It’s hard to know where to start with a property like Mundy’s House, so we’ll begin with the basics — its location. The estate sits betwixt Southampton (approximately 10 miles) and Winchester (just over eight miles), in the rural village of Upham, within the rolling South Downs National Park.
The property itself – now on the market via Savills with a guide price of £10 million — is approached through iron gates which lead to a central courtyard, in which is a prominent fountain pool, created by sculptor Simon Allison.
Woodlands, paddocks and open fields surround Mundy’s, creating a sense of total seclusion and privacy. It’s set within approximately 19 acres of grounds and has handsome red-bricked, foliage-clad exteriors, interjected by large lattice sash windows.
The interplay between the more traditional elements of the property and the newer sections harmonise effortlessly.
To the right of the property, for example, is the new spa and indoor pool complex. Floor-to-ceiling windows span all three external walls, drawing the picturesque gardens and natural daylight in whilst you’re in the pool. The same can be said for the glazed sauna and spacious gym area also.
Inside, every turn and door uncovers another awe-inspiring space. There are four, large ensuite bedrooms, two of which have doors which lead onto a shared balcony, from which you can access a spacious sun terrace, whilst the principal bedroom enjoys access directly onto the terrace.
Two further bedrooms are located in a self-contained staff/guest apartment with its own kitchen and sitting room, on the first floor.
There’s also a mezzanine-style study and library which leads up from the double-height reception hall, flooded with natural light.
The interiors feature limestone and wooden flooring, gothic-style doors, marble fireplaces, a beautiful cantilevered staircase and striking use of glass glazing (from Nero Glass Design) as a way to sync the older and newer parts of the house.
As you’d expect from a house of this calibre, the appliances and fixtures are high-end. The bespoke cabinetry is from furniture designer Toby Winteringham and the appliances in the kitchen and bathrooms include those from Gaggenau, Miele, Dombracht and Grohe.
Perhaps most enticing of all though is the bespoke Eurocave wine cellar and tasting room, found as part of the glazed corridor leading off from the reception hall, with space for up to an astonishing 3,500 bottles.
The rest of the accommodation is curated from formal and informal spaces — cosy snug and office rooms, alongside bright, entertaining rooms like the kitchen and dining room, both of which enjoy access out to the gardens.
Outside is another world completely, perfectly set up for equestrian life. There are eight garages and a large workshop set around a pretty quadrangle, and a stable yard with five loose Monarch horse boxes, a horse solarium, tack room; plus a kitchenette, bathroom and commercial Miele washer dryer amongst lots of storage.
Further outbuildings include the recreation barn (which is currently set up with an indoor golf simulator) with its own living space, kitchenette and bathroom. Behind this is space for eight cars.
The remaining gardens and grounds have been shown the same meticulous attention to detail as the property itself. A large terrace/BBQ area leads off from the house (accessed via the kitchen and dining room), and lawns slope down to a large lake. There’s also a tennis court, four paddocks and a mixture of formal gardens against mature trees and woodland which blend into the pastoral landscape.
The village of Upham is home to Upham C of E Primary School, two pubs and a recreation ground. Just four miles away is the medieval market town of Bishops Waltham (winner of the ‘best place to live in the UK award’), which hosts a weekly market, plus everything you could need for day-to-day living, including local supermarkets, pharmacies, a butcher and fishmonger, doctors’ surgery and dentist.
Alongside a wealth of sporting and recreational pursuits (such as walking in the national park, golf and sailing on the Solent) the schooling in the area is also fantastic. There are two outstanding primary schools less than three miles from the property, and the highly regarded Winchester College, St Swithun's School for Girls, Beadales and Peter Symonds College are also all located close by.
Mundy’s House is, without a doubt, a complete rural idyll that you’ll never want to leave. Close enough to all the major road and rail networks, yet hidden away in the picturesque South Downs National Park.
What could be better?
Mundy's House is currently on the market via Savills with a guide price of £10 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
A remarkable $100 million numismatic collection reappears after being buried for more than 50 yearsA collector hid his treasure from the Nazis, his widow kept it secret for decades, but now Roman aurei, Greek staters and British pounds so rare that some have never been sold at public auction have resurfaced and will go under the hammer.
-
The Hollywood legend with an even more famous daughter: Country Life Quiz of the DayFrom buns to bubbly in Wednesday's Quiz of the Day.
-
A £1.5 million flat on the street where wig and pen once metIt doesn't get more central London than Fleet Street.
-
A spectacular coastal estate in Dorset set on its own private peninsulaThis 160-acre estate is part nature reserve and part country home, with a beautiful Arts-and-Crafts home at its heart.
-
A converted bothy on the shores of Loch Tay from which to enjoy the fresh tastes of SpringWaterfall Cottage offers four bedrooms and a garden that stretches right down to the lapping waters.
-
An idyllic home in Hampshire that's perfect for the musical mindLyewood House sits in 3.5 acres and comes with a purpose built recording studio and an outdoor heated pool.
-
A well-connected rural playground with 23 acres on the edge of the South Downs National ParkOld House Farm is an impressive family home with a wealth of amenities that would inspire any rural passion.
-
18 magnificent homes for sale from £550k to £20 million, as seen in Country LifeFrom a charming thatched cottage to a 300-acre estate with its own vineyard, here's our pick of places to come to the market via Country Life of late.
-
A converted monastery for sale where the chapel has become the most incredible swimming pool we've seen in yearsYou can't help but wonder what the Trappist monks who once owned this 80-acre site in Devon would make of how the place has turned out.
-
The sounds of spring and stained glass in an Arts-and-Crafts masterpiece in DorsetWith 35 acres, more than 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool and tennis court, Winterfield has it all.
