luxury houses with terrace for sale Etchingham, United Kingdom

I fell in love with the property the minute I saw it advertised and immediately bought it six years ago. It has been the favourite of all my previous homes in a wonderful community. However, life moves on and I am confident that the new owners will get as much enjoyment out of it this wonderful house, the village and the community as I have. It has been a wonderful home for me and my children and the house and patios lends themselves to entertaining friends and family. The individual “zones” provide intimate spaces to relax or and socialise. Memories of the laughter-filled dinner parties, summer garden parties and barbeques, with the music from the piano in the drawing room drifting through the house, will live with me always. I love the quirkiness and history of the property but I have also valued that internally the house has everything you might need for modern day living. The only enhancement I have made was to further extend the drawing patio with steps to an upper level patio and garden. My commute to London for work is relatively quick and the train services from Wadhurst or Tunbridge Wells is reliable and efficient. Parents are spoilt for choice with the many outstanding private schools in and around East Sussex and Tunbridge Wells, which also include some high performing grammar schools. I love the quiet and peaceful environment at the heart of the medieval village of Mayfield. With its thriving independent shops in the high street, which is a place of gathering for the village to celebrate various events such as the annual Bonfire Society parade, an acclaimed international music festival, Spring fair, Passion Play enactment, that bring the community together socially. There is a plethora of attractive and varied medieval and other period properties, with the high street buttressed by the grandeur of the Bishops Palace first built in 1250 on permission from Pope Alexander IV, now the acclaimed Mayfield Convent School for Girl, as well as pubs and restaurants and the historic 13th century church, St Dunstans, Mayfield’s very own saint. It has a variety of sports and social clubs. The delightful shops including a superb deli, baker, butcher, florist, coffee shop, local convenience store and post office. The village is surrounded by vineyards with many producing world-class English sparkling wines, wine and spirits, some of which are available in the outstanding wine shop in the high street. You can get most essentials and many non-essential items in the village but there is also nearby Heathfield and Crowborough with their supermarkets while Tunbridge Wells is less than 10 miles away for more in depth retail therapy and and entertainment.”

There could be few more beautiful places to enjoy the rural idyll that this simply stunning country residence nestling in  9.45 acres of grounds and fields surrounded by a five hectare vineyard in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The property was originally two barns and was built in the 1980’s and offers some stunning period features such as a Kent ragstone exterior and impressive exposed beams. However it was recently converted and extended by the current owners, so not only does it have the character of a bygone era but also incorporates a contemporary high end design, focusing on modern family life with leisure and pleasure in mind. It also includes a detached annex, additional outbuildings and a heated swimming pool.   The property is approached through a charming automated white wrought iron gate with the name emblazoned on the entrance. The gate opens onto a long private drive flanked by lawns interspersed with trees and shrubs that leads to a vast parking area and an attractive pitched roof three vehicle carport and to the front entrance. It is at this stage you can take in the house’s external appeal with its steep Kent peg tiled roof, delightful pitched roof dormers, high chimneystacks, multi-pane casement windows and impressive oak front door.   This opens into the awe-inspiring, partially double height 30ft reception hall where you need a minute to take in everything. There is the beautiful oak staircase, oak panelling and a galleried landing, attractive slate tiled flooring, a plethora of exposed beams, feature brick walls and a fireplace with a log burner. You will also find a cloakroom and a coat room as well as sliding doors to a walk-in wine cellar and double doors to an inner hall with a second cloakroom and also double doors opening into the superb triple aspect drawing room. Guests will be delighted to be entertained in this large and well-proportioned room with its historic beams, inglenook fireplace and delightful oak fitted cupboards and shelving as well as French doors to the wraparound terrace. Doors from the spacious inner hall open into a charming central courtyard that can also be accessed from the breathtaking 53ft L shaped garden style sitting/dining room. This has windows on all sides including to the inner courtyard and two sets of bi-fold doors to the terrace as well as a limestone fireplace with an open fire, engineered oak flooring and the original external stone walling. The dining area includes tall windows providing stunning views over the grounds, the vineyard and the countryside beyond.   In line with the emphasis on leisure and pleasure there is also a cinema room, while the superlatives continue when you see the kitchen/breakfast room. For anyone who enjoys catering and entertaining the kitchen has everything you might want including an enormous walk-in pantry, stainless steel units housing a Gaggenau built in oven and steam oven, an American style Subzero fridge, a dishwasher and a Quooker boiling water tap. There is also a large central island/breakfast bar with wood units and polished concrete worktops incorporating a Gaggenau induction hob, a built in grill and teppanyaki plate  with an impressive extractor system. You will never have to queue for the bathroom in this house since, as well as the two downstairs cloakrooms, upstairs there is a family shower room and four double bedrooms that surround the reception hall and the courtyard and three if these have ensuite facilities. Two have fitted cupboards and an ensuite bathroom with a bath and separate shower another includes an ensuite shower and a dressing room and a third has French doors to the fabulous roof terrace.  