In 1910, an ambitious young architect, Annesley Brownrigg, won a series of architectural competitions and set up shop in Guildford, Surrey, where, after the First World War, he built a flourishing practice with his friend, Leslie His cock. The firm was primarily known for residential developments within the Guildford area, a tradition maintained by his son, John, who went on to design Guildford’s iconic Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and was also instrumental in the research and development of timber-frame prefabricated houses.
Another Surrey success story was that of the Gates family, who started out in business with the opening, in 1877, of a small grocery shop in Guildford. Having founded the West Surrey Central Dairy in 1888, they invested in drying equipment from America to make use of skimmed milk left over by the creaming process. The first advertisement for ‘Cow & Gate’ baby milk appeared in 1908 and brought orders flooding in from all over the country.
In 1929, Col Ernest Gates, by then the part-owner of the thriving Cow & Gate empire, commissioned Annesley Brownrigg & Hiscock (now Scott Brownrigg) to build him a grand country house within Surrey’s ‘Golden Triangle’ — the area bounded by Guildford, Farnham and Haslemere, where eminent Arts-and-Crafts architects such as Edwin Lutyens, Charles Voysey and Harold Falkner built many fine houses in the Surrey vernacular style.
The result was Old Timbers at Woodhill.
Old Timbers is two miles from Ripley and 3½ miles from Guildford, a substantial family house set within 17 acres of formal gardens, woodland, fields and paddocks at the end of a long tree-lined driveway, which is for sale, for the first time in 20 years, through the Guildford office of Strutt & Parker.
Selling agent Tom Shuttleworth quotes a guide price of £4.95 million for the beautifully maintained, mini country estate, comprising the 5,612sq ft main house, a separate two-bedroom cottage, stables, garaging, a treehouse and a tennis court. As the name suggests, Old Timbers, which boasts east and west wings, retains many character features from that era, including old ship’s timbers as beams, decorative brickwork and original fireplaces.
Spacious accommodation includes five reception rooms, eight bedrooms, four bathrooms and three cloakrooms. The focal point of the house is the main entrance hall with its wall of leaded-light windows.
Heavy oak doors lead through to the drawing room, dining room, study and the remaining downstairs rooms — a layout well suited to entertaining on a grand scale.
Connecting the two wings at the centre of the house is a large farmhouse kitchen/breakfast room with French doors leading to a large terrace, ideal for outdoor dining. A staircase in each wing leads to the upstairs bedrooms.
In addition, there are two enormous lofts, which could be converted to further accommodation. Located 270 yards away from the house, the 1,108sq ft Old Timbers Cottage has been extensively renovated by the current owners to provide a continuous and reliable source of income.
Old Timbers is for sale at £4.95m — 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
-
Yorkshire’s bravest and most charming gentleman — the Airedale terrierBred on Yorkshire’s riverbanks to face otters, snakes and even enemy fire, the Airedale has gone from the trenches of war to the hearts and homes of presidents and movie stars.
-
18 grand country homes, from £600k to £6 million, as seen in Country LifeOur regular look at the best homes to come to the market via Country Life this week include a house in a charming seaside village and a 17th century farmhouse.
-
18 grand country homes, from £600k to £6 million, as seen in Country Life
Our regular look at the best homes to come to the market via Country Life this week include a house in a charming seaside village and a 17th century farmhouse.
-
Caveat renovator: The TV star, the writer and the salvation of a crumbling farmhouseThe actor, writer and comedian Robert Webb and his comedy writer wife Abigail Burdess embarked on a renovation project in 2019 which became far more than they imagined — and just as the job is at last complete, they've decided that it's the right time to put house on the market.
-
An Alpine hideaway on a Swiss mountaintop that's like something from the pages of a Gothic novelA wonderful Baroque castle set amid gardens and woodland is for sale in one of Switzerland's most beautiful areas.
-
The beautiful part of Britain where £1 million still buys a grand period house and a swathe of unspoilt landThe Scottish Borders might just be the best value spot in Britain today, as Arabella Youens reports.
-
A beautiful old farmhouse in 15 acres of breathtaking Scottish scenery, for sale at just £825,000A wonderful country home with almost 15 acres of land has come up for sale at a price which will make urban dwellers question their life choices.
-
A country house that was the set for one of the best-loved sitcoms of the 1980s is for sale, with 40,000sq ft of space, 39 bedrooms and almost endless potentialLynford Hall, a vast neo-Jacobean house that's been everything from a country hotel to an agricultural college, has come to the market. Toby Keel tells its story.
-
A sprawling castle set amid ancient woodland has come to the market for the first time in 150 yearsGyrn Castle, set amidst woodland on the outskirts of an ancient village, is now seeking new owners. Penny Churchill reports.
-
A Tudor Revival home built by a Victorian adventurer, with beauty, grandeur and its own putting greenFulford Hall is an idyllic country home, yet is situated less than a dozen miles from Birmingham. Penny Churchill tells more.
