Teston Road, Offham, West Malling, Kent, ME19

Utterly charming period property boasting elegantly proportioned accommodation, situated within extensive gardens & grounds, with a swimming pool, tennis court & equestrian facilities.

Description

Mount Offham is understood to have been constructed between 1840 and 1870 by the Rhodes family, cousins of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The royal connections continued when the house was owned in the 1950s by Baron Plunkett, master of the Queen’s bedchamber. He was also the chairman of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and with his aesthetic sense, he is credited with the beautification of Mount Offham (then called The Mount) by the addition of glazing bars, cornices and marble fireplaces. The Queen visited the house but the most frequent royal visitors were the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.

The house is thought to have been occupied by American servicemen during the war. Under the floor boards of the guest bedroom are steel roller shutters, presumably to protect the occupants at that time.

The ownership of Mount Offham has been in the same family since 1993 and has been enjoyed and lovingly maintained, presenting a charming & compact estate with the most gracious primary residence, coupled with a range of versatile commercial and leisure elements.

Mount Offham is the most impressive and regal country residence, boasting elegance and splendour yet expressing the warmth and heart of a most loved family home. The immaculately presented accommodation is well-appointed and arranged over four floors with a wealth of period features, ideal for both family living and formal entertaining. Salient points include a traditional kitchen, stylish bathroom suites, high ceilings, exposed wooden and tiled flooring, sash windows, dado rails, decorative cornicing and ceiling roses, original window shutters, feature fireplaces and bay windows. Also of note are the immaculate and expansive gardens and grounds, together with the complementing swimming pool, tennis court, aviation and equestrian facilities.

The superb primary reception rooms comprise an elegant sitting room, a dining room and library, all with charming fireplaces and bay windows with attractive views over the gardens. The sitting room opens to a magnificent orangery with a Victorian underground water cistern and pump, original tiled flooring with French doors opening to the terrace. The spacious kitchen/ breakfast/ family room is open plan and features a traditional kitchen equipped with a comprehensive range of base units featuring an AGA and dishwasher. A matching island unit incorporates additional integral Miele appliances, an electric oven, a gas hob, wine fridge, steam oven and warming drawer and a second dishwasher. There is a larder and a charming bay window inset with seating, with French doors opening to the terrace and a fishpond with fountain. A boot room provides additional storage, a cloakroom and dog/boot shower area. There is a well-appointed laundry room and a cloakroom in the secondary reception hall completes the ground floor, with stairs descending to the cellar which houses the boiler room and wine store.

From the magnificent entrance hall a graceful staircase ascends to the first floor and principal bedroom suite which is served by a modern en suite and a dressing room with bespoke fitted wardrobes. There is a guest suite with a Jack & Jill en suite bathroom and another bedroom with a spiral staircase leading to a contemporary en suite shower room.

There is a versatile study/gym which could be configured for a multitude of purposes, and a separate cloakroom completes the first floor.

Arranged over the second floor and accessed via dual staircases are four bedrooms, one with an en suite and the others served by a Jack & Jill family bathroom with twin basins. A substantial snooker room/home cinema with eaves storage completes the accommodation.

Mount Offham is approached via a long, tree-lined driveway leading to a turning circle in front of the house and culminating at a multi-vehicle bay with an electric vehicle charging point, the agricultural storage building & pool plant store. The park-like grounds to the front are predominantly laid to lawn, interspersed with a variety of majestic specimen trees, and extend to a lake beyond.

A paved terrace surrounds the entirety of the house and provides a number of seating areas ideal for al fresco entertaining. The glorious heated swimming pool is inset with an Indian sandstone surround and there is an excellent outdoor kitchen with Wolf appliances. Steps adjoin a row of pleached hornbeam trees and lead to a magnificent parterre, designed and installed by the current owner. A path leads through the adjoining lawns to a tennis court.

The superb equestrian facilities comprise a U-shaped stable block with 10 stables, a barn, hay store and a tack room, together with divided grazing paddocks, an international-sized manège and lunging arena in need of updating.

There is a grass air strip within the southern field and a helicopter hangar and apron authorised by the UK Border Force for international flights.

The detached log cabin comprises ample office space and is fully equipped with meeting rooms, contained office rooms, a kitchen and W.Cs. Arranged over the first floor is a three bedroom staff flat (currently configured as one bedroom and additional office space) with a kitchen, sitting room, bathroom and terrace, together with additional office and storage space. A separate car park serves the commercial elements.

The office building, helicopter hangar, equestrian facilities and agricultural storage building are all currently tenanted with a 6-month notice period. Further details of commercial income and rateable values can be provided upon request via the selling agent.

The majority of the pastureland has a cut of hay taken by a neighboroughing farmer. The land amounts to about 31.6 acres in total and part thereof is currently registered with DEFRA under the Basic Payment Scheme.

There is lapsed planning permission to demolish the log cabin and erect a house in the grounds (Ref: TM/15/03921/FL - 'demolition of log cabin and stable building, removal of hard surfaced parking areas and erection of a contemporary designed dwelling with garage, access and landscaping'). The agricultural storage building is thought to have permitted development rights to substitute it for a residential dwelling with the same footprint.

Location

Mount Offham is a unique & versatile, compact estate situated within the Green Belt on the edge of the popular village of Offham, which offers a village green, primary school, public house, church, tennis club and farm shop/café.

Comprehensive Shopping: West Malling (2.9 miles) offering a multitude of shops, pubs and restaurants, Borough Green (2.7 miles), Sevenoaks (8.8 miles).

Mainline Rail Services: Borough Green & Wrotham (2.7 miles) or West Malling (2 miles) to Victoria/Blackfriars/ Ashford International. Sevenoaks (10.4 miles) to Charing Cross/Cannon Street/London Bridge.

Primary Schools: Offham, West Malling, Platt and Ryarsh.

State/Grammar Schools: Maidstone, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells and Dartford.

Private Schools: Sutton Valence in Maidstone. The Preparatory Schools at Somerhill. Tonbridge and Sevenoaks Public Schools.

Leisure Facilities: David Lloyd Fitness & Leisure Centre in Kings Hill, Offham Tennis and Cricket clubs and the Reynolds Retreat Spa in Borough Green. Leisure centres in Tonbridge and Maidstone. Gym and pool at the Holiday Inn, Wrotham Heath. Offham tennis club.

All distances are approximate.

Square Footage: 9,757 sq ft


Acreage: 31.6 Acres

Directions

From Sevenoaks, proceed in an easterly direction on the A25 through Seal village, Borough Green and St Mary’s Platt. At the traffic lights at the end of this road turn right onto London Road and take the next right turn onto Seven Mile Lane. Then take the first left on to Teston Road. The entrance is after about 0.3 miles on the left.

Additional Info

Mains electrics (three-phase to house & agricultural storage building), water, gas, 29kW solar panel installation & private drainage.

Agent Note: A footpath crosses the southern hay meadow.