4 bedroom detached house for sale

Iliffe & Iliffe are delighted to bring to market the Old School House, Otterden - a large, four bedroom home set within established gardens and nestled within the rolling countryside of the North Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with no near neighbours. The Property was The School House to the adjoining and extensive historic Otterden Estate and first built in about 1830 with many features betraying its original use and origins.

Approaching the property up the gravelled drive, you enter through a set of glazed doors into a bright conservatory style entrance hall. The current owner built the entrance hall between the main house and the adjoining annexe connecting the two and doing so in a way that perfectly blends the historic and original period style of a brick and flint Old School House with the present day. The use of glass makes for a light and inviting welcome to the home.

Turn to the right and you enter from the entrance hall into a generous formal reception hall. Trifold glazed doors lead through into the magnificent Orangerie, the heart and hub of the house, with a door to the left into the open plan kitchen and a door to the right into the Drawing Room. There is a downstairs Cloakroom with toilet and wash basin and stairs that lead upstairs to  bedrooms and bathrooms

 The well proportioned Drawing Room features dual aspect windows and a log burner set within a stone fire surround. The large windows not only provide the room with plenty of natural light, but also delightful views of the gardens and fields beyond. The Orangerie is also an addition made to the property by the current owners and makes for a fantastic reception room. Large tri-fold doors open out onto a stone terrace area, a water feature, and the garden. The large sky lantern provides plenty of natural light, in all making for the perfect space to entertain guests. The Orangerie as well as the entrance hall and kitchen benefit from under-floor heating. The well appointed kitchen which links through into the Orangerie through two generous openings,  boasts an exceptional pantry cupboard, as well as a large dark granite topped island. An oil fired Aga range set into a brick lined recess with mantle over gives the room a lovely country-kitchen tone. There is also plenty of space in the kitchen for a breakfast table.

The rest of the ground floor is situated to the other side of the entrance hall. Steps lead up into the study/office (also with independent under floor heating) providing a perfect space ideally located within the property for those who wish to work from home. It is a generous size with plenty of space for additional desks or use as a home studio. There is also a useful wine and storage area in a separate side space. From the study, a door leads to an internal hallway, off which there is a useful combined utility room and secondary kitchen. Stairs lead up from the hallway to a large and light studio/bedroom with extensive under eave built-in storage cupboards and a separate ensuite shower room with toilet and bidet - this area makes for a  perfect independent guest bedroom or accommodation for a teenager or older relative.

The upstairs of the main property contains three bedrooms, a shower room and useful under eaves storage cupboard, all of which are reached off the wide landing. The principal bedroom is a very generous size, occupying the same footprint as the Drawing Room and boasts generous built-in wardrobe storage, with dual aspect windows offering striking  uninterrupted views of the rolling Kent countryside and a large en-suite which includes his and her wash handbasins, a roll-top bath, a large walk in wet room shower and a toilet.  The two other double bedrooms are both well-proportioned, each with built-in wardrobes, and the larger offering beautiful beams (part of the original School Room) and a large storage area stretching out above other bedroom which could be used for a separate snug area or den accessed by a loft ladder. The shower room comprises a shower, toilet and wash handbasin, with a small linen cupboard and a larger one on the landing outside. There is also an extensive lagged loft area running above the landing, bathrooms and principal bedroom accessed by a drop down ladder

Outside, on the ground floor of the annexe is a large double garage with an external charging point.  From the main house there are several doors from the entrance hall, Orangerie, and kitchen providing access to the delightful and established gardens that surround the property. These are mainly laid to lawn with several established rose beds, a useful sheltered kitchen garden with raised beds, a stone patio, a summerhouse and an exceptional and productive large canadian cedar and glass greenhouse - perfect for the green fingered owner. There are also many mature trees in the gardens, including a magnificent copper beech, apple, pear, plum,fig and cherry trees. There are also a couple of other sheds that offer useful storage space for garden tools, as well as a wood store 

Otterden is situated on the North Kent Downs an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with everything the Kent countryside has to offer based around the historic Otterden Estate. The market town of Faversham is only 8.1 miles away, just 20 minutes drive. The villages of Lenham and Charing, both of which boast village stores, post offices and Charing a train station with services to London are only eight minutes and ten minutes away by car.

Faversham town centre is full of independent retailers, coffee shops, pubs and restaurants, as well as a popular market held three days a week. Faversham is steeped in history with its oldest building dating back to 1234. A lot of Faversham’s character comes from its charming architecture with buildings surviving from the medieval, Georgian and Victorian periods, through to the present day. 

The town contains several both ‘Good’ and ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rated schools at both primary and secondary level. Lorenden Prep School is just a short distance away in the nearby village of Painters Forstal. The nearby towns of Ashford and Maidstone contain a number of good schools, including grammar schools. Canterbury contains several independent schools.

Viewing is highly recommended. To book your viewing, please contact Iliffe & Iliffe.