Upper Street, Hollingbourne, ME17

Tucked quietly behind the 14th-century All Saints Church, 1 Church Green sits at the heart of the Upper Street Conservation Area — arguably Hollingbourne’s most historic quarter — a setting scarcely touched by time and nestled within one of the most stunning parts of the Kent Downs National Landscape, with endless paths right on the doorstep and a thriving village community close at hand — complete with a junior school, a welcoming community café, several renowned local pubs, and active village groups that bring residents together. The home appears to have grown from the landscape itself; its mellow brickwork, hand-cut oak timbers, and clay-tiled roof rest in gentle harmony with the neighbouring church and the old Kentish ragstone walls that encircle them.

From the moment you arrive, there’s a sense of continuity — as though this house has stood for centuries, shaped and reshaped by generations. Each elevation tells a story: the mixture of oak framing, lime-washed render, and soft red brick evokes the layered evolution of an English country home, enlarged and enriched across the ages. Yet every beam, joint, and peg has been crafted using traditional techniques — a masterclass in faithful period construction that pays homage to Kent’s vernacular heritage.

The atmosphere here is unmistakably that of an ancient home — uneven beams, wide hearths, handmade bricks, and sunlight that filters through cottage windows to dance across oak and plaster. From within, the church’s stone tower can be glimpsed through the trees; its clock face and weather vane marking time over the centuries, a quiet reminder of the village’s enduring rhythm.

The accommodation unfolds with a natural, organic flow that feels shaped by history rather than design. Rooms open to one another with an easy grace, each space warm and textured — a sitting room anchored by a grand inglenook fireplace, a country kitchen with views of the gardens, and bedrooms where exposed trusses sweep high into vaulted ceilings, their leaded windows framing soft hints of the landscape beyond.

The property is embraced by gardens on three sides, beautifully planted with mature shrubs and radiant blooms that change with the seasons. And yet, no matter how captivating the garden, it is the house itself that remains the focal point from every angle — a home of quiet presence and honest beauty.

The plot extends to around 0.28 acres, yet what makes this home truly special is the use of an exclusive further third of an acre by way of a formal lease agreement — land that once formed the original village green, held in trust to protect and preserve it for future generations. To stand on this ground is to feel the continuity of Hollingbourne’s story: a place where medieval villagers once gathered, now your private landscape framed by church walls, historic buildings, and the rolling hills of the Kent Downs National Landscape. All in, this brings the total plot to just shy of two-thirds of an acre.

The history of Upper Street in Hollingbourne is woven into every stone and retained in its streetscape. Recorded in the Domesday Book as Hoilingeborde, the village’s prosperity was born from the springs of the North Downs that fed the mills and fields — a landscape still defined by traditional farming and the rise of artisan vineyards, a natural abundance that endures today in the rolling farmland, chalk slopes, and footpaths tracing the contours of the hills.

The surrounding countryside is carved with a labyrinth of footpaths — a network that tells the story of England’s walking past. From the doorstep, trails wind between hedgerows and meadows, linking to the North Downs Way and, indeed, to the legendary Pilgrims’ Way — that ancient route to Canterbury where a lifetime could be spent retracing the steps of those who journeyed before, with many paths still left to explore.

To live at Church Green is to become part of that continuum — to inhabit a landscape carved slowly over the course of a millennium, where heritage, craftsmanship, and nature meet in seamless, enduring harmony.