Described as ‘a sleeping beauty’ by selling agent Simon Backhouse, of Strutt & Parker in Canterbury, Grade II*-listed Ripple Court, three miles from the quaint coastal town of Deal, is rightly regarded as one of east Kent’s most important country houses.
Owned by the same family for the past 60 years and ‘now in need of sensitive updating’, it stands in 8.6 acres of wonderfully private gardens and grounds, screened on three sides by a shelter-belt of mature woodland. The agents quote a guide price of £2.75 million.
Built between 1796 and 1802 on the site of an earlier, 16th-century Ripple Court for Col John Baker Sladen, the classic late-Georgian house was reputedly designed by Sir John Soane.
Although no paper trail exists to this effect, its Historic England listing highlights the front façade and many details of the house and plan as being ‘reminiscent of Sir John Soane, normally the least copied of Neo-Classical architects’. Mr Backhouse also points to the distinctive central chimney-stack as being ‘typically Soane’.
Unusually for this part of Kent, the house is built of white brick with ashlar and Coade stone dressings, the focal point of its elegant front façade a pedimented doorcase framed by tall sash windows.
In 1887, it was extended to the rear by the pioneering Scottish Arts-and-Crafts architect James MacLaren, who added secondary accommodation, garaging and an octagonal tower with a domed roof.
In about 1930, the verandah that originally ran down the entire side of the house was replaced by the single-storey, bow-fronted drawing room, which has three tall windows overlooking the gardens.
Ripple Court offers more than 9,000sq ft of living space on three floors, including a reception hall, three principal reception rooms, two kitchens, a breakfast room, an office, seven bedrooms, three bathrooms, a nursery and a three-bedroom first-floor flat.
Included in the sale are the 17th-century, four-bedroom Old Farm House, listed Grade II, and two sets of listed outbuildings, including a magnificent, 130ft-long Kentish barn with potential for conversion.
Ripple Court is for sale via Strutt & Parker at £2.75m — see more details and pictures.
Seven of the best waterside houses for sale in Britain today
Living beside the water — whether that's the sea, river or lake — is a dream for many of us already. And
Credit: Savills
A beautiful Norfolk town house with a library by John Simpson, right opposite King's Lynn Minster
2 St. Margaret’s Place offers a wonderful opportunity to own a house right in the centre of King's Lynn –
Pitzhanger Manor: The Ealing villa that's the great John Soane's 'architectural self-portrait'
Following a boldly conceived restoration, the interest and quality of Sir John Soane’s Pitzhanger Manor in Ealing villa shines out
The restoration of John Soane's museum 'which raised the standards for the re-creation of a historic interior'
Sir John Soane despaired of his children to such an extent that he left his worldly goods to the nation,
-
A Hampshire Manor for sale that dates back to the days of Alfred the Great, with the most beautiful staircase we've seen in yearsThe ten bedroom property features an indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, spa complex and stables, and it was restored by the same architect who worked on Downing Street.
-
A bridge just far enough: Country Life Quiz of the Day, July 4, 2025Lions, castles and even a couple of US-themed questions for the 4th of July in Friday's Quiz of the Day.
-
A Hampshire Manor for sale that dates back to the days of Alfred the Great, with the most beautiful staircase we've seen in years
The ten bedroom property features an indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, spa complex and stables, and it was restored by the same architect who worked on Downing Street.
-
The new property hotspots where you can have it all: Beautiful houses, great schools and idyllic lifestyleAcross the country people are selling up and heading to the towns where there's no compromise on dream homes, outstanding schooling and the good life, according to analysis from two of Britain's top estate agents. Anna White explains.
-
Where Venice once ruled: The roving Venetians left handsome imprints across the Greek world, from its religion to its rambling villasMatthew Dennison explores the lingering traces of Venice's vanished empire — and the best places to buy where it once stood.
-
A delightful 16th century home with some of Kent's most beautiful gardens has come on to the marketThe Grange puts the 'garden' into the Garden of England.
-
A pristine Scottish island for sale at the price of a garage in FulhamA dot on the map of the west coast of Scotland has come on to the market, where you'll be surrounded by sea, living off grid and be neighbours with the local seal colony.
-
18 beautiful homes, from charming cottages to a Highland mansion with unbeatable views, as seen in Country LifeOur look at some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in the past week includes Georgian manor houses, charming commutable homes and the grandest home in Newcastle.
-
The gorgeous Somerset home of the designer behind one of Glastonbury's chicest spotsThe Manor in Hinton Blewitt is a glorious Georgian home that ticks every box.
-
A 600-year-old National Trust property that you can call homeThis blooming property in Kent showcases the original garden of England. Penny Churchill takes a look.
