Country houses for sale

A vanishingly rare chance to buy one of the finest homes in Lymington, with a price tag to match its charms

Lea House has the look and feel of a top-end hotel, yet is a comfortable private home with glorious gardens and views. Penny Churchill tells more.

The area around the Georgian market town of Lymington, Hampshire, is home to some of the UK’s most enviable coastal estates, of which only a handful ever reaches the open market.

Such a rare bird is the immaculate Lea House estate, half a mile south of Lymington, comprising an elegant Georgian-style house set in 36 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and grounds.

This is no ordinary house: there is every leisure facility you could wish for and mesmerising views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. Such luxury comes at a price, however: Savills quote a guide price of £8.5m.

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Lea House offers some 5,434sq ft of well-organised living space, including a spacious reception hall, four main reception rooms, family kitchen with an adjoining conservatory, a master and two further suites, three further bedrooms and two bath/shower rooms.

The best of the views come on the second floor, where there is one en-suite bedroom, two further bedrooms sharing a large shower room and a wide landing with access onto a south facing balcony. From here you can take in stunning views of the Lymington River and Isle of Wight: clear views of Yarmouth and The Needles can be enjoyed from the balcony.

For those needing staff, family or extra guest accommodation, there is an annex adjoining the first floor which has an en-suite bedroom/bathroom as well as a living/kitchen area with balcony and separate access.

A state-of-the-art spa complex, with folding doors opening onto various outside seating areas, includes an indoor swimming pool, tennis court, sauna, gym and treatment rooms.

Outside, children young and old are enchanted by the AstroTurf adventure playground, with its zip wire and treehouse.

It’s also ideal for equestrians:  riders can enjoy the freedom of the paddocks and fields surrounding the estate’s two acres of formal gardens.

Lea House is for sale via Savills at £8.5m — see more details and pictures.