6 bedroom house
Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 4BU
Guide Price
£2,200,000
Residential Tags: Oast House
Property Tags: N/A
Land Tags: Ancient Woodland, Fruit Farm, Paddock, Pasture Land, Woodland
Summary Details
- First Marketed: Apr 2021
- Removed: Date Not Available
- Residential Tags: Oast House
- Property Tags: N/A
- Land Tags: Ancient Woodland, Fruit Farm, Paddock, Pasture Land, Woodland
Church Farm Oast
The house was originally five hop kilns clustered around a wooden barn, believed to date from the mid-19th Century. In 1972, these agricultural buildings were creatively renovated and converted into this large, practical and characterful family home. The house is unusual in its ownership of almost 120 acres of agricultural land and ancient woodland which surrounds the garden of the house on the north and west boundaries. Much of the agricultural land is currently let to local farmers generating a modest income, but mostly offers wonderful outdoor space to enjoy on your doorstep.
Lot 1 - Church Farm Oast
About 81 acres (32 ha)
A long drive from Church Hill leads to a parking area on the eastern side of the house. Steps to the double front doors welcome you into the side of the former oast, now an impressive entrance hall with full height ceiling, and feature double cantilevered staircase, modelled on an 18th Century French Chateau design. The hall leads through arched double doors into a stunning, light-filled drawing room and dining area extending across the full width of the house, enjoying south facing views and access to the garden. Next to the hall with a door from the drawing room lies a splendid library which also enjoys south-facing views over the garden.
The dining area is connected by an arched doorway into a substantial open plan kitchen/breakfast room at the rear of the house, fitted with Clive Christian units and a large kitchen island, with an oil-fired aga and companion electric ovens and hob. Behind the kitchen is a very spacious boot room, leading to a larder room and a substantial naturally ventilated wine cellar, all of which were added onto the house in 2014. A separate laundry room/ancillary kitchen and WC (accessible from both the kitchen and the drawing room) complete the ground floor accommodation.
On the first floor the master suite lies above the drawing room, enjoying yet more vistas of the surrounding countryside, including over the neighbouring historic deer park. The suite has two dressing rooms and a circular en-suite bathroom. The second bedroom lies on the south west corner of the house benefitting from a dual aspect and en-suite bathroom. One of the kilns provides a lovely circular third bedroom, and there are two further bedrooms and family bathroom at the rear of the house. Two further rooms at second floor level in the square kilns are currently used as a study and an occasional bedroom. There is also a large attic accessible from the first floor landing which the current owners use for storage.
Church Farm Oast lies in a beautifully rural location towards the peak of the Greensand Ridge, a sandstone range that stretches across this central part of Kent. This elevated position provides the house and land with spectacular south-facing panoramic views down the valley and to the Weald beyond.
Locally, the house lies about half a mile from Boughton Monchelsea village, situated due south of Maidstone, with a primary school, public house, restaurant and post office. Maidstone and the small towns to the south (including Staplehurst and Cranbrook) offer a wide range of amenities, shopping and leisure facilities. The M20 offers easy access to London and the M25, and south east to Ashford, Folkestone and Dover.
Train services to London are available from Maidstone, Staplehurst and Marden. The latter offer regular services via Tonbridge into Charing Cross (from 58 minutes) and London Bridge (from 47 minutes).
Gardens
The gardens and grounds around the house extend to about 2 acres.
French doors from each of the drawing room and the dining area lead out onto a stone terrace and lawns that gently fall away from the house to the south. There are mature hedges, trees and rose- and lavender-filled herbaceous borders cleverly positioned to create a number of separate spaces, including a section accommodating the heated, salt water swimming pool. Beyond this lies the small orchard with some fruit trees and vines, garden outbuildings and the wooden stables with room for three horses, positioned beside a gate with direct access into the neighbouring paddock.
To the side of the house in a raised position lies the Studio/Summer House with its own terrace. Believed originally to have been built as an artist’s studio, this has electrical and water supplies and provides a brilliant space for a games room, summer entertaining, or other ancillary uses. Behind the house lies a gravelled terrace overlooking the more formal kitchen garden with raised beds for vegetables and espalier fruit trees (peach and quince). Above this is a cutting garden for flowers and soft fruit.
The Land
The land wraps around the side and rear of the house offering privacy and protection. To the west and south, the pasture is currently separated into three paddocks, providing a great space to keep horses or livestock. The lower paddocks are currently let to a local dairy farmer on a formal tenancy. At present an area behind the house has been set aside as a wildflower meadow. The remainder of the agricultural land to the north west of the house is planted with apple trees (let to another local farmer under a formal tenancy agreement). The house retains recreational access rights over all the tenanted land.
The land is good quality – it is classified as Grade 2 and 3 on the Agricultural Land Classification and is of a suitable aspect, height and soil quality for planting vines.
Beyond the agricultural land to the south and west lies Brick Kiln Wood – a parcel of about 41 acres of largely deciduous woodland, designated and protected as ‘Ancient Woodland’, hosting a number of different rides and paths for walking or riding. It is filled with bluebells and wood anemones in the Spring and has some wonderful oak tree stands.
Lot 2 - Darnold Wood
About 38 acres (15 ha)
This separate parcel of 38 acres of largely deciduous woodland is located further south down Church Hill, on the opposite side of the lane from Brick Kiln Wood. This parcel of woodland, also filled with Spring bluebells, is known as Darnold Wood and is similarly protected by an ‘Ancient Woodland’ designation. A small network of tracks crosses the wood, accessed directly from Church Hill.
