Guide price£1,725,000
Added yesterday
5 bedroom equestrian property for sale
Speldhurst Hill, Tunbridge Wells TN3
Chain-free
Study
Added yesterday
01892 333298
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Equestrian property
5 bed
bath
EPC rating: D*
1,771 sq ft / 165 sq m
Key information
Tenure: Freehold
Council tax: Band E
Broadband: Super-fast 80Mbps *
Mobile signal:
EE O2 Three Vodafone
Water: Mains supply
Heating: Gas
Electricity: Mains supply
Sewerage: Mains supply
Obligations: There are obligations on this property
Property description & features
- Tenure: Freehold
- Detached 5 bedroom property
- Fantastic views over vally from the rear
- Planning to convert one barn to a new dwelling
- 15 acres (*TBV) of grounds
- *Equestrian permission for Commercial Livery
- *Agricultural Occupancy Tie
- New 1 bedroom apartment
- Stable barn plus large storage bar.
- No chain
Set in a desirable rural location with far reaching views, a versatile farm with around 15 acres (*TBV) of pasture and permissions to run a commercial Equestrian Livery Yard and/or Agricultural business from the location.
The principal residence has stunning views over the valley (a designated area of outstanding natural beauty) and comprises of a detached 5 bedroom farmhouse which is subject to an *Equestrian Tie and Agricultural Occupancy Condition, a separate 1 bedroom apartment (scope to extend) plus planning granted to convert a detached barn into a further 4 bedroom detached dwelling.
The 1 bedroom apartment and the new 4 bedroom detached dwelling could be sold as separate properties, neither is subject to an AOC or equestrian restriction.
The farm is situated at the end of a long shared private lane on the edge of the sought after village of Speldhurst and the balance of farm buildings and equestrian facilities at the location comprise:
An adaptable Portal Framed Barn suitable for including 6 internal loose boxes, large additional stable block of 8 loose boxes, tack room, tea room, WC, 2 portable stables, good parking for many vehicles/horseboxes, 20m x 40m sand/rubber Riding Arena (in need of some refurbishment) and extensive paddocks.
For those keen on running a livery yard, the area in which the farm is situated is recognised as being a popular equestrian location having good hacking out on bridleways and convenient access to South East show Centres. NO CHAIN.eip.
Situation & Area Awareness - The Farm enjoys an enviable rural location set at the end of a long shared private lane on the outskirts of the popular village of Speldhurst which boasts a thriving community spirit and the convenience of a local shop and post office, doctor's surgery, the renowned 13th Century gastro pub 'The George & Dragon', a church and an 'Outstanding' primary school. Speldhurst. Set within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the location is popular for its local walks, bridleways and cycling routes taking in breath taking views across the surrounding countryside. Tonbridge Town is less than five miles to the north and has a good range of supermarkets, independent food shops, restaurants, cafes and leisure amenities, as well as exceptional rail links to London (London Bridge from 32 minutes) as well as rail connections to Gatwick Terminals. The nearby spa town of Tunbridge Wells (around 3.5 miles) offers an upmarket range of shopping facilities with many major national stores in Royal Victoria Place, as well as the Old High Street and The Pantiles. Schools in both areas are some of the best in Kent, with an excellent range of comprehensive, grammar and private schools, including the Schools at Somerhill, Holmewood House, Rosehill, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Mayfield and Benenden. For road links to London (43.9 miles) the A21 at Tonbridge connects to the M25 junction 5 offering convenient links to Gatwick Airport as well as access to Heathrow Airport (57.1 miles).
The Principal 5 Bedroom Farmhouse - The main farmhouse is subject to an Equestrian Tie/Agricultural Occupancy Condition - AOC.
The construction of the house is of brick construction with timber weatherboarding under a pitched tiled roof. The ground floor accommodation comprises: Entrance porch into hallway with stairs leading to first floor, off the hallway there is a utility room with cloakroom and sink, a sitting room with doors opening to the garden and a conservatory. From the hall is the kitchen opening through to a dining room and onwards to a family bathroom plus two ground floor bedrooms. On the first floor a landing area leads to a master bedroom with en-suite bathroom plus two further good size bedrooms.
The One Bedroom Appartment - To the south west of the farmhouse, there is a single storey 1 bedroom apartment (which does not have an equestrian tie or an AOC) The building is of block framed construction and forms part of the portal framed farm building.
The accommodation comprises an open plan KITCHEN, SITTING ROOM room with a door leading to the BEDROOM which has an en-suite off. Outside there is an independent garden area. (N.B. There is potential to extend the apartment to add further bedrooms - subject to permissions).
