Dawn Carritt of Jackson-Stops is handling the sale of Upnor Castle House at Upnor, near Rochester, Kent—a Georgian gem that has never before been seen on the open market, with a guide price of £2.25m. This charming Grade II-listed country house is set in four acres of mature private gardens behind Upnor Castle, a rare Elizabethan artillery fort built in 1559 on the banks of the Medway to protect warships moored at the nearby Chatham dockyards.
Built to accommodate the senior officer in charge of Upnor Castle, the original house on the site was probably a small two-storey cottage that is included in the sale, but now needs restoring. The elegant main house, which dates from the mid 17th century, was enlarged and re-fronted in the 18th or early 19th century.
It offers some 5,640sq ft on three floors, including three main reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room, master suite, five/six further bedrooms and three bathrooms. The property also includes a two-bedroom holiday cottage, garden room, swimming pool, grass tennis court and croquet lawn.
In 1667, Upnor Castle famously saw action against the Dutch who, having captured Sheerness, sailed up the Medway to Upnor and captured a number of English warships at anchor at Chatham.
It was perceived as the worst naval defeat ever suffered by England, after which it was decided to build new forts further down the Medway, with Upnor Castle taking on the role of a major supply depot.
The Castle saw action again in June 1941, when two German bombs fell in the garden of Upnor Castle House. Luckily, the house emerged largely unscathed, although pieces of shrapnel can still be found in the door frame and shutters of the guest bedroom.
After the war, the Castle was decommissioned and Upnor Castle House was handed over to the Royal Engineers. In the mid 1980s, the MoD offered the house for sale to any senior officers who might be interested. It was duly purchased by the current owner’s family and has remained in their hands ever since.
Jackson-Stops is handling the sale of Upnor Castle House at £2.25m — see more pictures and details.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expectThe four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
-
Sign of the times: In the age of the selfie, what’s happening to the humble autograph?When Ringo Starr announced that he was no longer going to sign anything, he kickstarted a celebrity movement that coincided with the advent of the camera phone and selfie. Rob Crossan asks whether, in today’s world, the selfie holds more clout than an autograph?
-
Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expect
The four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
-
About time: The fastest and slowest moving housing markets revealedNew research by Zoopla has shown where it's easy to sell and where it will take quite a while to find a buyer.
-
A wisteria clad hall built by one of the founders of the Bank of EnglandCome for the history of Old Hall. Stay for the interesting interiors.
-
A gorgeous Scottish cottage with contemporary interiors on the bonny banks of the River TayCarnliath on the edge of Strathtay is a delightful family home set in sensational scenery.
-
Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
-
380 acres and 90 bedrooms on the £25m private island being sold by one of Britain's top music producersStormzy, Rihanna and the Rolling Stones are just a part of the story at Osea Island, a dot on the map in the seas off Essex.
-
A home cinema, tasteful interiors and 65 acres of private parkland hidden in an unassuming lodge in KentNorth Lodge near Tonbridge may seem relatively simple, but there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
-
A rare opportunity to own a family home on Vanbrugh Terrace, one of London's finest streetsThis six-bedroom Victorian home sits right on the start line of the London Marathon, with easy access to Blackheath and Greenwich Park.
