Lullingstone Castle £995,000

Set in beautiful surroundings that include a 15-acre fishing lake, Stable Cottage is a converted stable and coach house. The unique Grade II Listed home is attached to Lullingstone Castle with Lullingstone Golf Course to the rear. Boasting many original features, the cottage also offers five bedrooms, five reception rooms and a spacious kitchen/breakfast room.
The Story
As they relax by a roaring fire on a crisp autumn evening, Richard and Valerie Wells recall the happy 13 years they have spent at Stable Cottage.
Set on the Lullingstone Castle estate, beside the lake, their home offers character as well as comfort, and space to welcome friends, as well as to sit quietly and absorb the beauty of their surroundings.
We drove down towards it and just fell in love with it immediately – it was idyllic, said Valerie.
The house dates back to 1490 to the reign of Henry VII and was used as stables until the 1930s. Horses that were used in the Crimean War were stabled in the building, where features such as rings and mounting blocks can still be seen. Outside the stables are original firestone cobbles.
It has so much character. When we lit it with 100 candles for the Candle Mass celebration it just looked amazing, she added.
BEAMS AND BRICKWORK
The five-bedroom, Grade II Listed house was ready to move into. The couple loved its traditional style, with its beams, exposed brickwork and open fireplace, and simply revamped the master suite, with its dressing room and bathroom.
We did acquire some furniture for the house – a grand piano for the hall and a very large dining table that turns into a billiards table, she said. The house has room for these large pieces of furniture – it just goes on and on despite looking like a little cottage from the outside.
It is also very flexible – furniture can be mixed and matched between the rooms easily.
FESTIVE GLOW
At Christmas, the drawing room, with its roaring open fire looks simply magical, she said. The kitchen is also a focal point whenever friends visit.
We have had so many special occasions here, she went on. The church is just across the lawn and we have held a lot of events for it here. We also marked our 40th anniversary and have had many friends here for birthdays.
This is a very ‘party friendly’ house but at the same time it is a lovely, quiet place if you just want to relax.
BEAUTIFUL SETTING
The couple love the setting of their home on the Lullingstone Castle estate, so much so that when they thought about downsizing they leapt at the chance to buy an apartment in the main house.
We felt it was time to move somewhere smaller and when the apartment came up, we could not pass up the opportunity, even though it meant leaving this house.
They relish the tranquillity of the estate, which also features a Tudor building thought to be one of the oldest gatehouses in England, and they adore being able to step outside their front door to admire the picturesque lake and soak up the scenery.
It is wonderful having the lake so close. It is fantastic to watch a flock of geese flying overhead and then coming down to nest, she said.
And she added: I just love it here. I love the house and I love the location.
There isn’t a day goes by that I don’t drive down here and think it is just so lovely and so peaceful. It is a wonderful setting – that is why we are staying here.
Accommodation
Ground Floor
Set predominantly over the ground floor, the cottage is approached via a cobbled drive and pathway where the original mounting block can be found. Entering the house you are welcomed by a substantial reception hall giving access to a drawing room with raised stone fireplace and views over the garden. As you proceed through the flexible accommodation there are two dining rooms, the main one with access out onto the garden. The remaining two reception areas are currently used as a study and bar. Moving on, the inviting kitchen boasts unique and inspiring views towards the turrets of the castle and its garden. The generous amount of space allows for a dining area, making this room ideal for informal family meals and entertaining. There is also a second smaller kitchen set to the rear of the property.
Four of the five charming bedrooms can be found on the ground floor level. The master bedroom has an en-suite and a dressing room with a range of fitted wardrobes. The other bedrooms are served by two bathrooms and there is also an inner hall/wine store.
First Floor
There is one bedroom located on the first floor along with ample attic space amid the vaulted ceiling. The views here are stunning.
Setting the Scene
From out at the front of the house, there are simply glorious views across the 15-acre lake at Lullingstone Castle. Stable Cottage itself is set within pretty gardens of approximately half an acre (STMS). The front garden is laid to lawn, with flower beds and borders. A wooded area divides the front and side sections.
At the back of the house is a secluded garden with paved terraces, where the couple enjoy eating out and hosting barbecues. Features include mature shrubs and a small ornamental pond.
The communal gardens at Lullingstone Castle can also be enjoyed by the owners and there are three garages and a boiler house/workshop.
Within Easy Reach
Walking through the communal gardens and along the river to Eynsford, the couple can reach the train station with its service into London Blackfriars and St Pancras.
Trains also run from Swanley into London Victoria.
We tend to go shopping in Swanley, which is just over three miles away, and has a large supermarket. We are also just eight miles from Sevenoaks and about nine miles from the Bluewater Shopping Centre, said Valerie.
For those who enjoy fishing this is potentially available at Lullingstone Castle as a member of the Kingfisher Angling and Preservation Society: www.kapstrout.co.uk, while for the golfing enthusiast there are courses in Eynsford, Shoreham, Otford and Sevenoaks (Wildernesse and Knole Park). Leisure centres can be found in Fawkham, Sevenoaks, Hildenborough and Tonbridge and there is an abundance of bridle paths and walks in the area.
There is also a good range of schools including primary schools at Eynsford, Shoreham and Otford. Additionally, there is Dartford Grammar School, Dartford Grammar School for Girls, Judd, Tonbridge Grammar School, Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar and Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys. Private Schools include Sevenoaks School, Tonbridge School and Walthamstow Hall to name but a few.
The M25 junction 3 (Swanley) provides access to London and the suburbs, the Dartford Tunnel, Gatwick, Stansted and Heathrow Airports.
We are also ideally placed for Ebbsfleet International, which makes getting over to Paris or France very easy, added Valerie.
DIRECTIONS:
From Sevenoaks take the A225 north towards Otford and Eynsford. Continue into Eynsford village along Station Road, turning left into Riverside. Proceed over the hump back bridge and continue along this lane following the signs to Lullingstone Roman Villa. Upon reaching the villa, take the road immediately to the side and into the drive leading to Lullingstone Castle. Pass the Gatehouse and enter the private grounds through a five-bar gate where Stable Cottage will be the first property on the left opposite the lake.
For those with satellite navigation the post code for the property is DA4 0JA.
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