7 bedrooms Detached house for Sale in Eynsford, Dartford

A magnificent Grade II Listed country house, steeped in history, with breathtaking southerly views and superb formal gardens and grounds. Cottage and paddock available by separate negotiation (when Lot 1 has exchanged contracts) A magnificent Grade II Listed country house, steeped in history, with breathtaking southerly views and superb formal gardens and grounds. Cottage and paddock available by separate negotiation (when Lot 1 has exchanged contracts) Accommodation summary Entrance hall | Reception hall | Two cloakrooms | Drawing room| Dining room | Library/study | Kitchen/breakfast room | Sitting room | Utility room | Basement/boiler room | Seven bedrooms | Two bathrooms | Attics | A substantial range of outbuildings including double garage, workshop and single garage, apple store, wood store and kennels Formal gardens | Orchard | Paddock | Woodland A further bungalow with garden and garage (Lot 2) is available with a guide price of £300,000 and adjoining paddock (Lot 3) with guide price of £50,000 is also available. However, neither Lot 2 or 3 will be sold prior to securing a buyer for the main house as it is the owners preference to sell as a whole. Eynsford Hill is a magnificent pre first world war residence built in 1913 for Arthur Mee and was one of the last large pre-war country houses built near London. It is constructed of rendered brick under a tiled roof with lead light windows and mullion surrounds. It was built without any expense spared and is virtually unaltered retaining a host of superb original features, including cast iron front door with peephole, mosaic tiling and panelling in the entrance hall, art deco cloakroom, dado and picture rails, copious amounts of parquet flooring under the carpets and elegant fireplaces in the drawing room and study and a balcony in the master bedroom. Of all the rooms in the house the library/study is the most special. Arthur Mee wrote nearly 200 books here. It is sumptuously fitted with a range of oak bookshelves and secret drinks cabinet. It is divided into two with an alcove enclosing the mantelpiece and copper fireplace. The present vendors purchased the house in 1970 and installed a new kitchen. The two bathrooms are thought to originate from the 1930s, both being beautiful examples of art deco installations of the era. The opportunity now exists for a new purchaser to modernise the house to their own taste, although it is considered to have been maintained to a good standard. Arthur Mee (1875Â-1943) was a well known author of his era most famous for his Â'Childrens EncyclopaediaÂ' and Â'The KingÂ's EnglandÂ'. His search for the perfect location to build a new house culminated in Eynsford Hill and he commissioned Mr Morley Horder to design the property. Prior to construction it was a ploughed field! The history of the construction of the property and of Arthur MeeÂ's life is extremely well documented in both photographs and prose and a host of memorabilia remains within the ownership of the property. A time capsule is buried near the front door and throughout the gardens historical artefacts such as Roman tiles are built into the paths and walls. Perhaps the most romantically interesting aspect of the property is that allegedly George Bernard Shaw who was a friend of Arthur Mee named the Eynsford Hill family, his characters in Pygmalion, after the house. Situation Eynsford Hill is situated in the most wonderful elevated position with views as far as the eye can see down the Darenth Valley close to the pretty village of Eynsford which offers good local facilities including a renowned primary school, village shop and a railway station serving Blackfriars and Sevenoaks (www.nationalrail.co.uk). Sevenoaks town has an excellent range of educational, (www.kent-pages.co.uk/education) recreational and shopping facilities and mainline services to Cannon Street/Charing Cross in approximately 30/35 minutes. Orpington provides services on the same line in 25 minutes. Junction 3 of the M20/M25 links with the other motorway networks, Gatwick, Heathrow, City and Stansted Airports, the Channel Tunnel and Ashford and Ebbsfleet International stations. Bluewater shopping centre is also close by. Outside The house is approached up a long sweeping tarmac drive (shared with adjoining property), edged with flint faced bank, through a delightful avenue of limes before culminating in a very large parking area in front of the house with separate access to a further area in front of the garages. A separate branch runs along the side of the paddock. Outbuildings These comprise of a substantial range of garden store rooms adjacent to the house together with a detached double garage, workshop with a further large single garage. Gardens and grounds These are a stunning feature of the house and were an integral part of the original design. Once in the care of three full time gardeners, they comprise many different areas of lawns, terraces and copious use of beautiful low brick and stone balustrades and pathways with descending steps to what was once the tennis lawn and is now a croquet lawn. On the front lawn is a splendid round pond. There are wonderful herbaceous borders, magnificent shrubs and trees including an undulating yew hedge with topiary and a rose arbour walk. There are a host of historical artefacts incorporated into the garden including Roman tiles, featuring a dog's paw print and in the gazebo an ancient 'Egyptian' mosaic. The formal area blends into the orchard and paddock (with two somewhat dilapidated buildings being former stables and timber store) and on the north east side of the property is a belt of beautiful bluebell woodland. Lot 2 This comprises a 2/3 bedroom bungalow and double garage in need of updating with garden, large greenhouse and superb views over the field (Lot 3) to the east. About 0.31 acre. Lot 3 A sloping post and rail paddock of 4.58 acres (1.85 ha) with superb south easterly views. There is a public foot path that runs between the paddock and the eastern boundary of the bungalow. Lots 2 and 3 are both for sale but will not be offered separately prior to the sale of the main house.

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