Lavington House, Naccolt, Kent

Occupying a pastoral position opposite the North Downs in Wye, Lavington House is a tale of two halves. Its initial quintessentially Kentish clapboard house was sympathetically extended by Ansham to create a resoundingly unique five-bedroom home. Its 2,900 sq ft of space has been given over to a series of interconnected open-plan living spaces defined by light, volume and flow. The generous gardens that surround the house seamlessly roll into the surrounding pastureland, which continues as far as the eye can see.

The Tour

A quiet country road gives way to the house's generous driveway, where there is space to park 6 cars. The house sits within encircling lawns, its white clapboard core brilliantly enhanced by an arrestingly modern yet complementary timber, brick and glass extension. Its profile sets the tone for what lies within: contemporary and considered design that works to enhance graceful period bones.

There are two entrances to the house, one via a picture-pretty green-painted front door, the other directly into a skylight-lit hallway in the extension. From the latter, the bright, living spaces unfold. Sensitively extended in recent years, the current architects have taken the timber beams from the original house as a point of departure, echoing their composition at the rear.

A living room lies directly ahead, its overhead beams and walls painted in a gentle off-white. The second entrance hall, within the older part of the home, separates this from the sitting room beyond, which, befitting its period origins, has an evocative farmhouse-like feel. Here, a large, brick-lined inglenook fireplace contains a log-burning fire, and a run of exposed timber beams and posts foster a cosy ambience. Double doors from this room connect back to the entrance hall in the extension, lending the ground floor a circular feel.

At the far side of the extension is the exceptionally generous open-plan kitchen and dining room, with a neat utility room beyond. Four sets of sliding glazed doors open to the garden, rooting the room in its green setting. L-shaped, Shaker kitchen units wrap around one corner of the room and are topped with marble? work surfaces. There is an Falcon range in the centre and plenty of open shelves for displaying favourite ceramics. A central island has an oak surface that forms an informal breakfast bar overhang on one side. The rest of the room is currently given over to a large dining table, although its versatility would befit various configurations.

There are five bedrooms upstairs; four are doubles, with an additional single perfect for use as a study. Those that sit within the opened-up historic wing are set atmospherically below beams and have grounding views across the garden. The primary bedroom lies on the opposite side, with vast picture windows and a generous en suite housing a roll-top bath. It unfolds beneath the exposed pitch of the roof, with the timber frame painted in white to further its airy, serene feel.

A family bathroom on this floor is serenely finished, with a large bathtub placed in front of a large window for a wonderfully picturesque soak. There is a shower room at the other end of the plan, decorated in a similarly neat palette.

Outdoor Space 

The house sits in the thick of a generous lawned garden that stretches towards the rolling hills of the Kent Downs, divided from the fields beyond by a series of mature hedgerows. A patio encircles the living areas at the rear, carefully levelled to ensure a fluidity between inside and out. There are several terraces from which to enjoy the view or dine outdoors in warm weather.

Dotted with greenhouses and sheds, the garden provides is plenty of space for outdoor storage and planting opportunities.

The Area

Lavington House is perfectly positioned to enjoy uninterrupted views across the North Downs, which as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and can never been built on. The surrounding area also contains the Wye National Nature Reserve which is home to a wealth of wildlife such as rare orchids, moths and a circular nature trail, including the wonderfully named valley, The Devil’s Kneading Trough. Also nearby, there is the 14th-century Jacobean and Victorian Godinton House set among 12 acres of tranquil gardens.

Ashford is a short 15-minute drive and has a host of independent shops and cafés, including & Bloss for freshly roasted beans, as well as a handy Waitrose. There are plenty of great restaurants to try such as Boys Halls, which is only 11 minutes from the house. Slightly further afield, The Pig at Bridge near Canterbury is under a 40-minute drive away. Kent has become renowned in recent years for its sparkling wine. Two vineyards that can be reached in under 20 minutes include Westwell Wines and the family-run Brabourne Vineyard. The pretty village of Wye is also only a 3 minute drive while Canterbury and the seasside town of Folkstone are only 20 minutes by car.

There are many excellent school options near by including the Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School which was rated “Outstanding” by Ofsted, or the Brook Community Primary School, which has a “Good” rating. For secondary school options there is the Wye School, The Norton Knatchbull School and the independent, Cornfields School.

Wye Railway Station is a six-minute drive and has connections into London Kings Cross Station in around 46 minutes. The M20 is around a 7-minute drive from the house and connects with the rest of the National Motorway. Dover port for ferries to France is a 30-minute drive. There are also direct routes to the channel tunnel.

Council Tax Band: E