While the luxurious principal suite includes a very large dressing room and the ultimate in contemporary bathrooms with a superb stand-alone oval bath and a raised decked double shower as well as French doors to the roof terrace. Here you can enjoy your morning coffee revelling in the panoramic views across the grounds, the vineyard and the countryside as far as the eye can see.   A secondary driveway provides access to outbuildings and the detached annex. This was originally the stables and has been beautifully converted to provide a spacious single storey dwelling that includes two double bedrooms and a single that could make an excellent study, a shower room and a spacious living room/kitchen. It is currently in use as a successful air b and b but could be ideal for elderly relatives or adult children if you have multi-generational requirements. There is also a garage, storage facilities and a first floor studio. Much of the garden is laid to lawn and surrounds a delightful swimming pool with a decked terrace, ideal for enjoying the far-reaching views. There is also the main terrace that wraps around half the property and is just the place for outdoor entertaining and relaxing in the sunshine. Beyond the lawns the grounds create a park like atmosphere with impressive trees and a small lake bordered by two large fields.   What the owners say: We moved here about 10 years ago because we fell in love with the wonderful location and the character of the property. It is very quiet, peaceful and private with fabulous views. During our time here we have extended the property and completely refurbished and updated the house to provide everything needed for contemporary living. We also created the annex and built the swimming pool as well as planting the vineyard and developed a highly successful winery. Although we live in a country paradise, we are not far from the delightful Eridge village with a mainline station where the direct train to London Bridge takes just under an hour or you can drive to Tunbridge Wells for faster trains to London. There is also a gothic style church, a village hall with a variety of activities as well as two good pub/restaurants. The village grew up around the Grade II Listed  Eridge Park and mansion, which has been the seat of the Earl and Marquess of Abergevenny since 1448. We are also only 2.5 miles from the famous Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells as well as the town centre and the station where trains to London Bridge only take 44 minutes.    Tunbridge Wells or, more formally Royal Tunbridge Wells, became a famous spa town in Regency times when it was frequented by the aristocracy who came to take the waters and enjoy the entertainment organised by Beau Nash. Much of this historic town was developed during that time including the Pantiles that now offers a delightful mix of independent shops, bars and restaurants. While the rest of the town includes high street stores, a variety of eateries, individual shops, hair and beauty salons and a number of hotels as well as retail parks. Entertainment facilities include a nine-screen Odeon cinema, the Trinity theatre, the well-respected Assembly Hall Theatre and exhibitions in the Amelia Scott cultural centre.      With regards to education there are a number of primary and secondary schools rated Outstanding by Ofsted including St James and St Peters’ C of E primary schools and secondary schools including Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, the St Gregory’s Catholic School as well as Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar School and Skinners Grammar School.  Claremont primary has also been judged Outstanding in various categories. You will also find excellent private schools in the area including Rosehill, The Mead, Kent College, Holmewood House and Beechwood prep and secondary school while in Tonbridge there is the famous Tonbridge School founded in 1553. For sporting aficionados you have the Neville Golf Club and Tunbridge Wells rugby, tennis and cricket clubs as well as the indoor sports and tennis centre and a swimming pool.   Agent’s note: The Busi Jacobsohn vineyard and additional acreage is available by separate negotiation.

Setting Oldlands Corner Cottage sits on the edge of the charming village of Fairwarp, with direct access to the six and a half thousand acres of the enchanting Ashdown Forest; an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty offering superb walking, cycling and riding across open heathland and ancient woodland. The village itself is anchored by the characterful Foresters Arms, a beamed inn dating from 1898 which serves real ales and food and is a firm favourite with walkers and locals alike, alongside Christ Church and a thriving village hall hosting regular events and a monthly farmers' market. For more comprehensive day-to-day shopping, the nearby towns of Uckfield (approximately 4.5 miles) and Crowborough (approximately 4 miles) provide a good range of supermarkets, shops, restaurants and leisure facilities, whilst the historic county town of Lewes and Royal Tunbridge Wells are within comfortable reach for broader retail and cultural pursuits, including world-class opera at Glyndebourne. Locally there is a good choice of state schools including Bonners CE Primary at Maresfield and Nutley CE Primary, whilst further afield are a number of well-regarded independent schools serving the area. Buxted Station, just a short drive away, provides Southern Rail services to London Bridge with a journey time of approximately one hour fifteen minutes, with East Croydon also served en route. For golfers, the area is exceptionally well served with East Sussex National Golf Club at Little Horsted, home to two championship courses that have hosted the European Open, Piltdown Golf Club with its historic heathland course carved from ancient Sussex heath and the beautifully situated Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club at Forest Row, all within easy reach. For equestrian enthusiasts, the Ashdown Forest Riding Centre at Duddleswell and Misbourne Riding Centre at Nutley are virtually on the doorstep, offering riding across some of the finest countryside in the South East.

