Hungerford Park
Berkshire
Designer: Simone Bunting
Register for similar homes'Elegant Dinesen Douglas fir begins here and extends into an expansive open-plan kitchen, breakfast room and living space'
Set in approximately 18 acres of private land in the North Wessex Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty lies this wonderful late-19th Century farm house, with six bedrooms, swimming pool and extensive gardens. It measures over 5,000 sq ft internally and has been the subject of an immaculate, light-enhancing renovation by its current owners.
The house was originally commissioned by the Howard de Walden estate in 1884 and remains surrounded by the de Walden and Ramsbury estates today. Two sweeping driveways, with electric gated access, provide separate routes through fields to and from the house, where there is open parking for several cars and a double garage.
The house can be entered via formal or working entrances. The latter opens to a large cloak and boot room, with a quarry-tiled utility and guest WC off to one side. Elegant Dinesen Douglas fir begins here and extends into an expansive open-plan kitchen, breakfast room and living space.
The kitchen is bespoke and hand built by local joiners, as is the separate pantry / butlers’ kitchen which echoes the flooring in solid Douglas fir. Subtle white cabinetry is paired with Carrara and Belgium blue-stone marble worktops. Fixtures are by Kohler and a new white five-oven electric AGA has been recently installed. Light pours in to the ground floor from the many glazed aspects. Beyond the breakfast table is a living space, with a raised open fireplace, a doorway to a study, and double doors that open to the original York-stone terraces and garden.
Situated off the main entrance hallway are three enormous reception rooms, all with original oak parquet, lightened with Danish lye, and each with working fireplaces. Architraves, internal window boxes and shutters have been restored in all of the principal ground-floor rooms.
There are four large bedrooms on the first floor, all situated around a wide light-filled landing and laid with sisal. The master bedroom has a fantastic bathroom with Dinesen Douglas fir floors, free standing bath and a separate shower with tiles by Patricia Urqiola. All other bathrooms use tiles by Bert and May. Sanitaryware is by Catchpole and Rye with nickel hardware by Albion. Radiators throughout are by Bisque and LED has been used in all fixed lighting for increased efficiency.
A further two bedrooms, with a shower room between them, can be found on the other side of the house, accessed from the boot room. Beneath the house is a substantial basement, currently used for wine and general storage.
Gardens wrap the house and are divided by the driveway into two sides. On one, is an orchard of mulburry, plum, quince and apple trees, with a sunken trampoline, hand-built den and zip wire, and through long grass and a cast iron gate is an enormous football pitch. On the other side, immediately accessed from the house through a series of glazed doors at several points, is the walled garden which includes a natural salt-water swimming pool, lined in white marble mosaic and heated via air source heat pump.
The grounds back onto the Kennet and Avon canal and river, known for its excellent trout fishing, and where the house has the option of a boat mooring. There are excellent walking trails in every direction and close by is the Savernake Forest; the only privately owned ancient woodland in Britain.
Planning permission is currently in place for a design by Paul Archer that seeks to establish a central courtyard composed of ancillary buildings. These will include a two-storey barn with a two-bedroom apartment and workspace, and the conversion of the existing garages and sheds into an additional office, gym and multipurpose outdoor/indoor kitchen and garden lounge. Also within the plans are changing rooms and showers to service the pool and a tennis court is proposed within the orchard.
The house is located only a mile from both Kintbury village and Hungerford town, known for its plethora of antique shops, fairs and boutiques, and a very good vegetarian restaurant in Eliane of Hungerford.
Outstanding pubs and restaurants in the area are aplenty. The Woodspeen, led by Michelin-star chef John Campbell, is in nearby Newbury, as is the two-Michelin-starred Blackbird. The excellent Bell at Ramsbury is close by and is supplied by the Ramsbury Estate, which has a distillery, brewery and farm shop.
There are several highly regarded schools in the area such as Marlborough, Pangbourne and Bradfield Colleges, and prep schools like Cheam and Pinewood to name a few.
The station at Hungerford is a mile and half from the house and trains to London via Reading take just under an hour. The M4 is also easily reached for quick access to London and the West.
Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.