St Stephens Road, Canterbury, Kent

The Manor House sits in an exceptionally convenient location close to the heart of the city, providing one of the finest family homes in Canterbury. Its pleasing Georgian architecture delivers well-proportioned rooms flooded with light through large sash windows. Grade II listed, the house is mainly 18th, but in part 16th century retaining original Georgian shutters, tall ceilings with fine Adam style cornicing, exposed wooden flooring, beams and Adam style fireplaces.

A reception hall with flagstone floor leads to the centre of the house. The main receptions rooms are all arranged around the hall providing a comfortable and highly liveable layout for a large house. The drawing room and a less formal sitting room enjoy views across the large gardens whilst, to the front, a fine room provides a splendid family room. A study provides a peaceful spot for homeworking.

The kitchen is arranged around a huge island and, with plenty of space for a table in addition, is a sociable space at the heart of the home from which doors lead to a terrace behind the house. A useful utility/boot room can be accessed by a door at the side of the house and is enormously practical.

A graceful staircase rises and turns before arriving at a wonderfully wide landing. Bedrooms to either side provide very comfortable accommodation. The principal bedroom is particularly voluminous, thought originally to have been a ‘salón noble’ with elaborate Adam style cornicing and a fireplace. Together with a large en suite and dressing room this provides a lovely principal suite with an outlook over the gardens.

There are four further double bedrooms, the largest of which has an en suite shower room and another an adjoining dressing room. A family bathroom completes the accommodation. A separate staircase at the west end of the house (where the building adjoins the neighbour) rises from the ground floor via the first floor landing to a useful storage space on the second floor.

THE ANNEXE
A glazed link from the reception hall leads to a very well-appointed, self-contained annexe comprising a sitting room with French doors to the terrace, a fitted kitchen and a spacious double bedroom with an en suite shower room.

Set back behind a wall and mature shrubs, and having a very handsome façade, The Manor House is approached over a gravelled carriage driveway, which provides parking and gives access to the detached double garage.

A particular feature of this property is the large garden. It is mostly walled, with some of the walls over 500 years old. Laid mainly to level lawn bordered by well-stocked flower and shrub beds it features numerous seating areas. A ha-ha with a picturesque footbridge leads to an Edwardian folly.

There is also a vegetable garden with greenhouse and shed, a door to Beverley Meadow, a second shed with adjacent log store and generous paved terraces off both the main house and annexe, ideal for entertaining and al fresco dining, the whole screened by mature shrubs and trees.

The Manor House is located in a sought-after residential area close to the city centre. Pedestrian access via a door to the rear of the garden gives swift access across Beverley Meadow to Canterbury West station and The Goods Shed - a popular farmers’ market, food hall and restaurant.

The property is well placed to take advantage of all that the city of Canterbury has to offer, with its wide range of shops, restaurants and array of cultural, sporting and recreational facilities. There are well-regarded schools in both the independent and state sectors, including the Simon Langton grammar schools, The King's School, St Edmund's School and Kent College. The University of Kent is close by.

The A2 has direct dual carriageway access to the motorway network. The High-Speed service to London St Pancras from Canterbury West takes from 54 minutes. Excellent bus links run from the university to the coast and the city. The area has good access to the Continent.