If your dream home is a lovely oast house surrounded by stunning countryside in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, then look no further than this gorgeous twin oast and barn conversion nestling in 1.19 acres of grounds and with no forward chain. This lovely residence was originally and sympathetically converted in the 1990s to a very high standard by the current owners including the installation of a heat pump, but it also retains many of its original features giving it such a unique character. However, it could be developed further as there is enormous scope to increase the residential accommodation by going into the attic for potential loft conversion subject to building regulations. The oast house is located on the outskirts of Langton Green village in a very rural environment but is less than three miles from the historic Pantiles in Royal Tunbridge Wells. It is approached via a long private drive that leads to a spacious parking area with delightful shrub borders and is where you can begin to appreciate the property’s special charm. With its two oasts, mellow brickwork, traditional weatherboarding, diamond pane windows and French doors as well as an oak framed, pitched roof porch it has delightful external appeal, even before you cross the threshold. The front door opens directly in the characterful and well-proportioned dual aspect kitchen/dining room with its limestone tiled floor that flows through to the utility room, French doors to the rear terrace, a staircase to the first floor and exposed ceiling beams. The country style kitchen was created by London based and globally renowned kitchen designer Clive Christian and includes a three-oven electric Aga, hand crafted painted shaker style units housing with Nero worktops, a Miele fridge freezer and dishwasher, a larder and a bespoke central island/breakfast bar. While the spacious dining area is adjacent to the French doors that open onto a terrace and provides delightful views over the garden and beyond. Beautiful oak panelled doors lead from the kitchen/dining room into the sitting room and to the utility room that are situated in the two roundels. The impressive utility room includes a cloakroom and is designed like a second kitchen with a stove, hand-built wall cabinets and shaker style units with fossil shell worktops created by Chartwell kitchens, space for stand-alone laundry facilities and it also has a useful external door to the garden. The cosy and relaxing dual aspect circular sitting room is a delight with its central ceiling beam and wood flooring and is just the place for a quiet read or to watch television, while the fascinating triple aspect drawing room is ideal for entertaining friends and family. This charming room is accessed from the kitchen/dining room via a pair of French doors and is full of period character with its vertical, wall and ceiling beams as well as a spacious brick-built fireplace incorporating an impressive bressummer style beam and a log burner as well as two sets of French doors to the terraces. The beautiful staircase leads to a large galleried landing with enough room to create a study area, access to the loft and leads to the first-floor accommodation. This includes a family bathroom with a stand-alone claw foot bath and four delightful dual aspect double bedrooms with exposed ceiling beams, fitted cupboards and magnificent views over the garden and the countryside beyond as far as the eye can see. Two of the bedrooms are in the roundels including the principal suite with a stunning ensuite bathroom incorporating a circular bath, a separate shower and an attractive vanity basin. The gardens are another star feature of this very special property and back onto what was originally Groombridge Place. This is now being upgraded and will soon be opening as The Pig at Groombridge, an upmarket hotel and restaurant. There is a large, decked terrace and a gazebo surrounding the heated swimming pool, providing plenty of space for lounging in the sunshine and al fresco dining. There are also delightful specimen and mature trees, a lawn with shrub borders where the kids can play and, in order to be able to follow the sun all day and to enjoy every aspect of the garden, there are additional seating areas. These include another decked terrace with a small ‘jetty’ overlooking the very large wildlife pond framed by weeping willow trees.

Approached down the leafy Forge Lane the property is accessed via a driveway with plenty of parking. The attractive Victorian house features original multi-pane casement and sash windows, chimneystacks and a pitched roof porch. There is a reception area with stairs to the first floor and a very wide beamed archway to the cosy sitting room. This has a log burning stove and is just the place to relax and enjoy a quiet read. While the ‘heart of the house’ is the superb triple aspect L-shaped family space that includes a seating area where you can spend time with the kids and a spacious dining area for friends and family to enjoy sitting round a table together. The contemporary kitchen area is a delight for anyone who enjoys catering as it includes an inset range cooker, a variety of charming country style units with a selection of built in appliances, French doors to the garden and access to the large utility room and a cloakroom. Upstairs there is a well-appointed modern family bathroom and four individually designed double bedrooms all with fabulous and far-reaching rural views. One is currently in use as an office, another has fitted shelving and hanging space while the triple aspect principal suite includes an ensuite shower room. Another excellent feature of this property is the charming single story barn conversion annex. The stylish design includes an open plan living space with a kitchen, seating and dining areas as well as a light and bright double bedroom and a shower room. This would make an excellent home for an adult family member or elderly relative or perhaps a groom. Alternatively, it would also be ideal as a country holiday let. While the other barn could also be converted for family or guests or could make an ideal gym, games room and bar or another income generating air b and b, subject to permissions and consent. The superb and well-designed equestrian facilities are ideal for those who want the best for their horses. Much of the 4.66 acres of grounds is given over to well fenced paddocks, while the large manège provides an excellent training ground whatever the weather. The spacious stable block includes three well-maintained