Agents Note/S - *Equestrian Tie and Agricultural Occupancy Condition.
1) The occupation of the dwelling shall be limited to (a) a person solely or mainly employed, or last employed, in the locality in agriculture as defined in Section 336 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, or in forestry, or (b) a person solely or mainly employed in agriculture, or in forestry and in the operation of a commercial horse livery enterprise undertaken at Lower Church Farm, Speldhurst, or a widow/widower of such person or a dependant of such a person residing with him or her.
Reason: The site is outside any area in which a development would normally be permitted if it were not required for occupation by a person employed locally in agriculture or forestry.
Please ensure you understand this Condition and that you can comply. You should consult an independent Solicitor and or Planning Consultant for clarification and if you require a Mortgage you should seek a specialist lender.
An initial assessment on the site was carried out by AFA Planning Consultants and is available on request.
Rights Of Way - There is a vehicle right of Access through the farmyard for the waterboard for maintenance purposes of the Water Treatment works set at the very end of the drive to the northern boundary. The hard standing nor the water works can be seen or heard as the facility is at the bottom of the valley. A public footpath (WT67) passes over a section of the northern drive that adjoins the farmland at distance from the main house and buildings.
The Barn- Permission To Convert To 4 Bedroom Dwell - Located directly behind the stable block is a barn with planning permission for conversion into a four bedroom dwelling (which does not have an equestrian tie or an AOC).
Permission was granted by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council on 20th July 2020 incorporated within reference 20/01115/FULL.
The proposed accommodation comprises Entrance Hall with Cloakroom Room and Utility, off through to open plan Kitchen/Dining Room and Living Room, with storage cupboards. A further inner hall leads to a Study and 3 double Bedrooms, 2 with En Suite facilities, and a family Shower. Stairs lead to a part first floor conversion under eaves, where there is a Sitting Room and Bedroom with En Suite facilities.
The convertible floor area of the building on one and a half floors is approximately 1900 sq ft subject to confirmation. The planning permission allows for landscaping of the plot with a private view to the north.
Planning - The property is sold with the benefit of the following planning approvals granted by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council:
TW/90/0716 Outline Permission for an Agricultural Dwelling subject to standard agricultural occupancy restriction.
03/00200/FUL | Variation of Condition 10 – to include equestrian activities (TW/90/00716 refers).
10/01201/FUL | Variation of Condition 1 of TW/03/00200 – to allow either agricultural or livery activities.
20/01115/FULL | Removal of existing outbuilding; Conversion of agricultural barn C to residential use; Conversion of part existing barn A to residential use; proposed alteration to existing stable building B.
Copies of the planning history and relevant approvals can be sent on request.
Equestrian Facilities/Outbuildings - PORTAL FRAMED BARN - suitable for including 6 internal loose boxes & facilities large additional stable block of 8 LOOSE BOXES, TACK ROOM,TEA ROOM, WC, 2 FURTHER PORTABLE STABLES
RIDING ARENA - Located in the most northerly field is a 40m x 20m riding arena pots and railed with sand and rubber surface (requires some maintenance).
Land & Grounds - The land is mainly laid to pasture and divided into a number of grazing paddocks which are accessed off the main farm drive which adjoins the farm on its northern boundary. The whole site is just under 15 acres (*TBV).
The acreage and or land shown / stated on any map and or screen print for the property is *TBV – (To Be Verified), which means that the land has not been formally measured and or verified by Equus and or its sellers/clients. A Title Plan from Land Registry will have been acquired, where available, showing the boundary and acreage. Otherwise, an online measuring tool will have been used to ‘check’ the acreage against the Land Registry Title where possible. Interested applicants / buyers are advised that if they have any doubts as to the plot size and wish to have verification of the titles and exact area of the entire plot/s, they will be required to make their own arrangements, at their own cost, by appointing the services of a Solicitor acting on their behalf and an accredited / qualified company who can measure the area for a compliant Land Registry Title Plan.
Material Information & Services - TENURE: Freehold
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached house.
PROPERTY CONSTRUCTION: Brick and waterboarded on some elevations.
NUMBER & TYPE OF ROOM/S: 5 bedrooms 2 of which are downstairs / 3 receptions / 2 bathrooms / see attached floor plans.
PARKING: Off road, initial shared drive then private drive and multiple car spaces.
LOCAL AUTHORITY: Tunbridge Wells.
TAX BAND: Lower Church Farmhouse is included in Council Tax Band E. Council tax banding for the flat has not yet been determined.
