An eight-bedroom home in Surrey where an army of robots will look after your lawns
Do not fear the bladed guardians of Monksfield House. They are here to help.


Technology comes for us all. The last few days have seen even the most luddite of internet users tune the great powers of artificial intelligence to make themselves into action figures, something that felt like science fiction merely a year ago.
Not even the country house is safe. The listed wonders of our green and pleasant land are slowly being taken over by climate control and computers that manage everything down to the most minute detail. This is not necessarily a bad thing; a system that keeps an eye on humidity levels to protect precious plasterwork is a force for good in my eyes.
One such technologically enhanced marvel might be Monksfield House near Farnham in Surrey. For sale with Knight Frank for £5.5 million, the house is something of a technological marvel in traditional red-brick clothing. CCTV, state of the art kitchen, biomass boiler and bore hole. The gardens, which extend to 10.5 acres, are also serviced by robot lawnmowers.
The idea of mowing your own lawn is marketed to be quite therapeutic, but I think that novelty would likely wear off after a while. So I agree with the owners of Monksfield — send in the robots. They are clearly doing quite a good job, if the pictures are anything to go by. Just remember to say please and thank you, should the revolution come.



The fine details are clearly very important here. Not only are the lawns, borders and beds immaculate, but so too the rest of this turn-key paradise. The interiors are light, well decorated and spacious. There are eight bedrooms in total, with the accommodation of the main house set over three floors. There are nice bits of art in the garden. There is a very smart garage in which to store your very smart cars, and it comes with a workshop.
The list keeps growing. There’s a separate cottage with three bedrooms, perfect for guests. There’s a party barn with a bar. There is planning permission in perpetuity for a spa/pool complex. Direct access to the 130 acres of Crooksbury Common if you’d like to go riding/walking/running. You can walk to a decent pub called The Barley Mow. Lastly, there is a lake.
Technology, in harmony with good taste, might be the key to paradise. We’re certainly very close at Monksfield House.
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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.
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