‘There’s been nothing like this on the market since it was last sold in 2008’, says Alex Lawson of Savills (020–7409 8882) of Hampshire’s glorious, 177-acre Longparish estate on the banks of the legendary River Test, Britain’s most famous chalk stream, in the North Wessex Downs AONB. He quotes a guide price of ‘in excess of £15 million’ for the historic estate with its elegant, Grade II*-listed main house, five miles from Andover, four miles from Whitchurch and an hour by rail from London Waterloo.
In the late 18th and 19th centuries, Longparish House, which, according to its listing, dates from the ‘late 17th or early 18th century, with alterations and additions of the late 19th century’, was owned by the Hawker family, whose best known member was Col Peter Hawker, born in 1786, who served under Wellington in the Peninsular War. His book Advice to Young Sportsmen, first published in 1814, is still the traditional bible of young people taking up shooting or fishing.
In 1919, Maj-Gen Guy Payan Dawnay bought Longparish House, the sporting estate and the farms that went with it. The estate remained with the Dawnay family until 1989, except during the Second World War, when Longparish House was occupied by the Bank of England. Built in the style of a French château, the house has accommodation on three floors, including four fine reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room, five bedroom suites, four further bedrooms and a family bathroom. Although well maintained and structurally sound, it could do with ‘some cosmetic refurbishment’, the agents suggest.
The sparkling River Test, which runs through the gardens and grounds, provides a wonderfully serene setting and some of the best chalk-stream fishing in the world, with 644m (2,113ft) of single bank and 2,067m (6,782ft) of double bank on the main stream of the Test, accessible directly from the lawn or the well-tended paths and bridges. Much improved sport in recent years can be attributed to the present owner’s ‘purist’ approach to estate and river management, which has seen the sporting environment transformed into something much more akin to wild fishing, Mr Lawson concludes.
Longparish estate is on the market with Savills – see more details and pictures.
Otterington Hall, a magnificent home with superb topiary and beautiful stables
Yorkshire properties of this calibre are few and far between: this is a spectacular home with three further cottages, amazing
Seafood, fennel and saffron stew
Fennel is a natural companion to fish.
Which river in Hampshire is the best to live on?
When it comes to the crunch, which of Hampshire’s great rivers does today’s buyer ideally want to live on? Tessa
-
Dawn Chorus: A Blue Plaque for Marc Bolan, holidaying in the Caribbean with Francis Ford Coppola and a history of the National Gallery in 25 picturesPlus the best of the property pages, and how the railways will save the countryside.
-
Game, set, match: 12 of the world’s most beautiful tennis courtsFrom 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.
-
Five palatial mansions for sale, including one with its own private swimming lake, as seen in Country LifeSometimes bigger really is better.
-
Gaze over Cap Ferrat in this four-bedroom French villaIgnore the wind and the rain. Imagine yourself in this hillside home with some of the best views the Mediterranean can offer.
-
Classical style meets fun and flair in a seven-bedroom manor in CornwallAt Polstrong Manor, the current owners have combined period charm and elegant modern interiors to create a flamboyant country home 10-minutes from the beach.
-
Two halves make a sublime four-bedroom home in Kent's North DownsA contemporary extension to a traditional clapboard house brings light and life to Lavington House.
-
The week in property statistics: Service charges reach record highPlus, 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
-
A seven-bedroom oast house for sale in East Sussex, where your dreams can run riotUnlisted, yet full of character, this property in the High Weald National Landscape is an eccentrically furnished family home that screams fun.
-
Character, history and comfort combine in a four-bedroom farmhouse in NorfolkWillow Farm near Southburgh is that rarest of things — a perfect combination of period charm and modern elegance in some of England's best countryside.
-
A Grade I-listed Georgian townhouse that's part of the fabric of Bath's historyWith 5,500sq ft set over six floors in the centre of Britain's most architecturally rich city, there is much to love here.