EPC RATING: D 62/78 Certificate number 4519-6282-6002-0527-6106. Full ratings & advisories/estimated costs are now online at the .gov web site:
Services - HEATING: LPG / SEWAGE: Mains / WATER SUPPLY: Mains / ELECTRICITY SUPPLY: Mains.
BROADBAND: Superfast broadband available Up to 76* Mbps download speed / see useful website links.
MOBILE COVERAGE: Indoor - EE likely / Outdoor - all major network providers likely/ see useful website links.
Helpful Website Links - We recommend that you visit the local authority website pertaining to the property you are interested in buying for all the planning consents / restrictions / history and the following websites for more helpful information about the property and surrounding local area before proceeding in a purchase:
| | | - | |
Viewing Arrangements - All Viewings are strictly by Appointment with the Vendors’ Agent
Equus Country & Equestrian, South East/South West
T:[use Contact Agent Button]
E: [use Contact Agent Button]
W: DISCLAIMER: All prospective buyers view all properties for sale with Equus International Property Ltd at their own risk and neither the Agents, Joint Agents nor the Sellers take responsibility for any damage or injury however caused to themselves or personal belongings or property.
By viewing a property with Equus you accept this disclaimer. If inspecting the outbuildings, equestrian facilities or any other building within the grounds you must wear appropriate clothing and footwear and children must be either left in the car or always supervised. Livestock should not be touched and all gates left shut or closed after use.
Directions - From the centre of Tunbridge Wells, head out on the A264 towards Langton Green and Groombridge. Passing through Langton Green, take a right turn by The Hare Public House towards Speldhurst. Continue into the village passing the village school on the left and then turn right. After The George & Dragon Public House, turn immediately left into Barden Road and then immediately right into the shared driveway which leads down to the farm.
WHAT3WORDS: Using the What3Words app for the purposes of viewing, the farmhouse is located at ///dressing.haircuts.broadcast
The principal residence has stunning views over the valley (a designated area of outstanding natural beauty) and comprises of a detached 5 bedroom farmhouse which is subject to an *Equestrian Tie and Agricultural Occupancy Condition, a separate 1 bedroom apartment (scope to extend) plus planning granted to convert a detached barn into a further 4 bedroom detached dwelling.
The 1 bedroom apartment and the new 4 bedroom detached dwelling could be sold as separate properties, neither is subject to an AOC or equestrian restriction.
The farm is situated at the end of a long shared private lane on the edge of the sought after village of Speldhurst and the balance of farm buildings and equestrian facilities at the location comprise:
An adaptable Portal Framed Barn suitable for including 6 internal loose boxes, large additional stable block of 8 loose boxes, tack room, tea room, WC, 2 portable stables, good parking for many vehicles/horseboxes, 20m x 40m sand/rubber Riding Arena (in need of some refurbishment) and extensive paddocks.
For those keen on running a livery yard, the area in which the farm is situated is recognised as being a popular equestrian location having good hacking out on bridleways and convenient access to South East show Centres. NO CHAIN.eip.
Situation & Area Awareness - The Farm enjoys an enviable rural location set at the end of a long shared private lane on the outskirts of the popular village of Speldhurst which boasts a thriving community spirit and the convenience of a local shop and post office, doctor's surgery, the renowned 13th Century gastro pub 'The George & Dragon', a church and an 'Outstanding' primary school. Speldhurst. Set within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the location is popular for its local walks, bridleways and cycling routes taking in breath taking views across the surrounding countryside. Tonbridge Town is less than five miles to the north and has a good range of supermarkets, independent food shops, restaurants, cafes and leisure amenities, as well as exceptional rail links to London (London Bridge from 32 minutes) as well as rail connections to Gatwick Terminals. The nearby spa town of Tunbridge Wells (around 3.5 miles) offers an upmarket range of shopping facilities with many major national stores in Royal Victoria Place, as well as the Old High Street and The Pantiles. Schools in both areas are some of the best in Kent, with an excellent range of comprehensive, grammar and private schools, including the Schools at Somerhill, Holmewood House, Rosehill, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Mayfield and Benenden. For road links to London (43.9 miles) the A21 at Tonbridge connects to the M25 junction 5 offering convenient links to Gatwick Airport as well as access to Heathrow Airport (57.1 miles).
The Principal 5 Bedroom Farmhouse - The main farmhouse is subject to an Equestrian Tie/Agricultural Occupancy Condition - AOC.
The construction of the house is of brick construction with timber weatherboarding under a pitched tiled roof. The ground floor accommodation comprises: Entrance porch into hallway with stairs leading to first floor, off the hallway there is a utility room with cloakroom and sink, a sitting room with doors opening to the garden and a conservatory. From the hall is the kitchen opening through to a dining room and onwards to a family bathroom plus two ground floor bedrooms. On the first floor a landing area leads to a master bedroom with en-suite bathroom plus two further good size bedrooms.