stables, a hay store and plenty of space for grooming and tacking up under cover. While it is just a 10-minute walk along Forge Lane to Ashdown Forest for those delightful off-road hacks where you can not only enjoy a ride but also the woodland, the heath and the local wildlife including a wide variety of birds, deer, badgers, weasels, foxes and stoats. You can also come across grazing animals including Exmoor ponies as well as rare breed cattle and sheep. While the stables are impressive the gardens are a delight. There is a large terrace with charming shrub and rockery borders where you can entertain your friends or just revel in the views across Ashdown Forest and beyond. This is bordered by swathes of lawn surrounded by trees, shrubs and high hedging providing privacy and seclusion What the Owner says, This has been a delightful home for us and our horses for the past nine years and we are only leaving because we feel it is time to downsize. We fell in love with the uninterrupted views over Ashdown Forest and the countryside, the charming characterful house and the excellent equestrian facilities including access to the forest. We also enjoy the fact that it is very secluded but, at the same time, it is only a five minute drive to Marks and Spencer and Home Bargains, which provide for our daily needs while we can walk to the lovely Foresters Arms for a drink and a meal in about 10 minutes. Horney Common is a popular destination for nature lovers as it is home to a variety of wildlife. It is about a mile and half from the villages of Maresfield and Nutley and not far from Uckfield. Maresfield includes the Bonners primary school and the delightful 18th Century Chequers coaching in hotel and pub/restaurant. There are also tennis, cricket, football and gymnastics clubs as well as a village store and post office. While Nutley offers a Londis, a farm shop, a petrol station, a bowls club and a primary school as well as the cosy Nutley Arms and the Hatch Inn located in the forest and for golfing aficionados there are the Piltdown and Royal Ashdown Forest clubs. Uckfield includes two supermarkets, a cinema and leisure center with a swimming pool as well as a variety of independent shops and eateries. The railway station provides direct trains to London Bridge taking an hour and 20 minutes while Uckfield College secondary school is rated Outstanding by Ofsted as is the Beacon Academy in Crowborough. With regard to private education there are a number of excellent schools in the vicinity including Cumnor House and Mayfield

This delightful but unlisted farmhouse can be found at the end of a private farm track, off a quiet country lane, surrounded by wonderful countryside in the High Weald National Landscape. The property lies between the villages of Sedlescombe and Westfield and only a few miles from the historic towns of Battle and Hastings. It nestles in about 8.43 acres of grounds and includes a charming detached annex, a large purpose built stable block and fenced paddocks with superb hacking directly from the property. Over the years it has been extended and the current owners have completely but sensitively refurbished the entire property to a very high standard, while still retaining period features including exposed beams, wood doors and natural brick walls that give it such a special character. The oak and tiled entrance porch opens into the dual aspect modern kitchen/breakfast room. This features flagstone flooring, a stunning oak breakfast bar, a range cooker, a butler’s sink and shaker style units with wooden worktops housing integrated and stand-alone appliances. Off the kitchen is a utility area, where laundry facilities and dishwasher are found, leading onto the downstairs cloakroom with a featured wood wall, a bespoke vanity unit and understairs storage. Access to the terrace is directly from the kitchen for alfresco entertaining.  From the kitchen area you enter into a spacious bright hall leading to the rest of the ground floor accommodation including the well-proportioned, characterful triple aspect sitting room/dining room which is more than 30ft long and is stunning. The dining area is partially divided by a central chimney breast with a two-way log burner that heats the entire area and is a great focal point. From the sitting room you access, via an opening in the original stone wall, a large study with French doors out to the hot tub area and the essential boot room with further laundry facilities storage and further door is found here. The dining area has the added feature of leading into a bright and impressive conservatory with a slate roof, which affords the owner a panoramic vista of the beautifully landscaped garden, paddocks and views to the vineyards beyond. The oak staircase off the porch area gives access to the upstairs, where you will find four double bedrooms. There is a very smart Jack and Jill family bathroom with a contemporary stand-alone claw foot bath, a walk-in shower and a charming circular vanity basin. While there are uninterrupted views from all bedrooms to the far-reaching views across the properties land and surrounding countryside. There are features in every bedroom, from original floor to ceiling stone walls, brick fireplaces and beams, with double aspect windows. The principal suite is both large and airy, with patio doors opening onto a balcony for early morning coffee sat immersed in nature, the bedroom has direct private access to the trendy ensuite wet room with a walk-in shower, vanity unit, toilet and fitted cupboards. The owners have created a beautiful garden with a large sheltered terrace area for outdoor entertaining and relaxing in the sunshine. This is surrounded by gravelled terracing with raised flower and shrub beds and swathes of lawn interspersed with mature trees. The chalet style detached annex, with its own decked patio, includes a delightful bed/sitting room with a kitchenette and a shower room. It has been a very successful air b and b holiday let but would also make a great ‘home’ for adult children or an elderly relative or could equally be a fun games room and bar. There is also a large workshop and craft room, with electricity, as well as storage facilities for garden machinery and a woodshed. The generous and bright fully covered stable block includes connected electricity and water and consists of four large loose boxes and a feed/tack room surrounded by a spacious parking area that can accommodate large horseboxes, while the paddocks are all water connected and CCTV is linked to view horses.

