Standing at the front door of imposing Kimpton Grange, on the edge of the conservation village of Kimpton, four miles from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, it’s hard to believe that the red-brick Victorian exterior hides an elegant, early-18th-century house with mid-18th- and 19th-century additions, which now requires ‘extensive modernisation’ and, with remodelling in mind, is conveniently unlisted.
For sale through the country department of Strutt & Parker and local agents Churchills at a guide price of £6m, substantial Kimpton Grange, a former vicarage, stands at the end of a sweeping, tree-lined drive, surrounded by mature landscaped gardens, a lake, a walled garden, parkland and paddocks – 22.6 acres in all.
The house currently offers some 13,000sq ft of accommodation on three floors, including three light and spacious reception rooms, a study, kitchen/breakfast room, six bedroom suites and an indoor leisure area with a swimming pool, changing rooms, gym and games room. The property also features a private cinema.
Outdoor amenities include two cottages, a staff flat, an outdoor pool, a floodlit tennis court and a large barn.
Attention to detail is evident throughout Kimpton Grange – the swimming pool boasts a stunning set of murals, which depict an idyllic countryside garden and flow seamlessly into the marble columns with decorate the walls.
The outdoor pool mimics its indoor counterpart, with a Grecian pavilion saving owners from a cold trip back to the main house after taking a dip. A picturesque pond, reached by a box hedge lined path, completes Kimpton’s water features.
The property does require extensive modernisation to bring it up to the modern standards which match its imposing exterior. The drawing and sitting rooms both feature stunningly moulded ceilings and with their palatial measurements and wooden floors are reminiscent of old country house ballrooms, however both are in great need of an update and polish.
In a bid to create a greater ‘sense of arrival’ at Kimpton Grange, drawings commissioned from a consultant architect propose a striking redesign of the Victorian east façade to match the more pleasing proportions of the south front, which overlooks the lake, and the replacement of the present, single-storey, indoor pool complex with a new kitchen/dining area overlooking the gardens.
Credit: Finest Properties
A beautiful Grade II-listed former vicarage along the old Roman road in north Cumbria
The Old Vicarage has undergone many renovations since the original property was first built in the early 15th century, transforming
Credit: Savills
Poets' corner: The aristocratic family home which provided a haven for the literary geniuses of the 19th century
Inside Haworth: The humble parsonage where the Brontë sisters changed literature
Some of our most enduring stories were conceived at Haworth – Jeremy Musson enjoys a literary pilgrimage.
Credit: Strutt & Parker
A beautifully restored Wiltshire parsonage with a swimming pool, a party barn and 20 acres of enchanting formal gardens
After a 37 year odyssey, the once-dilapidated The Grange as been lovingly restored to its former glory - with the
Credit: Strutt & Parker
A perfect little Cotswold manor for sale, just down the road from ‘England’s prettiest village’
Latimer Manor stands in 14 acres of gardens, grounds and paddocks on the edge of the unspoilt Cotswold village of
-
New balls please: Eddie Redmayne, Anna Wintour and Laura Bailey on the sensory pleasures of playing tennisLittle beats the popping sound and rubbery smell of a new tube of tennis balls — even if you're a leading Hollywood actor.
-
A rare opportunity to own a family home on Vanbrugh Terrace, one of London's finest streetsThis six-bedroom Victorian home sits right on the start line of the London Marathon, with easy access to Blackheath and Greenwich Park.
-
A rare opportunity to own a family home on Vanbrugh Terrace, one of London's finest streets
This six-bedroom Victorian home sits right on the start line of the London Marathon, with easy access to Blackheath and Greenwich Park.
-
A day walking up and down the UK's most expensive streetWinnington Road in Hampstead has an average house price of £11.9 million. But what's it really like? Lotte Brundle went to find out.
-
Damon Hill's former home in Marbella is the perfect place to slow downThe glorious Andalusian-style villa is found within the Lomas de Marbella Club and just a short walk from the beach.
-
A 327-acre estate in the heart of 'England’s Côte d’Or', with a 26,000sq ft Georgian style home at its heartStokes Hall in the Crouch Valley is an inspiring property looking for a new owner.
-
Schreiber House, 'the most significant London townhouse of the second half of the 20th century', is up for saleThe five-bedroom Modernist masterpiece sits on the edge of Hampstead Heath.
-
Is the 'race for space' officially over?During the lockdowns, many thought the countryside was the place to be. It seems many are now changing their minds.
-
What's a 'wellness village' and will it tempt you back into the office?The team behind London's first mixed-use ‘wellness village’ says it has the magic formula for tempting workers back into offices.
-
A mini estate in Kent that's so lovely it once featured in Simon Schama's 'History of Britain'The Paper Mill estate is a picture-postcard in the Garden of England.
