Historic house saved
Ewhurst Park house, in Ramsdell, Hampshire is fortunate to still be standing. It is the relic of a much larger house, Ewhurst Park, which fell prey to the sad fate of country houses in the post Second World War period. It lay empty and neglected for seven years until it was bought by the step mother and father of the current owners in 1950. The damage was immense leaving only the remaining wing salvageable. Ewhurst Park house, as this wing is now known, has been lovingly and meticulously restored by the current owners, both inside and out to create a stunning family home. The Estate as a whole is coming to the market on 7th June through Knight Frank and Dreweatt Neate at a guide price of £12,000,000. The house stands at the heart of a substantial estate, which includes: a private chapel; walled and terraced gardens; swimming pool; estate yard with traditional and modern farm buildings; let commercial units; five estate cottages; productive arable land and an established shoot. The business prospects are enormous or alternatively this opportunity could fulfil the dream of a City boy seeking that coveted quintessential English estate.
The house itself is an elegant two storey Georgian redbrick structure. It provides excellent family accommodation, with three principal bedroom suites, three secondary bedrooms and a family bathroom, which all have beautiful views across the countryside, while the elegant and spacious reception rooms make ideal entertaining spaces. The kitchen is one of the most pleasing rooms and perfectly designed for family life; it has a large sliding window which opens onto an attractive terrace, which in turn leads onto the swimming pool, walled garden and church.
The gardens and grounds are worthy of particular mention as they are believed to have been originally laid out by a pupil of Capability Brown, the acclaimed eighteenth century garden designer of the upper classes. The gardens continue to delight the eye and provide enjoyment as they did when first created. To the front of the property is a large lawn, where the foundations of the original house lie, which is surrounded by magnificent hardwoods, landscaped lawns, terraces and colourful herbaceous borders. The walled garden, the paddock and the vista formed by hedges and borders in the centre of the garden are other notable features of interest.
The coach house and stables are handsome buildings; both classical and rustic and indicative of the estate’s past. It is thought that these buildings are the remains of a group that formed a symmetrical range. The private church which lies to the west of the house is a charming feature of this sale and is the epitome of a rural church, constructed from flint. It was declared redundant in the early 1970s and is now used as an ancillary entertainment room for the main house.
The Ewhurst Estate is in an excellent location: near to urban centres such as Basingstoke from where there is a direct train to London Waterloo, and near to local amenities in the village of Kingsclere. There are several good schools in the area and sports such as racing and golf are available at a variety of nearby courses.
Ewhurst Park offers a rare opportunity to acquire the surviving wing of an important country house in good condition and an impressive estate, which presents a plethora of opportunities and possibilities, both business and recreational. It is available as a whole or in two lots. Lot 2 includes the farmland which comprises approximately 20.6 hectares 50 acres).
For further information, visit knightfrank.com and dreweatt-neate.co.uk.