Backing onto glorious countryside next to the High Weald National Landscape (formerly an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) stands this beautifully updated four-bedroom chalet bungalow. It is surrounded by 0.68 acres of ground and includes a heating swimming pool. The property is approached along a spacious drive providing plenty of off-road parking and bordered by a delightful front garden with a lawn, a rose bed and mature trees. The front door opens into a useful lobby and leads to the hallway with oak wood flooring that flows through to the impressive sitting room. This features a charming brick surround log burning stove that provides additional warmth on cold winter days, a very large multi-pane bay window with views over the front garden and it is open plan to a fitted study area with bespoke built in shelving and storage facilities, a separate multi-pane bay window and a staircase to the first floor. However, it is the kitchen/breakfast room that is the ‘heart of the household’. It was redesigned about three years and includes attractive units with high-end appliances such as a five-ring gas hob and extractor, a built-in double oven and microwave as well as an integrated dishwasher and full-height larder fridge while a freezer is in the adjacent utility. In the breakfast area there are patio doors opening out onto the rear terrace, additional storage cabinets and shelving as well as a boiler cupboard. There is a relaxing family room/snug with a very wide archway to the dual aspect dining room that has a door to the terrace and is ideal for more formal entertaining or family celebrations. The rest of the ground floor incorporates a family bathroom, a separate cloakroom and three double bedrooms including one with an ensuite toilet. The smallest bedroom is currently set up as an office with fitted shelving and a day/occasional bed. The delightful principal suite is on the first floor and features a walk-in dressing room as well as bespoke fitted cupboards, a trendy ensuite shower room with a contemporary vanity basin and French doors to a wide balcony with a glass and chrome balustrade. Here you can sit and sip your morning coffee reveling in the stunning views and sun rises across the rear garden and the superb countryside beyond. Outside this property provides something to enjoy wherever you look. There is a spacious terrace for barbecues and outdoor entertaining that continues through an arched pergola and around the heating swimming pool with its attractive pool house. Vast swathes of lawn are ideal for a game of cricket or football and are bordered by specimen trees and plenty of shrubs that provide a colourful display at varying times of the year. You will also find a charming summerhouse with a patio/bistro area, a large vegetable and herb garden, an orchard, fruit cages, a chicken run and bee hives. While solar panels on the roof provide economic water heating, separate PV panels provide electricity and cover the cost of running the swimming pool in the summer.   What the owners say: We bought this property some 19 years ago and it has been delightful. We have loved creating the garden and not only enjoying the swimming pool but also developing the ‘good life’ with our own fruit, chickens and bees. We have also taken great delight in updating the house to be the lovely home you see today. We like the space, the views and the countryside feel yet it is only eight minutes’ walk to the centre of Horsmonden This charming village is surrounded by farmland, orchards and vineyards. It is bordered by the River Teise and includes attractive artificial lakes for fishing and bird watching. There is a large village green, a convenience store, pharmacy and hairdresser as well as a doctor’s surgery, a good primary and kindergarten school and a village hall that offer a variety of activities to suit all age groups while popular pubs and restaurants nearby include The Halfway House and The Hopbine Inn.  We are also in the catchment area for the numerous excellent state and private schools around Cranbrook and in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells. Regular bus services, including school buses, connect the village with neighbouring towns and schools, providing convenient access for families and commuters alike. They go to Cranbrook, Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge while the nearest station is Paddock Wood where trains can whisk you to Charing Cross in 52 minutes and Cannon Street in 48 minutes or Tonbridge station where the fast train to London Bridge takes just over half an hour.

Situated along the extremely popular Ridgeway in Tonbridge is this impressive and extended detached family home. It incorporates an attached two-storey annexe and a separate garden room for use as an office or gym, creating an excellent property for multi-generational and flexible requirements and, although within walking distance of the town centre and the station, when you are in the beautiful and secluded rear garden all you can see are trees, providing a charming, quiet countryside feel. The property is set well back from the road partially hidden from view behind shrubs and bushes. It is approached via a spacious block paved driveway with plenty of off-road parking and leads to the detached, pitched roof double garage and the front porch. This opens into a large reception hall with porcelain tiled flooring, storage and understairs cupboards as well as a useful shower room. There is access to all the ground floor accommodation including the delightful kitchen/breakfast room, designed by HKS kitchens. This features slate tiled flooring with under floor heating, an inset range cooker and extractor hood, bespoke ash wood shaker style units with crystal stone worktops housing a built-in microwave and coffee machine as well as a dishwasher and American style fridge freezer plus plenty of space for a table and chairs. The adjacent boot room/utility room has laundry facilities and a door to the garden. The relaxing colour scheme in the triple aspect sitting room, with the large window and door access to the decked terrace, is complimented by the light oak flooring and enhanced further by the attractive raised fireplace that provides a charming focal point. While friends and family will enjoy more formal entertaining in the well-proportioned dining room with door access to the decked terrace and dark oak flooring. There is also an extremely well fitted study designed for two people to work from home or for family members to do homework and play on their computers. Off the upstairs landing there is a large airing cupboard, two family bathrooms and four double bedrooms including the dual aspect principal with fitted cupboards and a door to a small balcony. There is a separate external entrance to the annex with a glazed front door that opens into a good-sized dual aspect kitchen/living room. This has a box bay window with French doors to a decked terrace, stairs to the upper floor and a kitchen area with contemporary shaker style units housing various built-in appliances. This floor also includes a double bedroom with a fitted wardrobe while on the first floor there is a modern shower room and a double bedroom with a built-in wardrobe and French doors to a Juliette balcony. A cedar clad detached office/gym with sliding patio doors was built in 2020 and makes an excellent retreat or an ideal office for anyone who wants to work undisturbed by activities in the home or for anyone needing to see clients on a regular basis. The rear garden is a real charmer. Surrounded by trees it includes the raised decked and balustraded terrace, a large, paved patio for outdoor entertaining bordered by a spacious lawn interspersed with colourful shrubs.