The One Bedroom Appartment - To the south west of the farmhouse, there is a single storey 1 bedroom apartment (which does not have an equestrian tie or an AOC) The building is of block framed construction and forms part of the portal framed farm building.
The accommodation comprises an open plan KITCHEN, SITTING ROOM room with a door leading to the BEDROOM which has an en-suite off. Outside there is an independent garden area. (N.B. There is potential to extend the apartment to add further bedrooms - subject to permissions).
Agents Note/S - *Equestrian Tie and Agricultural Occupancy Condition.
1) The occupation of the dwelling shall be limited to (a) a person solely or mainly employed, or last employed, in the locality in agriculture as defined in Section 336 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, or in forestry, or (b) a person solely or mainly employed in agriculture, or in forestry and in the operation of a commercial horse livery enterprise undertaken at Lower Church Farm, Speldhurst, or a widow/widower of such person or a dependant of such a person residing with him or her.
Reason: The site is outside any area in which a development would normally be permitted if it were not required for occupation by a person employed locally in agriculture or forestry.
Please ensure you understand this Condition and that you can comply. You should consult an independent Solicitor and or Planning Consultant for clarification and if you require a Mortgage you should seek a specialist lender.
An initial assessment on the site was carried out by AFA Planning Consultants and is available on request.
Rights Of Way - There is a vehicle right of Access through the farmyard for the waterboard for maintenance purposes of the Water Treatment works set at the very end of the drive to the northern boundary. The hard standing nor the water works can be seen or heard as the facility is at the bottom of the valley. A public footpath (WT67) passes over a section of the northern drive that adjoins the farmland at distance from the main house and buildings.
The Barn- Permission To Convert To 4 Bedroom Dwell - Located directly behind the stable block is a barn with planning permission for conversion into a four bedroom dwelling (which does not have an equestrian tie or an AOC).
Permission was granted by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council on 20th July 2020 incorporated within reference 20/01115/FULL.
The proposed accommodation comprises Entrance Hall with Cloakroom Room and Utility, off through to open plan Kitchen/Dining Room and Living Room, with storage cupboards. A further inner hall leads to a Study and 3 double Bedrooms, 2 with En Suite facilities, and a family Shower. Stairs lead to a part first floor conversion under eaves, where there is a Sitting Room and Bedroom with En Suite facilities.
The convertible floor area of the building on one and a half floors is approximately 1900 sq ft subject to confirmation. The planning permission allows for landscaping of the plot with a private view to the north.
Planning - The property is sold with the benefit of the following planning approvals granted by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council:
TW/90/0716 Outline Permission for an Agricultural Dwelling subject to standard agricultural occupancy restriction.
03/00200/FUL | Variation of Condition 10 – to include equestrian activities (TW/90/00716 refers).
10/01201/FUL | Variation of Condition 1 of TW/03/00200 – to allow either agricultural or livery activities.
20/01115/FULL | Removal of existing outbuilding; Conversion of agricultural barn C to residential use; Conversion of part existing barn A to residential use; proposed alteration to existing stable building B.
Copies of the planning history and relevant approvals can be sent on request.
Equestrian Facilities/Outbuildings - PORTAL FRAMED BARN - suitable for including 6 internal loose boxes & facilities large additional stable block of 8 LOOSE BOXES, TACK ROOM,TEA ROOM, WC, 2 FURTHER PORTABLE STABLES
RIDING ARENA - Located in the most northerly field is a 40m x 20m riding arena pots and railed with sand and rubber surface (requires some maintenance).
Land & Grounds - The land is mainly laid to pasture and divided into a number of grazing paddocks which are accessed off the main farm drive which adjoins the farm on its northern boundary. The whole site is just under 15 acres (*TBV).
The acreage and or land shown / stated on any map and or screen print for the property is *TBV – (To Be Verified), which means that the land has not been formally measured and or verified by Equus and or its sellers/clients. A Title Plan from Land Registry will have been acquired, where available, showing the boundary and acreage. Otherwise, an online measuring tool will have been used to ‘check’ the acreage against the Land Registry Title where possible. Interested applicants / buyers are advised that if they have any doubts as to the plot size and wish to have verification of the titles and exact area of the entire plot/s, they will be required to make their own arrangements, at their own cost, by appointing the services of a Solicitor acting on their behalf and an accredited / qualified company who can measure the area for a compliant Land Registry Title Plan.
Material Information & Services - TENURE: Freehold
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached house.
