Standing at the front door of imposing Kimpton Grange, on the edge of the conservation village of Kimpton, four miles from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, it’s hard to believe that the red-brick Victorian exterior hides an elegant, early-18th-century house with mid-18th- and 19th-century additions, which now requires ‘extensive modernisation’ and, with remodelling in mind, is conveniently unlisted.
For sale through the country department of Strutt & Parker and local agents Churchills at a guide price of £6m, substantial Kimpton Grange, a former vicarage, stands at the end of a sweeping, tree-lined drive, surrounded by mature landscaped gardens, a lake, a walled garden, parkland and paddocks – 22.6 acres in all.
The house currently offers some 13,000sq ft of accommodation on three floors, including three light and spacious reception rooms, a study, kitchen/breakfast room, six bedroom suites and an indoor leisure area with a swimming pool, changing rooms, gym and games room. The property also features a private cinema.
Outdoor amenities include two cottages, a staff flat, an outdoor pool, a floodlit tennis court and a large barn.
Attention to detail is evident throughout Kimpton Grange – the swimming pool boasts a stunning set of murals, which depict an idyllic countryside garden and flow seamlessly into the marble columns with decorate the walls.
The outdoor pool mimics its indoor counterpart, with a Grecian pavilion saving owners from a cold trip back to the main house after taking a dip. A picturesque pond, reached by a box hedge lined path, completes Kimpton’s water features.
The property does require extensive modernisation to bring it up to the modern standards which match its imposing exterior. The drawing and sitting rooms both feature stunningly moulded ceilings and with their palatial measurements and wooden floors are reminiscent of old country house ballrooms, however both are in great need of an update and polish.
In a bid to create a greater ‘sense of arrival’ at Kimpton Grange, drawings commissioned from a consultant architect propose a striking redesign of the Victorian east façade to match the more pleasing proportions of the south front, which overlooks the lake, and the replacement of the present, single-storey, indoor pool complex with a new kitchen/dining area overlooking the gardens.
Credit: Finest Properties
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