High Street, Hurley, Berkshire, SL6

An important and historic Grade II* listed house sited by its monastic fathers on the banks of the River Thames, in delightful and secluded park-like gardens.

Description

The Cloisters is one of the principle houses in this much
sought after village, and can be approached either from the
original Cloisters Garth adjacent to the church (included in
the properties demise) or from its own gated entrance and
sweeping driveway off Mill lane.

The property was extensively refurbished and modernised
in 2017 by the present owners resulting in an eclectic mix
of ancient and modern, the centrepiece being the monks
refectory which is approaching a thousand years old, and
today services as a magnificent entertaining space.
Accommodation is arranged principally over two floors,
with the majority of the rooms having delightful and private
views over the main gardens and adjacency terraces
which surround the main house. The first floor houses
the principal bedroom suite, three additional bedrooms,
a fifth bedroom/office at attic level, and three beautiful
refurbished bathrooms.

SWIMMING POOL & LEISURE FACILITIES

As a part of the renovations, Roman Pools were commissioned to design a new swimming pool set in the original pool garden, complete with landscape decking and entertaining areas in an Italian inspired setting. The pool has a fully automated
management system, electronic solar cover, and is powered by a heat source pump for added efficiency.
Adjacent to the pool is a beautiful pool house, clad in Cedar wood, which replaced the original summer house, and features a state of the art sauna and steam room, a home gym, and fully fitted and equipped kitchen area.
In addition to the pool, a ten seater hot tub is built into the landscaped areas and overlooks the pool house and tennis courts beyond.

GARDENS AND GROUNDS

The probated gated entrance leads to a large sweeping
drive which opens out onto an extensive parking area
adjacent to the oak framed garage and workshop block.
Stone steps rise up to the avenue of Irish yew which divide
the formal gardens from the meadows and the tennis
court. The original medieval carp pond sits at the entrance
to the gardens and paths lead towards a timber bridge over
the moat, bordered by mellow Tudor walls which surround
the western and northern boundaries.
Through a discrete doorway lies the riverside garden, with
river frontage and informal mooring, and houses a delightful
summerhouse which was mentioned in Pevsner. The house
can also be approached from the private no through road
off the village high street, and is set behind a stone archway
leading through to the cloister Gareth where additional
parking is available.

In addition, “monks cottage” is adjacent to the house
and offers self contained staff or additional family
accommodation.

Location

Set at the extreme northern end of the village, off a
private no-through road, the property enjoys a level of
privacy and seclusion on the southern banks of the river
Thames, between Oxford and London ( approximately
50 minutes drive and linked by fast rail services from
maidenhead). Hurley is a thriving community with its
own village hall, tennis and cricket club, a hotel, pub and
village shop/post office.

Square Footage: 7,906 sq ft


Acreage: 3.2 Acres

Directions

From Junction 8/9 of the M4 motorway at Maidenhead
follow the A404M towards Marlow and High Wycombe.
After about 3 miles take the slip road signposted to Henley
and follow the A4130. Passing Temple Golf Club on the
right and the next two turnings on the right take the third
right turn onto Hurley High Street. Follow the High Street
almost to the end turning right into Mill Lane, follow for
about a quarter of a mile and just before a sharp left hand
bend in the front of Freebody’s boat yard, the shared
gated drive entrance to The Cloisters will be found on the
left hand side.

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Additional Info

The Cloisters has a rich history dating from its foundation
in 1086 as a Benedictine Priory by Geoffrey de Mandeville
in memory of his first wife. The Priory was the centre of
village life for over 450 years until it was closed down in 1536
during the dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII. As
a daughter cell of Westminster Abbey the monks here were
more fortunate than most.

The monastic estate passed to John Lovelace in 1545
and this family became Lords of the Manor. They built
a mansion called Ladye Place (demolished in the 19th
Century) recalling the original foundation, in the grounds
of the Priory (on the southern edge of the present lawn).
The 3rd Lord John Lovelace played an important role in the
Glorious or Bloodless Revolution of 1688. He and his fellow
Lords plotted to restore the Protestant monarch William
of Orange to the English throne. It is said that his lordly
friends used the water gateway in the Tudor wall to the river
to approach the property in secret for their conspiratorial
meetings in the crypt (now in a neighbouring garden).
More recently, in April 1931 Queen Mary visited these
renowned gardens and watched a game of tennis sitting on
the stone seat (now by the large lawn) which is still known as
‘Queen Mary’s seat’. The original 20 acre monastic domain
was still called “Paradise” until 1948 when it was divided into
separate properties.

During the Second World War, Mr Sorrel Strausler, the
designer of the amphibious tank used in the D-Day
landings, reportedly used the moat to test its prototype.