Elegant living at Swaylands House
Elegant homes are ready for Spring this weekend, 20/21st March, at the historic Swaylands country estate, in Penshurst, Kent.
The grand doors of the refurbished Victorian mansion, Swaylands House, will be thrown open to visitors wishing to view the nine homes that remain for sale. Light refreshments will be available and visitors will be able to experience the graceful style of this dignified estate. Prices range from a two-bedroom cottage at £440,000 up to four bedroom accommodation of up to 3,345 sq ft arranged over several floors with a roof terrace at £1.099 million. There is also an unusual lodge house available at £495,000.
The apartments offer the style and heritage that comes with an elegant country house lifestyle. There are 40 acres of private grounds, featuring what was once the biggest rock garden in Europe, a lake, a sunken walled garden and a ha-ha that allows unbroken views of the fields and countryside of the Kentish Weald beyond – truly a scene of peaceful tranquillity removed from the bustle of everyday life.
An array of ‘Hampton Court’-style elaborate chimneys, castellated turrets, mullioned windows and arched doorways are prominent features of the extensive red brick façades. Essentially Neo-Gothic, Swaylands House also includes prominent rendered gables, the later work of architect George Devey, who pioneered the vernacular revival that eventually led to the founding of the Arts and Crafts movement a generation later.
The painstaking restoration has meant that mellow Swaylands House offers an imposing combination of modern sophistication together with the character of a more graceful age with its grandly proportioned and individual rooms that capture the feeling of the elegant lifestyle of the Victorian, and indeed Edwardian, periods. Swaylands was owned by George Drummond, a close friend of Edward VII, who ensured that a steady stream of prominent Edwardians were guests at the house. As well the King himself, regular visitors included J M Barrie, author of Peter Pan, and the poet, Siegfried Sassoon.
The imposing and unique rock garden at Swaylands includes massive sandstone boulders and a lake to create a stunning garden with real character. The landscaped gardens were featured in ‘Country Life’ in 1906. The grounds also include a tennis court, a former cricket green and pavilion, and an extensive formal lawn, not to mention the woodlands and outfields of the estate. Indoors there is a fully equipped gymnasium for residents.
Further information on property for sale at Swaylands is available from the marketing suite or by visiting: swaylands-penshurst.co.uk