What the owners say: This impressive four storey country residence forms part of a magnificent Victorian manor house surrounded by half an acre of delightful private gardens in the charming hamlet of Golden Green. It backs onto farmland with far-reaching views across the Medway Valley and is approached through a pair of solid wood automatic gates that open onto a private driveway leading to a spacious parking area is flanked by an avenue of trees and shrubs bordered by a large lawn.  Wonderful external features give this property such a special character including very high chimneystacks, differing roof lines with attractive barge boards, patterned brickwork, pitched roof dormers, bay and windows and an arched entrance. The period features continue internally with high coved ceilings, picture and dado rails, wall panelling and ornate ceiling roses as well as beautiful fireplaces. At the same time the property has been superbly but sensitively updated by the current owners to provide everything needed for modern day living and is beautifully presented and maintained. The front door opens into a long L-shaped hallway with a cloakroom, a stained-glass door to the courtyard, a staircase to the lower ground floor and upper floors as well as Amtico herringbone flooring that flows through to the spacious, modern dual aspect kitchen/breakfast room and hallway. This has views over the courtyard and features a range cooker, a central island and shaker style units housing a fridge freezer, wine fridge and dishwasher, while still leaving plenty of space for a table and chairs. There is a very elegant dual aspect lounge with an attractive bay window, a wood burning stove surrounded by a charming slate fireplace and solid oak flooring that continues into the spacious dining/sitting room. This also includes an attractive sandstone fireplace with a log burner and fitted shelving and is currently in use as a family room/second sitting room. However, it would be ideal for those more formal occasions where you could seat at least a dozen guests. On the lower ground floor, you will find the utility room which comfortably accommodates several large appliances whilst providing essential hanging and drying space. In addition to this there is also a large boiler room and substantial private office with varied and versatile bespoke storage. An L-shaped galleried landing on the split level first floor includes an airing cupboard with access to three double bedrooms and the large stunning family bathroom that all have wonderful countryside views. The bathroom features a modern stand-alone oval bath where you can sit and enjoy the views, a separate double shower and twin basins. One of the bedrooms has a charming original fireplace while the large and well-proportioned principal bedroom is dual aspect and includes a plethora of fitted cupboards as well as a staircase leading up to a superb ensuite dressing room/shower room. While there is access to the rest of the second floor accommodation from the dressing room there is also the main staircase that leads to the second floor landing and a contemporary shower room serving two double bedrooms that provide a panoramic rural vista or could perhaps a bedroom and sitting room for a teenager wanting a little independence and private space. Outside, as well as the courtyard with access to the garage, there is a nearly 19ft long workshop with a pine boarded ceiling, windows, electrics and lighting so could always be converted into a games room/bar or offices for anyone working from home who needs peace and quiet. In order to provide complete privacy and security the beautifully landscaped garden is surrounded by six-foot-high fencing and hornbeam hedging so is completely secure for children and animals. It includes a truly charming and relaxing sunken garden seating area with delightful, raised lily ponds bordered by well-manicured lawns and shrub beds overlooking farmland as well as a large terrace for outdoor entertaining and barbecues.

East Grinstead has a good range of shops and restaurants. For a more extensive range of shopping there is Tunbridge Wells. There are a number of sports clubs around the town including rugby, hockey, cricket, netball, tennis and football. Golf is available at Chartham Park, Royal Ashdown, Sweetwoods and Holtye. Horse racing at Lingfield Park. There are railway stations at East Grinstead, Lingfield and Cowden providing services to London Bridge/Victoria. The A22 gives access to East Grinstead which in turn leads to M25.

