy and protection provided by its 33 acres of established formal gardens, parkland and woodland. Approached up a long drive through banks of mature woods, the hall enjoys farreaching westerly views and an abundance of natural light. It comes with garaging for five vehicles, outbuildings, a stable and some disused farm buildings. The impressive reception hall sets the tone for the rest of the house, its centrepiece the grand Edwardian staircase, with its double-height ceiling and dramatic, leadedlight window, rising to the galleried firstfloor landing. The ground-floor accommodation includes three large reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room and snooker room that leads through to a palatial indoor swimming pool and seating area. There are six bedrooms, five bathrooms and a large home office on the first floor, which also boasts a conservatory and roof terrace, plus two self-contained apartments, one on each floor, each having its own separate entrance. Across the River Tamar, the town of Fowey is one of Cornwall’s most charming and historic seaports, which evolved over the centuries from a fisherman’s village to a medieval port and a busy base for pirates. This is Daphne du Maurier country par excellence and two exceptional coastal properties currently on the market both have links to the author. Truro-based agents Lillicrap Chilcott (01872 273473) are handling the sale, for the first time in almost half a century,

of Grade II-listed Bellscat Farmhouse and its two-bedroom barn set in some 37 acres of undulating grounds and woodland, half a mile inland from pretty creekside Golant on the River Fowey, the first village upstream from the bustling harbour town. Offers of about £2.25m are sought for the captivating small estate, the main house of which is thought to have originally been two cottages, built in about 1840. The farm itself may once have been part of the Menabilly estate owned by the Rashleigh baronets, descendants of John Rashleigh of Penquite House, Bellscat’s nearest neighbour, which can be seen some miles away across the cliffs. Said to be the inspiration for Manderley in Rebecca, Menabilly was leased in 1943 in a dilapidated state by du Maurier, who restored it and made it her home before returning it to the Rashleighs in 1969. Bellscat, with its farmhouse and barn, represents an exceedingly rare opportunity to create a magnificent and totally private waterfront estate in a truly spectacular setting, the agents suggest. Approached off a discreet private lane, its nearly 1,000ft driveway overlooks grounds that include woodland to one side, with tantalising glimpses of the creek through gently descending pasture and paddocks. At the bottom of the valley runs the railway line linking Par with Lostwithiel and, on the other side of the line, a precious sliver of waterside land owned by Bellscat Farm fronts the River Fowey. The farmhouse comprises a kitchen/diner and three reception rooms, with four 95

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Property market

Above and below: Grade II*-listed Great Treverran in Cornwall sits in 5½ acres and offers four bedrooms and other outbuildings. £1.65m

bedrooms of modest size and two bathrooms on the first floor. The barn, previously used for holiday lets, has a kitchen, a large reception room, two bedrooms and a bathroom. Both houses now need renovation and refurbishment. ‘If there’s a prettier house in Cornwall than Great Treverran, we aren’t aware of it,’ says Falmouth-based agent Jonathan Cunliffe (01326 617447) of the exquisite, Grade II*listed gem of a country house, which is set amid rolling countryside in the parish of Tywardreath, to the west of the Fowey estuary and south of the riverside town of Lostwithiel. The town of Fowey itself is four miles south. Tywardreath means ‘The House on the Strand’—the title of one of du Maurier’s more obscure novels, inspired by Kilmarth, the house where she lived after leaving Menabilly. The book includes several references to Great Treverran. Mr Cunliffe quotes a guide price of £1.65m for the classic Queen Anne house—a rarity in these parts—the first reference to which was in the Lay Subsidy Roll of 1327, when ‘Treveryan’ was the seat of a branch of the Courtenay family. In 1700, the Courtenays sold it to John Thomas, who built the present house in about 1704. Thomas’s grandson, Henry, inherited the property in 1817, but died childless, after which it was sold to Richard Foster of nearby Lanlivery.

