5 bedroom detached house for sale

Built by the eminent Victorian geologist Sir Joseph Prestwich in 1869, the grade II-listed property consists of the major part of the original house, surrounded by beautiful countryside and featuring many original features.

Set over four floors, the property has been exhaustively and sympathetically updated by the current owners throughout, providing an excellent mix of living and entertaining space. The property is approached through an automated gate and up a private gravel driveway. Ample parking is found outside the house as well as an additional pair of parking spaces on the left as you enter the gates.

The entrance hall, through the original doorway marked by the Prestwich initials and featuring the original stained glass windows with fossil motifs, leads to the ground floor living space and provides access to a large coat / sports cupboard and the huge cellar and boiler room.

The new kitchen has been moved to the garden side of the house and benefits from excellent south-facing country views. The kitchen, designed by BCA Architects and hand-built by R Timmons, is situated in the original Victorian dining room. It features a Bora induction hob in the Carrara marble island with seating for six people with appliances by Liebherr and Siemens. The kitchen update is part of a wider planning permission (20/02529/LBCALT) which includes an orangery extension to the main house together with separate annexe and swimming pool. The house has been fully re-wired and re-plumbed with a new condensing boiler, alongside replacement of all radiators except one. All the wooden floors have been stripped and restored whilst the house has been re-painted both internally and externally and the roof has been carefully restored using original materials. The interiors have been updated under the guidance of Jesse Bax interiors.

Accompanying the kitchen is the main living room, with feature fireplace, bay window and double doors opening
onto the south-facing terrace, paved in Tuscan limestone. On the East side of the house is a utility/boot room (the original kitchen to the house and now fitted with underfloor heating and ample storage). There is also a guest WC with shower providing an excellent entrance for children, dogs, shopping etc.

The grand staircase with Roger Oates stair carpet links the floors and leads up to the first floor where the principal suite, adapted from the original reading room/library, now includes a new ensuite bathroom and bespoke dressing room whilst the views from the window face southwards, over the garden and towards Shoreham. A further double bedroom (also with updated family bathroom) faces South whilst a third bedroom completes the ensemble on this floor.

The top floor holds two further double bedrooms (one with its own dressing and work area) together with a newly updated bathrwhichoom. A final set of stairs leads up to the Tower which is currently used as a study, offering far-reaching countryside views on all four sides. The house offers a high degree of privacy and extraordinary peace and quiet, being formed of the original 1869 house, prior to the addition of the western wing which was added in 1889

Outside, the gardens are an outstanding feature of the property. The large limestone-paved terrace provides a perfect place from which to entertain and dine al fresco. Numerous other spots in the garden provide views down the Darent Valley and a croquet lawn edged with herbaceous borders accompanies a children's football pitch and nascent orchard. A new workshop/shed has been installed in the garden and the entire boundary benefits from dog-proof fencing. The main gardens face southwards towards Shoreham, which is a short 300 metre walk away along local footpaths which can be accessed from a gate at the end of the woodland garden or from the driveway.

A luxury shepherd's hut complete with electricity and water (available by separate negotiation) has permission for up to 90 nights letting a year on Airbnb.

The house is located just outside the popular village of Shoreham which is an easy walk down the hill. The village includes a shop, café and three pubs including the Samuel Palmer (winner of the "Best Destination PUB" in the 2023 Muddy Stilettos awards). The Mount Vineyard with its popular restaurant is also close at hand. Shoreham has an active social and sporting scene, with a historical society, amateur dramatics society, a horticultural society and a well supported WI. The village supports four men's crickets teams together with a women's side and numerous junior teams.

There is a national railway station at Shoreham although fast trains into town are easily found from nearby Chelsfield (in zone 6 and with fast trains to London in 19 minutes) or from Otford (with trains to London Bridge, Charing Cross and Victoria) or Sevenoaks.

The motorway is easily accessible together with the M20/M26 providing access towards the channel ports and the M25 with provision for the airports at Gatwick and Heathrow as well as the wider UK motorway network.

The area hosts a multitude of excellent schools including the Grammars in Orpington/Dartford/SE London as well as those in Sevenoaks/Tonbridge together with well established and respected primary and secondary schools including Sevenoaks School and Tonbridge School.