PROPERTY CONSTRUCTION: Brick and waterboarded on some elevations.
NUMBER & TYPE OF ROOM/S: 5 bedrooms 2 of which are downstairs / 3 receptions / 2 bathrooms / see attached floor plans.
PARKING: Off road, initial shared drive then private drive and multiple car spaces.
LOCAL AUTHORITY: Tunbridge Wells.
TAX BAND: Lower Church Farmhouse is included in Council Tax Band E. Council tax banding for the flat has not yet been determined.
EPC RATING: D 62/78 Certificate number 4519-6282-6002-0527-6106. Full ratings & advisories/estimated costs are now online at the .gov web site:
Services - HEATING: LPG / SEWAGE: Mains / WATER SUPPLY: Mains / ELECTRICITY SUPPLY: Mains.
BROADBAND: Superfast broadband available Up to 76* Mbps download speed / see useful website links.
MOBILE COVERAGE: Indoor - EE likely / Outdoor - all major network providers likely/ see useful website links.
Helpful Website Links - We recommend that you visit the local authority website pertaining to the property you are interested in buying for all the planning consents / restrictions / history and the following websites for more helpful information about the property and surrounding local area before proceeding in a purchase:
| | | - | |
Viewing Arrangements - All Viewings are strictly by Appointment with the Vendors’ Agent
Equus Country & Equestrian, South East/South West
T:[use Contact Agent Button]
E: [use Contact Agent Button]
W: DISCLAIMER: All prospective buyers view all properties for sale with Equus International Property Ltd at their own risk and neither the Agents, Joint Agents nor the Sellers take responsibility for any damage or injury however caused to themselves or personal belongings or property.
By viewing a property with Equus you accept this disclaimer. If inspecting the outbuildings, equestrian facilities or any other building within the grounds you must wear appropriate clothing and footwear and children must be either left in the car or always supervised. Livestock should not be touched and all gates left shut or closed after use.
Directions - From the centre of Tunbridge Wells, head out on the A264 towards Langton Green and Groombridge. Passing through Langton Green, take a right turn by The Hare Public House towards Speldhurst. Continue into the village passing the village school on the left and then turn right. After The George & Dragon Public House, turn immediately left into Barden Road and then immediately right into the shared driveway which leads down to the farm.
WHAT3WORDS: Using the What3Words app for the purposes of viewing, the farmhouse is located at ///dressing.haircuts.broadcast
Property information from this agent
Places of interest
A love of horses and the countryside, an enthusiasm for everything property and an astute recognition of a gap in the market place for a niche Country and Equestrian property specialist led to the launch of Equus in the Nineties and the Equus name becoming the recognised brand trademark of the country and equestrian property sector.
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*DISCLAIMER
Property reference 33555596. The information displayed about this property comprises a property advertisement. OnTheMarket.com makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the advertisement or any linked or associated information, and OnTheMarket.com has no control over the content provided by the agent or developer. This property advertisement does not constitute property particulars. The information is provided and maintained by Equus Property - Sussex.
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Broadband availability and predicted speed: obtained from Ofcom on January 5, 2022
Broadband speed is measured in megabits per second, with the number returned showing how fast the connection is. Each reading is based on the highest predicted speed of any major broadband network for services that deliver the download speeds. The following are the different readings that we may display:
Basic: Up to 30 Mbit/s
Super-fast: Between 30 Mbit/s and 300 Mbit/s
Ultra-fast: Over 300 Mbit/s
The data is updated three times a year. The checker results are predictions and should not be regarded as guaranteed. For more information, see: https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/en-gb/about-checker#Answer_0_2
Mobile phone signal availability and predicted strength: obtained from Ofcom on January 5, 2022
Mobile signal predictions are provided by the four UK mobile network operators: EE, O2, Three and Vodafone. Predictions can vary significantly from the coverage you may actually experience as a result of local factors (especially terrain). Ofcom has tested the actual coverage provided in various locations around the UK to help ensure that these predictions are reasonable. The values shown against a property can be broken down as follows:
Clear: No bars, no signal predicted
Red: One bar, reliable signal unlikely
Amber: Two bars, may experience problems with connectivity
Green: Three bars, likely to have good coverage and receive a data rate to support basic web services
Enhanced: Full bars, likely to have good coverage indoors and to receive an enhanced data rate to support multimedia services
Energy Performance data and Internal floor area: obtained on March 26, 2022 from The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 or the Home Report if in relation to a residential property in Scotland.
Any supplementary data should not be relied upon as forming part of any property particulars and OnTheMarket cannot be held responsible for any incorrectness in this data. See here for more information.