Described in its listing as ‘a fine early-18thcentury house [built of] Pentewan stone masonry with granite dressings’, Great Treverran benefits from its construction using local materials and skilled craftsmen. Distinctive features of the south front are the four full-height, granite Ionic columns, which extend through the eaves with a continuous granite cornice. Not large, but perfectly formed and unspoilt, Great Treverran faces south over its 5½ acres

of well-kept gardens and grounds towards undulating farmland beyond. It offers 3,250sq ft of comfortable and well-proportioned accommodation, including two main reception rooms either side of the wide central hallway, with a kitchen and spacious breakfast room at the rear. There are three bedrooms, a bathroom and shower room on the first floor, with a further bedroom and nursery on the second floor. It comes with a studio/ workshop and other useful outbuildings.

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26/08/2021 16:06

Properties of the week

Carla Passino

A day at the races For thrills and spills, little beats living close to a racecourse. Carla Passino picks four properties within 15 minutes’ drive of a track

Berkshire, £1.75 million It takes less than 15 minutes to walk to Ascot racecourse from Thetford, one of only four properties in a gated development close to the High Street. With 3,741sq ft of accommodation, five reception rooms and four bedrooms—one of which is a large master suite complete with dressing room—this is a perfect home for a family that enjoys a day out at the races. Outside, the mature gardens at the back are sheltered by trees and mainly laid to lawn, providing the perfect space in which to relax and dine alfresco. Knight Frank (01344 293147)

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Gloucestershire, £1.4 million Teme Villa sits in a private road about four minutes’ drive from Cheltenham racecourse. Originally dating from 1868, it has many charming details, including an Art Deco fireplace in the 23ft-long sitting room on the raised ground floor. Other reception rooms include a formal dining room and a delightful conservatory. Upstairs are four bedrooms, with two more situated in the lower ground floor, which also has a study that could double up as seventh bedroom. But perhaps the greatest draw at Teme Villa are the beautiful gardens, with their mature borders, fish pond and plenty of seating areas. Savills (01242 548000)

Essex, £1.3 million Although it is fewer than 15 minutes’ drive from Chelmsford City Racecourse, this house, with its gables and clapboard, feels like a picturesque slice of New England. Part of the early Beaulieu Park development, it has 3,767sq ft of living space, with a magnificent, vaulted sitting room, a bespoke kitchen and breakfast room and a delightful garden room. Upstairs, spread across two floors, are five bedrooms, including a vast master suite complete with dressing room and striking bathroom. The landscaped gardens belie both their setting and the house’s New England architecture, with palms giving them a tropical touch. There’s also a gazebo with an eye-catching pagoda-style roof for outdoor dining and entertaining. Strutt & Parker (01245 254600)

Local heroes The traditional prep-school headmaster Illustration by Emma van Zeller

9000

Willowbrook Hall defies logic: it doesn’t lie within the M25, the science lab hasn’t been refurbished since 1980, there aren’t any whiteboards and the ‘climbing wall’ is an ancient oak. There are free-range Buff Orpingtons, many dogs, ferrets, a stocked trout lake with rowing boat and a stream for falling into. The subtleties of marketing have passed Ralph Clutterbuck by (the boys run the website) and he takes a dim view of prospective parents bearing notebooks and many questions: ‘I’m not sure this is the place for you,’ he will say courteously. The staff is made up of Cambridge alumni—a retired professor of archaeology, a metal detectorist, a past Footlights president and a former county cricketer. Willowbrook Hall’s scholarship tally last term was a mystifying 14. KG

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Tyne & Wear, offers over £295,000 The location of this small stone cottage could hardly be better: only six minutes’ drive from Newcastle Racecourse, it’s also within easy reach of central Gosforth, the A1 and the golf courses, garden centre and nature reserve at Gosforth Park. Part of the former stable block for Low Gosforth House, the cottage has an open-plan living and dining area, kitchen, conservatory and two bedrooms. Outside is a private garden and there’s a communal courtyard and garden at the front. Sanderson Young (0191–213 0033) 99

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