Marketed by: Strutt & Parker, Canterbury
The house was originally five hop kilns clustered around a wooden barn, believed to date from the mid-19th Century. In 1972, these agricultural buildings were creatively renovated and converted into this large, practical and characterful family home. The house is unusual in its ownership of almost 120 acres of agricultural land and ancient woodland which surrounds the garden of the house on the north and west boundaries. Much of the agricultural land is currently let to local farmers generating a modest income, but mostly offers wonderful outdoor space to enjoy on your doorstep.
Lot 1 - Church Farm Oast
About 81 acres (32 ha)
A long drive from Church Hill leads to a parking area on the eastern side of the house. Steps to the double front doors welcome you into the side of the former oast, now an impressive entrance hall with full height ceiling, and feature double cantilevered staircase, modelled on an 18th Century French Chateau design. The hall leads through arched double doors into a stunning, light-filled drawing room and dining area extending across the full width of the house, enjoying south facing views and access to the garden. Next to the hall with a door from the drawing room lies a splendid library which also enjoys south-facing views over the garden.
The dining area is connected by an arched doorway into a substantial open plan kitchen/breakfast room at the rear of the house, fitted with Clive Christian units and a large kitchen island, with an oil-fired aga and companion electric ovens and hob. Behind the kitchen is a very spacious boot room, leading to a larder room and a substantial naturally ventilated wine cellar, all of which were added onto the house in 2014. A separate laundry room/ancillary kitchen and WC (accessible from both the kitchen and the drawing room) complete the ground floor accommodation.
On the first floor the master suite lies above the drawing room, enjoying yet more vistas of the surrounding countryside, including over the neighbouring historic deer park. The suite has two dressing rooms and a circular en-suite bathroom. The second bedroom lies on the south west corner of the house benefitting from a dual aspect and en-suite bathroom. One of the kilns provides a lovely circular third bedroom, and there are two further bedrooms and family bathroom at the rear of the house. Two further rooms at second floor level in the square kilns are currently used as a study and an occasional bedroom. There is also a large attic accessible from the first floor landing which the current owners use for storage.
Church Farm Oast lies in a beautifully rural location towards the peak of the Greensand Ridge, a sandstone range that stretches across this central part of Kent. This elevated position provides the house and land with spectacular south-facing panoramic views down the valley and to the Weald beyond.
Locally, the house lies about half a mile from Boughton Monchelsea village, situated due south of Maidstone, with a primary school, public house, restaurant and post office. Maidstone and the small towns to the south (including Staplehurst and Cranbrook) offer a wide range of amenities, shopping and leisure facilities. The M20 offers easy access to London and the M25, and south east to Ashford, Folkestone and Dover.
Train services to London are available from Maidstone, Staplehurst and Marden. The latter offer regular services via Tonbridge into Charing Cross (from 58 minutes) and London Bridge (from 47 minutes).
Gardens
The gardens and grounds around the house extend to about 2 acres.
French doors from each of the drawing room and the dining area lead out onto a stone terrace and lawns that gently fall away from the house to the south. There are mature hedges, trees and rose- and lavender-filled herbaceous borders cleverly positioned to create a number of separate spaces, including a section accommodating the heated, salt water swimming pool. Beyond this lies the small orchard with some fruit trees and vines, garden outbuildings and the wooden stables with room for three horses, positioned beside a gate with direct access into the neighbouring paddock.
To the side of the house in a raised position lies the Studio/Summer House with its own terrace. Believed originally to have been built as an artist’s studio, this has electrical and water supplies and provides a brilliant space for a games room, summer entertaining, or other ancillary uses. Behind the house lies a gravelled terrace overlooking the more formal kitchen garden with raised beds for vegetables and espalier fruit trees (peach and quince). Above this is a cutting garden for flowers and soft fruit.
The Land
The land wraps around the side and rear of the house offering privacy and protection. To the west and south, the pasture is currently separated into three paddocks, providing a great space to keep horses or livestock. The lower paddocks are currently let to a local dairy farmer on a formal tenancy. At present an area behind the house has been set aside as a wildflower meadow. The remainder of the agricultural land to the north west of the house is planted with apple trees (let to another local farmer under a formal tenancy agreement). The house retains recreational access rights over all the tenanted land.
The land is good quality – it is classified as Grade 2 and 3 on the Agricultural Land Classification and is of a suitable aspect, height and soil quality for planting vines.
Beyond the agricultural land to the south and west lies Brick Kiln Wood – a parcel of about 41 acres of largely deciduous woodland, designated and protected as ‘Ancient Woodland’, hosting a number of different rides and paths for walking or riding. It is filled with bluebells and wood anemones in the Spring and has some wonderful oak tree stands.
Lot 2 - Darnold Wood
About 38 acres (15 ha)
This separate parcel of 38 acres of largely deciduous woodland is located further south down Church Hill, on the opposite side of the lane from Brick Kiln Wood. This parcel of woodland, also filled with Spring bluebells, is known as Darnold Wood and is similarly protected by an ‘Ancient Woodland’ designation. A small network of tracks crosses the wood, accessed directly from Church Hill.
Marketed by: Strutt & Parker, Canterbury
Land Registry Data
- No historical data found.