An achingly modern five-bedroom home in Kent that's perfect for horse lovers
At Parkside near Sevenoaks, modernity meets the countryside to create a fine family home for the 21st century.
The complaint you hear more often than most these days (at least in architectural circles, which I totally hang out in) is that everything is made of glass. One only needs to wander the streets of central-ish London to see what they mean. Amid the forest of cranes, glass structures bloom in every direction, the unrepentant result of unrestricted development that sees tower after tower being built.
The issue is, I think, not so much that buildings made out of glass are bad, but rather that there are too many of them, too close together. There are plenty of great glass buildings, but they perhaps do not lend themselves to being built in high density, unlike more classical styles of architecture.
One such great glass building, which is not surrounded by other glass buildings, would be Parkside near Sevenoaks in Kent. For sale with £5.65 million with Savills, the achingly contemporary property is set on one floor, with much glass, and comes with four bedrooms, five bathrooms and is (unsurprisingly) finished to an exceptionally high standard.
As is the wont of many modern buildings, the property features an open-plan layout, with the main reception/kitchen/dining room extending to some 900sq ft and offering near 360 degree views of the surrounding gardens and countryside. The bedrooms are accessed either side of a long corridor and are all en-suite. On the far side of the house is the pool room, gym and spa. Parkside also offers a rather jazzy bar attached to the main kitchen, as well as a private cinema room.
The gardens and grounds extend to some 6.4 acres in total, and feature formal lawned areas interspersed with specimen trees, and established beds, plus plenty of paved spots for al fresco entertaining.
Another highlight of the home is its equestrian facilities, which comprise a detached stable block that links to a yard and sand school. Paddocks are bound by post and rail fencing and there are ample opportunities to ride out and explore the surrounding Kent countryside.
The property is situated just outside the village of Halstead, which boasts an ‘active village community’ and features pubs, a village shop, post office, primary school and church. Mainline services to London can be found from Knockholt station, which is just over 2 miles away, and Sevenoaks is five miles away.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Parkside is for sale with Savills for £5.65 million. For more information and pictures, click here
Credit: Fine and Country
A converted barn in West Sussex with some of the most sumptuous advertising copy we've ever read
The only people more excited about the sale of Old House Barn in Highleigh than me are the agents —
Credit: DLMPhotography / Jackson-Stops
An oak-timbered home in a picture-perfect Surrey village with pub, church and village hall, and under an hour from central London
Tumbledown Farm in Brockham is exactly the sort of place you're probably thinking of when you think of moving out
A stunning house on the Surrey/Sussex border 'that's more like being in the Scottish Highlands' than the commuter belt
Marley House on Marley Common boasts nine bedrooms and some of the finest views in southern England.
Could using a buying agent save you money?
Buying agents excel at gaining access to houses of which there’s nary a whisper on the market.

James Fisher is the Digital Commissioning Editor of Country Life. He writes about motoring, travel and things that upset him. He lives in London. He wants to publish good stories, so you should email him.
-
Suit yourself: I’m a 49 year-old man-about-town and I’ve never owned a suitWhen Hugh Smithson-Wright turned up to Country Life's annual Gentleman's Life party sans suit, it sparked a passionate conversation about why the formal fashion just isn't for everyone.
By Hugh Smithson-Wright Published
-
'The ugliness and craziness is a part of its charm': The Country Life guide to BangkokWhere to stay, where to eat and what to do in the Thai capital.
By Luke Abrahams Published
-
The wave of downsizing about to hit the property market in the UKThe Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget — and specifically the 'Mansion Tax' — has fired a starting pistol for downsizers, and the waves will wash across the entire property market. Annabel Dixon spoke to property experts across the country to gauge how it will play out.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A Georgian farmhouse that's an 'absolute gem' in an ancient village on Salisbury PlainJulie Harding takes a look at the beautiful West Farm in a gorgeous Wiltshire village.
By Julie Harding Published
-
It'd be crazy to buy this 500-year-old farmhouse just because of its utterly gorgeous Aga — so thank goodness that the rest of this place is also really nicePerry Mill Farm is an immaculate yet characterful four-bedroom dream home in the country at a price that will make city dwellers immediately start Googling 'working from Worcestershire'.
By Toby Keel Published
-
'A masterpiece of timeless elegance' for sale on the charmed Surrey estate once owned by Henry VIII and the Guinness familyThe Manor House in Burwood Park is a grand, enormous and undeniably impressive. Annabel Dixon takes a look.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A grand hall in Yorkshire with 400 years of historyCarlton Hall is a wonderful family home amid glorious gardens in a quaint village location. Penny Churchill looks inside.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Why don't more of us live in brightly coloured homes?It's not often that you see a home sporting the colour palette that you'd get if you hired a four-year old as your interior designer. But why not? The Blue House in Bethnal Green asks this and many more questions.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Five magnificent mansions, from a former monastery to an Art Deco wonder in the South Downs, as seen in Country LifeWonderful homes, including a superb beach home in Cornwall, all fresh on the market via Country Life.
By Toby Keel Published
-
A 14-bedroom 'miniature Downton Abbey' to call your own — and there's not a penny of Mansion Tax to be paidNorton Manor is an incredible period home that's on the market for £1.3 million.
By Toby Keel Published