JOHN COLES A Natural for Thomas & Talbot

JOHN COLES A Natural for Thomas & Talbot

John Coles

By Leonard Shapiro

When John Coles arrived in Middleburg in 1975, the Keswick, Virginia native knew plenty of people in the area from his days as a fearless steeplechase jockey.

One of them was Phil Thomas, the owner of Thomas & Talbot Real Estate. Not long after Coles moved to these pretty parts, Thomas recruited him as a fledgling agent for the business.

“Phil basically talked me into it,” Coles said recently of his decision to join the firm, despite no prior real estate sales experience. “He took me under his wing. At that point he wasn’t showing many properties, and he threw me a lot of bones.”

Four decades later, when Thomas retired, Coles was the longest tenured agent at T&T and the obvious choice to head the firm located on the southwest corner of the main intersection of the village. Obviously a quick learner in his early days in the business, Coles has gone on to a highly successful career in local real estate, particularly in selling a number of the largest properties in the area. He officially purchased the agency as of Jan. 1, 2021.

“Buying Thomas & Talbot had been in the works for a while,” Coles said of his discussions with Thomas and his wife, attorney Patti Thomas. “There was really no hesitation on my part. I think they both kind of wanted it to happen this way and we worked out a good deal to make it happen.”

Thomas & Talbot has a staff of 14, and Coles also is paying it forward from the days when Phil Thomas took a chance on hiring him. One of his newest employees is young Will Driskill of Middleburg, only a few years removed from college.

Driskill is a fine rider and had been helping out with the horses at John and his wife Julie’s farm for several years. Coles, of course, has been riding all his life and is a joint master of the Orange County Hounds.

“Will had talked about getting into real estate,” Coles said. “I really enjoy helping young people get started and he’s perfect. A hard worker, everyone loves him. He’s doing a great job.”

Coles is still very much involved in working with potential buyers and sellers. One of his current listings is Heronwood Farm off the Rokeby Road near Upperville. It’s priced at $19.5 million and even includes a regulation 18-hole golf course on its 501 acres.

But he also wanted to emphasize that he and his firm offer homes and property ranging from $400,000 to over $20 million.

“We’re still doing everything,” he said.”That won’t change.”

Nor will his enthusiasm for the real estate business that began right from the start.

“I like getting to know the people and matching the right person with the right place,” he said. “It’s kind of an intuitive thing, and I think I have a pretty good feel for what will make people happy.” John Coles The 7,500-square-foot main house at Heronwood was re-built in 1905 in the classic Revival style.

The 8,250-square foot yearling barn was custom designed by architect John Blackburn and includes 16 stalls off its center aisle.

PROPERTY Writes

A Golfer’s Paradise Awaits In Nearby Upperville

It’s been described as the most private golf course in the world, a magnificent 18-hole, 6,300-yard gem completed in 2010 and ready to play not far from the front door of the stately main residence at the 501-acre Heronwood Farm just off the Rokeby Road and less than two miles from the village of Upperville.

Commissioned by the owners, who fell in love with golf after several trips to Scotland, the course has four sets of tees, massive greens, tree-lined fairways and a dozen ponds. It also offers players of all skill levels a challenging test on a meticulously maintained facility that also features wonderful views of the surrounding countryside and nearby Blue Ridge mountains, as well as an occasional foursome of deer, even a stray fox or two.

Sunset at Heronwood is difficult to duplicate.

One of a dozen ponds on the 6,300-yard golf course, with a view of the yearling barn up above.

Springtime at Heronwood offers a colorful backdrop to every green on the course.

A cascading waterfall greets golfers on their way to the 17th green.

The interior view of the light-filled, airy yearling barn.

The interior view of the light-filled, airy yearling barn.

Course support buildings include the “golf shop” and bathroom, two equipment buildings, two pump houses and a golf cart storage shed. And there are even life preservers easily accessible at all the fish-stocked water holes just in case anyone slips and takes the plunge.

It’s also horse heaven at Heronwood, including 28 fenced paddocks spread over 200 acres and a total of 45 stalls in the two main barns—yearling and broodmare. Both were designed by Blackburn Architects, a premier firm specializing in such structures. The continual ridge skylights and vertical ventilation provide exceptional light and fresh air. Exteriors are fieldstone and stucco to blend into the countryside.

The main residence, Grafton Hall, is a 7,500 square-foot classic Revival style manor house, circa 1905. There are several additional living quarters on the property—a 3,500 square-foot farm manager’s house, a staff house (2,750 square feet) and a stone cottage (1,800 square feet).

Priced at $19.5 million, Heronwood Farm is a stunningly and meticulously maintained property, with pea-graveled roads winding through the gorgeous grounds and accessing the residences, stables and the golf course.

HERONWOOD FARM Thomas & Talbot

Property: Heronwood Farm Location: Rokeby Road Upperville, Virginia Price: $19.5 million Listing Agent: John Coles 540-270-0094