A 17th century slice of splendour in the Garden of England that's a simple commute to the City
Getting back home from the office never looked so good.

William Peppitt of Savills and Edward Rook of Knight Frank quote a guide price of ‘excess £4m’ for the exquisite, Grade II-listed Cheveney, which stands on high ground on the edge of the ancient village of Yalding, six miles south-west of Maidstone (and roughly the same east of Royal Tunbridge Wells) where the Rivers Teise and Beult join the River Medway.
Approached over a long private driveway, the house dates from the latter half of the 17th century and was originally timber frame, extended in the 19th or early 20th century and restored in the early part of the 20th century.
Within the past 12 months, the present owners have upgraded the entire house, which now provides 10,864sq ft of impressive family accommodation, with five principal reception rooms, a resplendent kitchen/breakfast room and a three-bedroom, ground-floor apartment, with eight en-suite bedrooms on the first floor and an attic room on the floor above.
The beautifully maintained gardens, some eight acres in all, combine formal beds, landscaped lawns, evergreen and deciduous trees and enchanting lakes.
The half-timber-frame Elizabethan house has been extended in keeping with its original design, its surroundings extensively refurbished with large, conservatory-type greenhouses where long, Victorian, lean-to glasshouses previously stood.
The gardens and lakes remain much as they were, with a long trimmed box hedge framing a terrace where two cannons were mounted at the top of steps leading to the main lawn, which ran from the house to one end of the largest lake.
According to research compiled by the present owners, Cheveney has long played a part in the life of Yalding village, notably from the late 19th century until the early 1950s, when the estate was owned, firstly, by Col Arthur Borton, who inherited from his father, Gen Sir Arthur Borton, a distinguished soldier who was Governor of Malta from 1878 to 1884. Gen Borton was succeeded at Cheveney by his son, Amyas, known as Biffy, a pilot who became an air vice-marshal.
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.
His elder son, Arthur, known as Bosky, was awarded a Victoria Cross for gallantry in Palestine in November 1917, but died, aged 49, in 1933.
Penny Churchill is Country Life's property correspondent
Credit: Getty Images
Millennial misery continues, as they become first generation of homebuyers to see mortgage repayments increase
New data published in Hamptons' Generational Affordability Index is bad news for those born between 1981–95 who have made it
Credit: Knight Frank
A Victorian manor house with 36 acres on the edge of the Chilterns comes to the market for the first time in its history
Surrounded by 450 year old woodland, this 10-bedroom property also offers 20 stables, a three-bedroom annexe and village living in
-
Game, set, match: 12 of the world’s most beautiful tennis courts
From Italy to Indonesia, when it comes to hotel amenities, a picturesque tennis court will always trump a 24-hour gym. So, before you book your next holiday, take a look at our pick of the 12 best.
By Rosie Paterson Published
-
Five frankly enormous mansions, including one with its own private swimming lake, as seen in Country Life
Sometimes bigger really is better.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Five frankly enormous mansions, including one with its own private swimming lake, as seen in Country Life
Sometimes bigger really is better.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Gaze over Cap Ferrat in this four-bedroom French villa
Ignore the wind and the rain. Imagine yourself in this hillside home with some of the best views the Mediterranean can offer.
By James Fisher Published
-
Classical style meets fun and flair in a seven-bedroom manor in Cornwall
At Polstrong Manor, the current owners have combined period charm and elegant modern interiors to create a flamboyant country home 10-minutes from the beach.
By James Fisher Published
-
Two halves make a sublime four-bedroom home in Kent's North Downs
A contemporary extension to a traditional clapboard house brings light and life to Lavington House.
By James Fisher Published
-
The week in property statistics: Service charges reach record high
Plus, how first-time buyers prop up the mortgage market, why you need to move north if you want to live by yourself, and house-price growth slows
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A seven-bedroom oast house for sale in East Sussex, where your dreams can run riot
Unlisted, yet full of character, this property in the High Weald National Landscape is an eccentrically furnished family home that screams fun.
By James Fisher Published
-
Character, history and comfort combine in a four-bedroom farmhouse in Norfolk
Willow Farm near Southburgh is that rarest of things — a perfect combination of period charm and modern elegance in some of England's best countryside.
By James Fisher Published
-
A Grade I-listed Georgian townhouse that's part of the fabric of Bath's history
With 5,500sq ft set over six floors in the centre of Britain's most architecturally rich city, there is much to love here.
By James Fisher Published