The position of this delightful, detached period home is quite superb and offers the best of both worlds in that it is tucked away and yet provides good access into the village and to the popular station to London with the additional benefit of backing onto open fields.   A long driveway from the Tonbridge Road leads up hill to the large block paved parking and turning area and a detached double garage and your first glimpse of this delightful home surrounded by gardens that lend a feeling of calm that comes with being far from the madding crowded. A few steps up past a fabulous pond takes you to the terrace which makes the most of its elevated position and affords you far reaching views beyond the village to the distant horizon.   In order to make use of this sunny aspect and delightful view a large conservatory has been added to the front elevation of the house to create a much used and much-loved space for sitting or entertaining whilst maximising the benefit of the view. From here a large reception hall makes a superb study area or reading nook with its pretty bay window, brick fireplace and parquet floor.   A large single storey addition has created a very generous living room, maximising the natural light with its triple aspect and views out over the gardens. The charming kitchen is linked to the dining room via a conservatory that currently serves as a utility area and would make a fine breakfast room. A doorway leads past the wine store to a traditional dining room with a fireplace and pretty side bay window. This is another large room and is ideal for seating large gatherings and makes a superb entertaining space.   Upstairs there are four double bedrooms, two of which are en-suite to shower rooms, with a family bathroom and separate toilet.    A formal garden fronts the property with a large terrace, a pond garden and lawn. A further large lawn wraps around the house and is ideal for garden sports or if you prefer to be left as a natural wildflower garden. To the rear of the house is a pretty little painted brick outbuilding under a pitched tiled roof that has plenty of scope to be your home office, children’s den summerhouse or potting shed.     This has been an amazing house in a brilliant location. We always loved the fact that you come up a long driveway before you get to the house, so you feel like you are so tucked away and as the driveway is uphill you have a lovely, elevated position with superb far-reaching views. Having said that you are perfectly situated for easy access to Hildenborough village, the station with services into London, as well as to Tonbridge Town and Sevenoaks.   The village has two state primary schools, Stocks Green School, and Hildenborough cep school as well as the independent Fosse Bank, and the independent Sackville school. Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks offer a brilliant choice of schooling in both the state sector including superb grammar schools like The Judd School and TOGGS, and the private sector including Tonbridge and Sevenoaks schools, Hilden Grange and the schools at Somerhill.

If the ultimate in unique properties is your idea of home, then look no further than the magnificent Hadlow Tower – or ‘May’s Folly’ as it is less reverently named by the locals. Once part of a Romantic Gothic style 18th century castle, the 175ft eight storey tower stands six foot higher than Nelson’s Column and is visible from Bidborough to Sevenoaks. Having fallen into disrepair and severely damaged in the 1987 storm, it was restored in 2013 at a cost of £4.2 million with grants provided by English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Its impressive restoration won multiple Historic England Angel Awards as well as the Lloyd-Webber Angel Award.   Now a fabulous private home it is accessed through the fantastic triple arched and castellated Romantic Gothic entrance on Hadlow village high street. There is a long and winding private road that passes a few individual properties and stunning countryside as far as the eye can see and ultimately leads to the spectacular tower, a parking area and the impressive walled courtyard. This includes additional buildings and a fabulous external window in what was thought to be the original castle entrance. The ancillary buildings have now been converted into six private dwellings and, together with the tower custodian, the owners of these six properties are responsible for the wonderful communal grounds that include sweeping lawns interspersed with impressive specimen trees and a beautiful lake encircled by a plethora of colourful shrubs.   As soon as you see the iconic tower with its octagonal shaped exterior, arched windows, ornate mouldings and fantastic lantern you will almost be transported into a fantasy world and may perhaps wonder why Rapunzel is not looking out of an upstairs window. However once inside, while there are stunning original and historic features, it has been designed as a one-of-a-kind modern family home.   There are three entrances to the tower and the main double height arched front door leads to a lobby with an original brick floor and a fascinating octagonal reception hall with interesting displays, terracotta flooring and, fortunately, a contemporary lift to the first four floors. There is also a utility room, cloakroom, boiler room and boot cupboard, a pair of original oak external doors and access to the main circular staircase and an outer secondary circular stone staircase.   Opening the lift door on the first floor you are immediately confronted by a superb octagonal dining room where guests will be queueing up to be invited to a meal as this characterful room includes full height circle top arched windows providing far reaching views, a beautiful polished wood floor, a unique arched recess and sculptured oak doors that come from the original castle. These open into a small corridor with the main staircase and a second set of old oak doors that lead to the triple aspect kitchen/breakfast room with fantastic stained glass windows that were also rescued from the castle, access to the secondary staircase and shaker style units housing various appliances.   The octagonal drawing room on the next floor is something to behold with its gothic casement windows, polished wood flooring, exposed beams and amazing brick arched fireplace with a log burner but is also cosy enough for the family to enjoy relaxing and spending time together. There are steps down to a double bedroom that also has a charming stained glass window from the castle, lovely views over the grounds, an en suite bathroom and access to the secondary staircase.   