There is something quite moving about the clapboard house. I spent a lot of time in New England as a child, and they evoke memories of the seaside in Massachusetts and Maine; of salty air and lobster and storms. There is an elegance to the simplicity of their design that speaks to the importance of place when understanding the context of a building.
Lavington House is not by the seaside, but it still retains a sense of place in its more pastoral setting. Situated on the North Downs, it can be found in the village of Naccolt, on the periphery of the Kent Downs National Landscape. There are many clapboard houses in Kent. But none like Lavington. It is for sale with Inigo for £1.25 million.
As you might have noticed, there are pieces of Lavington House that are archetypal and there are pieces that are architectural. It is a home of two halves. One half is that traditional clapboard. The other is an Ansham designed extension that was completed in 2020. Together, the whole is a property of some 2,900sq ft and four bedrooms where contemporary elegance meets period charm.
In what I will describe as the ‘older’ part of the house, that archetypal Kentish style abounds, with exposed beams, bricks and boards throughout. It is bright and airy, and welcoming. A fireplace with a log burner seems more than comforting.
But on the other side of that fireplace, the ‘newer’ side of the property opens up. A large open-plan kitchen and dining area with dual aspect room height windows allows the landscape to open up in front of you. On the first floor, a similarly bright position for the principal bedroom suite offers even better views. There are, pleasingly, lots of bathrooms throughout.
The garden that surrounds the house seems to blend in to the surrounding countryside. Mostly set to lawn, there are patios that surround the house from which to enjoy the view while eating or entertaining. Further afield, the Wye National Nature Reserve provides even more space to engage with nature. Ashford is a 15-minute drive away, with express trains into London. Wye station is even closer, with services taking 46 minutes to London King’s Cross.
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