Regal walled gardens make this £1.9m fairytale hunting lodge a private party palace
The Telegraph - May 6th 2021
You won't be alone if throughout lockdown you found yourself turning your hand to the garden. Or longing to move out of town in favour of the simple life. Walled gardens have long been a mainstay of large country homes. Often used as kitchen or cutting gardens, they offer both protection from the wild (weather and animals) as well as adding 'pretty points' to any property.
So why not be the ultimate Covid cliche and sell up in favour of the great outdoors? These are the seven best houses on the market with walled gardens.
With gardens that date back to the Norman times, Yanton Manor, set between Oxford and Woodstock isn't short on history. King Charles I, protected by the wealthy Spencer Family, stayed at the Manor while he was escaping the siege of Oxford during the English Civil War and other famous guests include John Betjeman and Iris Murdoch.
Since then, the property has been used for educational purposes and comes with potential for change of use subject to consents. The main building sits at just over 1,000 sqm and with what is described as a 'substantial portfolio' of ancillary cottages dotted around the 29-acre estate, you won't be tight on space.
The listed gardens and grounds of Yarnton Manor include an elegant walled garden, terraces, walkways, an orchard, paddocks and woodland.
Pleasure gardens of historical importance ? Tick. A 'Gardeners Cottage'? Tick. Stone footbridges? A Grade I list Georgian manor house? Tick and tick. Ston Easton Park has it all; located between Bristol and Wells, the 20-bedroom, 20-bathroom property comes with a gardeners cottage, a lodge cottage and a coach house, too.
With just under 30 acres of land, the Grade II-listed gardens designed by Humphry Repton really are spectacular. The walled gardens are enclosed by brick walls and beech hedges, while to the back of the main house the River Norr runs apace. A rose garden, cutting garden, kitchen garden, potting sheds and orchard make up the rest of the acreage.
HUNTING LODGE - BELLES DEMEURES DE FRANCE
If you're looking for something a little further afield, we might have just the ticket. This charming nine-bedroom hunting lodge dates from 1660 and sits in five acres of perfectly manicured gardens (pictured top). With an exterior straight out of Grimm's Fairytales, and a bold interior (to say the least) this is the perfect party palace.
Situated in Normandy, the sprawling property is made up of several annexes including a guest pavilion, a cottage and a summer pavilion in addition to the main house. Beautifully maintained French formal gardens surround the property while majestic forests are close by.
The Manor at Dinton was mentioned in the Domesday Book. It was gifted to Lord Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, by his brother, William the Conqueror. Fast forward almost a millennium, and Dinton Hall - as it is known today - could be yours.
The largely Jacobean property has been remodelled over the years, with recent additions including an air conditioned limestone indoor pool complex and orangery.
A carpet of snowdrops, crocus, aconites, daffodils, bluebells and other wild flowers sweeps through the estate in early spring, while other noteworthy garden additions include two ponds (one with a wooden bridge leading to a central gazebo and a wooden treehouse). All this, within 40 minutes of London.
Not your average walled garden, The Garden House is part oak-framed habitable-greenhouse, part secret garden. The property itself, designed by Allan Joyce Architects, is made up of multiple levels, playfully arranged as a series of floating mezzanines, balconies, and a double-height winter garden.
The property is oriented to look over the mature gardens - developed over the course of 20 years - surrounded by an original red-brick Georgian wall. A sunny secluded roof garden is the perfect spot to overlook the dense borders of herbaceous perennials lined with structural hedging. A potting shed and fruit orchard are the cherry on top.
With dolls house proportions and a small, but well maintained walled garden, The Old Vicarage might be the perfect fit for those looking to take on a more manageable challenge. Situated smack-bang in the middle of Pickering, North Yorkshire, the central-village location provides an oasis of calm while still being walking distance from local shops.
Cottage core has taken over our Instagram feeds, and while this house is most definitely not a cottage, its manicured gardens are a perfect example of traditional English cottage style.
The eight-bedroom Cathanger Manor is thought to date from 1559, features a turret leading directly from the Justice Hall (which likely once served as a local courthouse) to the gardens.
A swimming pool, tennis court, studio and thatched gatehouse punctuate the eight-acre grounds, while a kitchen garden complete with gravel paths and raised beds encircled by - you guessed it - original brick walls, make for the perfect surroundings.