You can take the main stone staircase up to a dual aspect double bedroom with a central beam and oak flooring, while oak steps lead to the principal suite with exposed beamed, storage facilities and a contemporary en suite. On the fourth floor there is a fascinating double bedroom with an octagonal inner frame surrounding the bed, an octagonal dressing room with a walk-in wardrobe, oak stairs leading to a superb bathroom and a door to a castellated roof terrace offering excellent views over the surrounding countryside.   The next floor includes a useful study area and external access while open staircases lead to the additional floors. There are original six inch square vertical beams, interesting billboards showcasing the history of the tower and doors to the external castellated parapet with 360 degree views as far as the eye can see. At the very top of the tower is an exact replica of the original lantern that was destroyed during the Great Storm of 1987.   The Tower also owns an area of woodland and grounds beyond the communal lake area and this is basically a blank canvas so new owners can create whatever they like. It includes a large shed that houses the remains of the original lantern that were retained to provide a reference point for the replacement.   What the owner says: This has been a very exciting and unique home that I have been privileged and proud to own for the past few years. I and my family have thoroughly enjoyed our time here in this peaceful and tranquil environment, but my business is taking me abroad so I feel it is time to hand the baton over to new custodians who will appreciate the uniqueness of this amazing place in such an incredible setting.   Although where we are is private and peaceful, Hadlow high street is at the end of the lane. This charming village is in a Conservation area and includes many attractive period properties and a variety of shops, pubs, hairdresser, restaurant, church, library and a medical centre. For the more energetic there are cricket and bowls clubs as well as a good primary school and the renowned Hadlow College of Agriculture and Horticulture that includes the Broadview Gardens complex that has a tearoom and florist and where you can enjoy wandering around the grounds.   Other facilities are available in nearby Tonbridge including excellent grammar and private schools, independent shops and high street stores, pubs, restaurants, a theatre and the station where trains to London take around 30 to 40 minutes. There is the Tonbridge School leisure club while for golfing enthusiasts there are numerous golf clubs and courses within a radius of nine miles around Hadlow including the local Poult Wood Public Golf Centre.   Historical Note: Hadlow Castle was built in the 18th century in the then fashionable Strawberry Hill Gothic style. It was extended in the 19th century and the owner Walter Barton May at the time built the Tower (May’s Folly). Local lore has it that he had it built so he could spy on his estranged wife but it was probably because he wanted to show off his wealth.

Historic Provenance & Wysteria CladNestled within the Isle of Oxney and the rolling countryside near Tenterden is a home of rare provenance, an enchanting and distinguished country retreat once owned by the late and celebrated British actor Donald Sinden. Adorned with its coveted blue plaque, the house stands as a quiet yet powerful testament to a life steeped in theatre, culture, and British heritage, offering a unique opportunity to own a piece of living history.The Quintessential Country HouseThe epitome of the quintessential English countryside. Surrounded by fields, scenic, winding country roads, and wisteria-clad frontage, the house creates an immediate sense of arrival -one of welcome, warmth, character, and enduring charm. Beyond the façade, the interiors unfold with elegant proportions and an unmistakable sense of soul. Exposed beams and original fireplaces blend effortlessly with refined, contemporary enhancements, making the home feel both authentic and beautifully liveable.Character, Charm & Contemporary ComfortA home that is both sizeably generous and versatile, offering two spacious and characterful reception rooms, each centred around original period fireplaces, creating inviting spaces ideal for relaxing or entertaining. At its heart is a fully equipped kitchen and dining area that serves as a natural gathering space, designed for day-to-day living. Five thoughtfully appointed bedroom suites, each designed for comfort and privacy, all of which are complemented by stylish bathrooms. Retaining much of its original charisma and charm, blending modern comfort, contemporary detailing, and the warmth of a traditional country home to create an inviting atmosphere. Enchanting Gardens & Rural OutlooksThe grounds are equally compelling. Set within private, mature gardens, together with an expansive lawn area, established trees and planting, and spectacular, far-reaching rural views.A Wonderful Setting for Outdoor EntertainingA sun-drenched terrace with a hot tub offers unrestricted views, a truly wonderful setting for outdoor entertaining, complemented by an outdoor fireplace and seating area for enjoying the long summer evenings. The separate Garden House provides exceptional additional space, featuring a fully equipped games room, workspace, and flexible accommodation for guests.Peaceful Yet Perfectly ConnectedDespite its idyllic rural setting, Oxley remains well connected. Located within easy reach of Tenterden town and approximately 21 km from Ashford International, it offers convenient access to London and London City Airport. Renowned cultural landmarks such as Leeds Castle and Canterbury Cathedral are within a comfortable distance.A Legacy of Culture & CelebrationThis captivating home has been in the family for generations and has long been a house of family, hospitality and celebration. Over the years, it has welcomed an array of distinguished guests, from fellow thespians and artists to political figures and royalty, adding further depth to its already rich narrative.What truly sets Rat’s Castle apart is its atmosphere, a home imbued with history, creativity and quiet prestige. This is not simply a house, but a legacy; a timeless retreat where heritage, past and present come together to offer an idyllic lifestyle of charm, privacy, and distinction.Please get in touch for further details on a rare opportunity to acquire this stylish, turnkey country retreat.Quote Reference: 754459