A castle in miniature on a dreamy estate in Kent, where four-poster beds meet swimming pool and cinema room
Oxney Court has it all — including one of the finest wine cellars we've seen in a long time. Annabel Dixon takes a look.
There’s something undeniably magical about a castellated house, and Oxney Court is no exception.
Set within 35 acres near Dover in Kent, the striking gothic-style mansion offers ‘a real sense of history and romance’, says Alex Mathew of Harding Green, who are selling the estate for £6.5 million. A century ago, however, the scene was very different. The house was requisitioned during the First World War and, following a fire, fell into disrepair.
Oxney Court’s fortunes changed in 1997, when it was sold and the new owner — reportedly the daughter of the late Lord Charles Forte — undertook a substantial renovation, breathing new life into this once-ruined house. The result is that as it stands today, this Georgian house is a joy throughout, from the to the magnificent treehouse in the grounds.
Oxney Court is steeped in history. The small parish of Oxney was recorded in the Domesday Book. According to Harding Green, the timber frame house that once stood on the site of Oxney Court was demolished in the 17th century. It paved the way for the current house, which was built in the 18th century in the distinctive gothic style. Further renovations took place in the 19th century.
It was during the 19th century that the mansion was owned by the uncle of Sir Joseph Banks, the renowned botanist who was the driving force behind the creation of Kew Gardens. Many exotic and rare species planted by Banks still grow at Oxney Court to this day.
Inside, the house blends period elegance with contemporary comfort. Period features, including grand windows, intricate cornicing, and generous proportions, sit alongside modern upgrades.
It has all the rooms you’d expect of a Georgian home of this scale and nature: reception rooms, dining room, kitchen, library, conservatory, and study.
Wine enthusiasts will be particularly delighted by the eye-catching cellar.
Upstairs, there are six bedrooms, all with ensuite bathrooms, and there's a theatrical fairytale feel to the design, decor and decoration (not to mention the four-poster beds) that seems to sit perfectly with the mini-castle exterior.
Beyond the main house, there’s a four-bedroom guest cottage, two-bedroom staff cottage, and a converted stable block, complete with a self-contained bedroom, kitchen and cinema room. Plenty of scope for multi-generational living, then.
The grounds also feature a swimming pool, tennis court, and what is described as ‘an outdoor, covered dining room’.
For all that, Oxney Court is still a place that's more than the sum of its parts. It's a house that 'immediately captures the imagination’, adds Mathew.
‘It has a real sense of history and romance, but crucially it’s been brought into the modern day in a way that makes it entirely liveable.
‘What makes it particularly special is the combination of scale and lifestyle. You have a striking castellated main house with over 9,000 sq ft of accommodation, but also a fully formed estate around it such as guest and staff cottages, leisure amenities including a pool, tennis court and cinema — all set within 35 acres of beautifully established grounds.’
Mathew adds: ‘Properties of this calibre, with this level of history and infrastructure already in place, rarely come to the market.’
Oxney Court is for sale via Harding Green for £6,500,000 — see more details.
