An outstanding country estate in need of restoration.


Description

Situated about 8 miles equidistant of the ancient Cathedral city of Canterbury and the South Kent coastal town of Folkestone lies the small village of Denton in the civil parish of Denton and Wootton, at its heart and beautifully hidden from sight by bucolic rolling parkland, lies the wonderful Grade II* listed Denton Court.

Denton Court or ' The Manor of Denton’ as it was once known is situated on the site of a much earlier substantial building, possibly dating prior to 1086 when The Domesday Book, Liber de Wintonia was completed. At that time 'the Manor of Dentetone was given to Odo, Bishop of Baieux and Molleue who held it of King Edward as tenant; the sub-tenant, Ralph de Curbespine held it of the Bishop'. The Manor 'was worthy of sixty shillings, arable land of three teams, four villans, with two borders have one team'.

Over the following centuries the manor changed hands a number of times and in 1574 a new mansion was built by William Boys. Between 1792 and 1810 Sir Samuel Egerton Brydges, who was educated locally at Maidstone Grammar and The Kings School, Canterbury and later became an English bibliographer, genealogist and member of parliament for Maidstone, acquired the house and set about restoring it and landscaping the surrounding gardens and grounds. In 1860, having been partially destroyed by fire, the estate was sold to William Willats who then rebuilt the mansion, retaining as much as possible including the two western gables, hence the impressive main frontage now faces south instead of west. Passing down through several generations of Willats, Denton Court has more recently been in the same ownership for over fifty years.

The estate currently comprises the imposing mansion, Denton Court, which is designated as a building of Special Architectural Interest and Historic Note being Grade II* Listed, approached over a long private drive flanked by estate fencing and rolling parkland and enjoying expansive views over the formal gardens and beyond to the south. Within the grounds there is a detached two bedroom Victorian gatehouse, a detached four bedroom cottage together with an extensive range of adjacent period workshops, outbuildings and former stables, all set in about 26.87 acres.

The principal house, with its ornate southerly facing façade and faded elegance in evidence, presents as a substantial restoration project, offering potential purchasers a rare opportunity to acquire a building of this historic stature and substance and revive it to its former glory whilst introducing a touch of the 21st century. Points of note include:

High ceilings with decorative cornicework, wooden wall panelling and flooring, impressive sash windows, many with working window shutters; period fireplaces in the reception rooms and a majority of the bedrooms; and a number of similar features from a bygone era.
Of particular note are the spacious rooms with southerly vistas being enjoyed by most of the formal reception rooms over the gardens towards the parkland. These lovely light filled rooms include a former ballroom, drawing and dining rooms and a billiards room.
A grand central reception hall of excellent proportions features panelled wainscoting with a large open fireplace to one end and a sweeping staircase leading up to the first floor where the open gallery runs along three sides.
The bell corridor, so named as the original working bells are still in place, links the front hall to a further collection of rooms, including laundry/utility rooms, offices/store rooms, a bathroom, the former kitchen with original cupboards and range still in situ, the current kitchen/breakfast room with AGA, a larder with slate shelving, a shower room and a separate WC.
An enclosed covered walkway houses the old water pump and has a number of rooms located off it which include several staff rooms over two floors, a cold store with mesh windows and a WC.
The cellar, has four store rooms, one with wine bins and old beeholes and one which would have been used to house coal for the original coal fired boiler system.
Access via both principal and secondary staircases to the first floor which has a total of nine bedrooms, a dressing room, three bathrooms, WC and a sewing/linen room. On the second floor are eight further bedrooms in varying states of disrepair, a tank room and access to the roof.

Gate Lodge, Court Lodge, Outbuildings and Grounds
On entering the long drive to Denton Court the Victorian gatehouse, will be found on the left hand side. With its own pretty enclosed garden and parking, it has a sitting room, dining room with wood burning stove, kitchen, two bedrooms, a shower room and separate WC.
As the drive continues, a spur leads off to the north of the main house, passing the wide, well trodden steps up to the walled garden and arriving at a brick laden area of parking in front of the former stables, outbuildings and the former coach house, now known as Court Cottage. Inside, the cottage benefits from well laid out accommodation, including a split level sitting/dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, four bedrooms, a family bathroom and en suite shower room.
Adjoining Court Cottage are various period outbuildings comprising wood stores, machinery mower stores and workshop.

The gardens, grounds and land extend to approximately 26.87 acres and provide an enchanting backdrop. To the south lie the formal gardens with expansive lawns, central box parterres, wide gravel pathways stretch away to stone balustrading dividing the formal from informal yet equally delightful undulating parkland. Within the grounds there are an array of beautiful ancient trees, providing a colourful display of foliage throughout the seasons. Several paddocks which are down to grazing complete the property.

Location

Denton Court occupies a delightful setting within An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Denton village itself has a village hall, an ancient church and The Jackdaw Inn public house, whilst Barham village (2.6 miles) has a village store and post office.

The medieval city of Canterbury (8.5 miles) with its cobbled streets and old buildings is home to the famous cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and to The Marlow Theatre and an extensive range of shops, supermarkets, galleries and restaurants. Howletts Wild Animal Park and Wingham Wildlife Centre are about 8 miles away.

The world renowned Royal St George’s is just one of a number of popular golf courses in the area. Also nearby are Broome Park Golf Club and Canterbury Golf Club. There is a good choice of schools in the area both at primary and secondary level. These include Barham and Selsted Church of England Primary Schools and The King’s School and St Edmunds in Canterbury. Universities include Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury College and University of Kent.

Train services run from Canterbury West to London St. Pancras in approximately 55 minutes and Canterbury East to London Victoria in 1 hr 36 mins. A high speed service can be found at Ashford International station which gets to London St. Pancras in 37 minutes. Trains run from Shepherds Well station (5.6 miles) to London Victoria.

Motorway links: The A2 links to the A20 and M20, the coast, major motorway networks, Heathrow and Gatwick airports and the Channel Tunnel Terminus.
*All mileages and distances are approximate

Square Footage: 17,367 sq ft


Acreage: 26.87 Acres

Directions

From the M20 in Folkstone take the turn off for the A20 and continue for 0.8 of a mile, taking the A260 towards Canterbury, proceed along Spitfire Way for approximately 6 miles passing through the villages of Densole and Selsted. The entrance to Denton Court will be found on the right hand side, immediately prior to Denton Lane.

Additional Info

Services: Main house, lodge and cottage; oil fired central heating, mains water and electricity. Private drainage.

Council Tax: Court Cottage Tax Band F and Gate Lodge Tax Band E

Agent's Notes:
1. Gate Lodge is subject to a protected tenancy, so the current tenants can remain there for life.

2. Part of the land is subject to a Farm Business Tenancy (FBT) until 6th April 2028.

3. There are a number of public footpaths which run through the land.

4. The main house, two cottages, gardens and land totalling 26.87 acres are being separated from the current Land Registry title K976858.