6 bedroom house

An exceptional small estate, in the heart of the Meon Valley with far-reaching views over the surrounding countryside


Description

Colchenna is an outstanding country house offering a wonderful rural lifestyle in a spectacular location within the South Downs National Park. The house is not listed and is understood to date from 1906. It sits in an elevated position enjoying far-reaching views across the Meon Valley and has the wonderful high ceilings and light, airy rooms one would expect in a house of this era. The front door opens under a porch into a spacious reception hall with a limestone tile floor and an impressive staircase to the first floor. On the left is a study with a large bay window. Double doors open through to a magnificent drawing room which has a working fireplace and wonderful south-westerly views with a deep bay window and French doors opening out to a covered veranda. The dining room is adjacent and can be linked by wide folding doors. It has a further deep bay window and a working fireplace.

The kitchen/breakfast room is an outstanding informal living space, with a beautiful bespoke kitchen with granite worktops and Miele appliances. The breakfast area is beautifully light and enjoys wonderful views with a triple aspect and bi-fold doors opening to the adjoining terrace and a pretty outside dining area under a pergola. Beyond the kitchen is a boot room with a backdoor which in turn leads to the utility room.

A wide, curved staircase leads up to the first floor landing, with the principal bedroom located above the drawing room to enjoy the best of the far-reaching views. It has a large adjoining bathroom which in turn opens through to the dressing room. There are three further double bedrooms on the first floor, one with an adjoining shower room and another with a link to the family bathroom. There are two double bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor as well as ample eaves storage. There is a safe in the main bedroom and a gun cabinet in the dressing room. There is a laundry chute and CCTV on the ground floor.

The Cottage
The cottage is situated behind the main house and provides both office space and secondary accommodation. The ground floor currently provides a substantial office and studio accommodation with a kitchen and shower room and a mezzanine above.

Gardens and Grounds
Colchenna is approached via double gates opening onto a sweeping driveway which curves up to the house, passing the tennis court on your left and having outstanding views over the grounds and surrounding countryside. To the side of the house there is a gravel parking and turning area framed by magnificent mature trees.

The gardens at Colchenna are delightful and are designed to make the most of the outstanding setting with terraces and lawns framed by deep herbaceous borders. To the east of the house is a beautifully landscaped swimming pool with a pool house, terrace and covered dining area. The pool has an electrical cover that is also a special safety cover. This was new in 2019 alongside the air source heat pump. To the south is a sweeping lawn and a variety of specimen trees. There is a kitchen garden with raised beds, an orchard and a paddock adjacent to the formal gardens. The tennis court is located to the north-west of the house. The balance of the land is laid to pasture and is found to the south and west of the property, providing protection and excellent grazing. It is predominantly divided into post-and-rail fenced paddocks with a water supply.

Outbuildings and equestrian facilities
To the north of the property is a large steel framed barn which is divided with an area suitable for the storage of classic cars and a space for lorries and machinery as required. The stable yard is located to the west of the house and is in immaculate condition with 4 loose boxes, a tack room, feed store and wash area. The manége is adjacent and is 20x40m with a frost free silicon surface. Adjacent to the house and cottage is a double garage with an adjoining workshop and a large storage area above.

Location

Colchenna sits in an exceptional location, in an elevated position with far reaching views across the valley. It sits just outside the pretty and vibrant village of East Meon which has a church, village shop, primary school and 2 public houses. West Meon is just over 3 miles away and has a butchers, village shop
and a well-regarded gastropub ‘The Thomas Lord’. The villages take their names from the River Meon, a chalk stream which winds its way through the South Downs to the Solent at Hill Head. The South Downs is a designated National Park and provides an exceptional, unspoilt setting with many opportunities for walking, riding and other country pursuits. There are many fine partridge and pheasant shoots in the area, trout fishing on the River Meon as well as the Itchen and Test, golf at Corhampton and Alresford and sailing on the South Coast.

The town of Petersfield is 5.5 miles away and has a wide range of amenities including a Waitrose supermarket and a railway station with direct trains to London Waterloo (from 64 minutes). It is 17 miles to the Cathedral City of Winchester. The numerous well-regarded preparatory and secondary schools in the area including Winchester College, St Swithun’s, Bedales, Twyford, Prince’s Mead, Pilgrim’s, West Hill Park, Highfield, Churcher’s, Lord Wadsworth College and Portsmouth Grammar School.

Square Footage: 5,092 sq ft




Acreage: 40 Acres


Additional Info

Rights of way A footpath crosses the property as indicated on the siteplan. It passes along the northern boundary of the field and is well screened from the house and garden by a hedge and wicker fence.

Marketed by: Savills, Country Department