Lambert Mews, Southfleet, Gravesend, DA13 9AN

A beautifully renovated family home in a private Southfleet cul de sac, where a double orangery opens onto a south facing garden and open farmland beyond. Light, space and countryside, all in one considered home.

Timbered gables, warm brick and soft clay tiles give the house a settled, storybook face as you arrive, and a sweeping driveway has room for the whole family and their guests, with a double garage alongside. It's a home that has been loved and carefully improved. The renovation has been carried out from top to bottom, with a rare eye for quality and for how a family really lives.

The day begins in the kitchen, where white gloss cabinetry, integrated ovens and a warm oak topped island with a wine cooler beneath it make a natural gathering point. Friends perch on the stools with a coffee while the light pours in from the room beyond. And then the house opens up, quite literally. The double orangery runs almost the full width of the home, glazed on two sides, with a pair of roof lanterns overhead and folding doors that draw back to bring the garden indoors. Light travels across the floor from morning to evening, crystal chandeliers catch it as the day softens, and there's space for a long dining table, a sofa corner and every bit of the happy chaos of family life. On summer evenings the doors stay open and the room becomes part of the garden.

Across the hall, the living room is quieter and more settled. Panelled walls, a bay window at one end and French doors to the terrace at the other frame a brick fireplace with a chunky oak beam and wood burner, and it's the room you'll want on a dark January afternoon. At the other side of the house, the cinema and games room is a world of its own, with tiered reclining seating, a pool table, a glowing display bar and lighting that can be set to whatever mood the evening calls for. A snug at the front, a study for working from home, a utility room and a cloakroom keep everything else running quietly in the background.

Upstairs, the principal suite is the quiet heart of the house. Oak beams rise into a vaulted ceiling, and glazed folding doors open onto a balcony that looks straight out across the farmland, so you wake to birch leaves moving in the breeze and fields stretching to the horizon. Two dressing rooms sit alongside, and the bathroom has been designed as a space to linger in, with a freestanding bath, a walk in shower, a long double basin, brushed brass fittings and bespoke oak joinery lit softly from within, all set on a herringbone floor. Five further bedrooms are generous and well proportioned, two with en suites of their own, and a separate shower room serves the rest, so there's room for children, guests and visiting grandparents without anyone queuing.

Outside, the south facing garden is laid mainly to lawn and feels wonderfully private, with farmland rolling away beyond the boundary and nothing built between you and the view. A broad terrace runs beside the orangery for long lunches that become long evenings, and a swim spa and hot tub sit just beyond the doors, so the garden stays part of daily life well into the colder months.

This is a home for a family who want to spread out without ever feeling far from one another. Weekday mornings are easy, weekends are made for entertaining, and the countryside is always there, whether you're looking out from the breakfast island or from your own balcony. Homes with this much space, this much finish and this much outlook rarely come along together.

Location Guide

Southfleet is one of those Kent villages that still feels like a village. Its buildings gather around a crossroads, there's a duck pond beside the farm shop, and the fields begin almost as soon as the last house ends. The parish takes in the hamlets of Betsham, Highcross and Westwood, and the village has a long history, with Roman roots on Watling Street and an entry in the Domesday Book. It sits just south of the A2, so it's quiet and rural, yet the capital is closer than you'd expect.

Transport Links

Ebbsfleet International is roughly two miles away and offers the quickest route into London, with high speed services reaching St Pancras in around twenty minutes. Longfield is the nearest mainline station, with direct trains to London Victoria in just under 30 minutes, and Gravesend has services towards Charing Cross. By road, the A2 and the M25 are both close by, which makes Bluewater, the Dartford Crossing and the Channel ports easy to reach.

Education

Southfleet's own primary school, Sedley's Church of England Primary, sits in the heart of the village and is housed in a listed building. Langafel Church of England Primary in Longfield is also close by as is Longfield Academy. Secondary choices include Ebbsfleet Academy and Northfleet School for Girls, and Kent's grammar schools are well within reach, among them Mayfield Grammar School and Gravesend Grammar School, both in Gravesend.

Local Attractions

The Church of St Nicholas is the village's great landmark. It's Grade I listed, with fourteenth century origins and a flint and ragstone tower, and it rewards a slow wander round. Beyond the village, the lanes and farm tracks make for easy walking, and the wider Kent countryside is on the doorstep, with country parks and woodland within a short drive. Gravesend's riverside, with its long views across the Thames, is a pleasant change of scene for a weekend.

Entertainment and Leisure

The Ship Inn, one of the oldest buildings in the village, is the local for a pint and a proper meal, and Manor Farm Barn is a popular spot nearby for food and drink. Broaditch Farm Shop by the duck pond covers the everyday essentials, and the village hall and village club keep a steady calendar of community events. For larger shopping trips, Bluewater is a short drive away, and Gravesend and Longfield offer a good mix of independent shops, cafes and restaurants.