A delightful home that needs saving in the Kent Downs, surrounded by the ruins of a medieval monastery
A mile-long medieval wall and endless charm are part of the attraction at Boxley Abbey in Kent. Penny Churchill tells all.


The lure of a medieval ruin is always strong, but especially so when it's a former abbey, and accompanied by more practical accommodation. And that's what is up for sale in the rolling countryside of the Kent Downs AONB with Boxley Abbey. It’s currently for sale through the Canterbury office of Strutt & Parker at a guide price of £2.25m.
There’s no denying the monastic credentials of this Grade II*-listed house near Maidstone: a medieval abbey precinct of more than 21 acres that surrounds the present Boxley Abbey House, with a mile-long medieval wall, one which is at most point draped beautifully in the plant life that has tried to reclaim it over the centuries.
Boxley Abbey House itself would be a magnificent country home even without this setting, albeit one which now needs renovation. The internal pictures here give a fair account of what you're looking at: much to be done, but there is huge charm and all sorts of character features.
The work appears to be nothing too concerning, though and the bones of the property are just what you'd hope: it provides 5,107sq ft of pleasant family living-space in the main house, including four reception rooms and a kitchen/breakfast room.
There are seven bedrooms and three bathrooms, with further accommodation in the three-bedroom south wing and the two-bedroom Boxley Abbey Cottage.
According to its listing, the house incorporates part of the west range of the once-great Cistercian monastery, founded in 1146 and dissolved in 1538.
In recent years, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) and Historic England have done much to help preserve this important site, notably the magnificent, Grade I-listed 12th-/14th-century barn, originally the abbey hospitium or guest house, which was restored and re-roofed in 2012.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
After the Dissolution, the property passed to the politician and poet Sir Thomas Wyatt, who built a large Tudor house among the abbey ruins.
That house was much reduced in size in about 1820, when it acquired its present Queen Anne appearance; the south wing was added about 100 years ago, when extensive, mostly walled gardens were established in the ruins of the abbey cloisters and buildings.
Since 1890, Boxley Abbey has been owned by the Best-Shaw family, who lived elsewhere on the estate before moving to the present house after the Second World War.
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
-
LAPICIDA — Tile & Stone Specialist
Lapicida is a world-class specialist in luxury surfaces.
By Country Life Published
-
What lies beneath: The weird and wonderful things lurking in Britain's museum basements
From radioactive rocks to great white sharks, and a dolphin called Boris, the things stored in Britain's museum basements make the mind boggle — and now plans are afoot to improve visitor access.
By Deborah Nicholls-Lee Published
-
A converted bothy on the shores of Loch Tay from which to enjoy the fresh tastes of Spring
Waterfall Cottage offers four bedrooms and a garden that stretches right down to the lapping waters.
By James Fisher Published
-
An idyllic home in Hampshire that's perfect for the musical mind
Lyewood House sits in 3.5 acres and comes with a purpose built recording studio and an outdoor heated pool.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
A well-connected rural playground with 23 acres on the edge of the South Downs National Park
Old House Farm is an impressive family home with a wealth of amenities that would inspire any rural passion.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
18 magnificent homes for sale from £550k to £20 million, as seen in Country Life
From 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.
By Toby Keel Published
-
If heaven is on earth, it might be in this home with a converted chapel that is now a swimming pool
5 Wood Barton Town House is part of an exclusive 80-acre development in Devon that also comes with fishing rights on the River Avon and four bedrooms.
By James Fisher Published
-
The sounds of spring and stained glass in an Arts-and-Crafts masterpiece in Dorset
With 35 acres, more than 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool and tennis court, Winterfield has it all.
By James Fisher Published
-
An eight-bedroom wonder in East Sussex where the outdoors are an adventure
The interiors of Old Middleton are pretty good too.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
A lakeside farmhouse on the market in the beautiful heart of Pembrokeshire
A lake, streams, 15 acres and five bedrooms. Rogershook might have it all.
By James Fisher Published