Thorn Farm, Stelling Minnis, Canterbury, Kent
Thorn Farm is a magnificent farmhouse with a spa complex, annexe and stunning gardens and grounds. The substantial luxury home has almost 10,000sq ft of accommodation arranged over three, light-filled floors, with impressive styling and fittings.
The main house has a grand reception hall at its heart, with Cipriani limestone flooring, bi-fold doors opening onto the rear garden, conservatory style windows and roof, with automatic blinds and a galleried landing above. Reception rooms include a 34ft drawing room, the formal dining room and the study, while there is also a large, open-plan kitchen and dining room. The kitchen features bespoke fitted units and a central island with a breakfast bar.
Stairs lead to the lower ground level, where there is a large indoor swimming pool with Buscot stone flooring, as well as changing and shower facilities. The pool is magnesium chloride, heated by a 5‑to‑1 air source heat pump and features an automatic cover. There is also a spectacular spa including jacuzzi, plunge pool, infrared and classic saunas, steam room and a gym with mirrored wall and a 35ft function room with an adjoining temperature controlled wine room. The lower ground floor also has a utility room which has a laundry chute with access from all floors.
Upstairs there are five beautifully appointed bedrooms including the principal bedroom with its dressing room, en suite bathroom and two balconies overlooking the garden. Two further bedrooms have en suite shower rooms, while the other two share a Jack and Jill bathroom. The second floor has a loft room and access to a roof terrace.
The house is perfectly equipped and fitted for modern living, with advanced technological and energy features. These include a Control4 automation system and Gira lighting system, whole house underfloor heating, a whole house sound system with 96 speakers, a central vacuum cleaning system and a fully maintained fire and intruder alarm system with 16 CCTV cameras.
Systems related to energy and services include a heavy metal water filtration system, whole house reverse-osmosis drinking water system to all cold taps, a water softener, an 11.8kw wind turbine generating £10,000 per annum, an external irrigation system, two boreholes with 10,000l of water storage, 8,000l of underground gas storage and dual 100kw fault tolerant boilers.
The property sits in stunning landscaped gardens and grounds of around 13 acres, with several outbuildings including a triple garage and an annexe, which has one bedroom, a sitting room, a kitchen and a shower room, and underfloor heating throughout. The garage has plenty of storage space on its lower ground level, and is accessed at the front of the house, where there is a spacious driveway and double electric-gated entrances, providing a wealth of parking space for residents and guests alike, as well as two car charging points.
At the rear, the south-facing garden includes a sunken terrace with patio space in sawn Windsor Buff Blue Yorkstone, raised beds and a lagoon-like water feature. There are pristine lawns, a tennis court with floodlights, a practice wall and a storage shed, and beyond the gardens, rolling wildflower meadows, apple and pear orchards, a vegetable garden with a polytunnel, a field with its own separate entrance and a stunning lake.
Thorn Farm is in a picturesque rural position just outside the small village of Stelling Minnis, which has a village hall, post office and a pub, as well as a primary school. There are further facilities and schooling available in the neighbouring villages.
Canterbury offers a wide range of cultural, sporting and recreational amenities, and a good range of educational facilities, both in the independent and state sectors.
In terms of connections, the A2 provides direct dual carriageway access onto the motorway network and Canterbury West station provides high speed services to London St Pancras in under an hour. Alternatively, Ashford International is within 11 miles, offering services to London St Pancras in 38 minutes.
Julien Hunt of Savills Cranbrook & East Kent, says: “Thorn Farm is a magnificent home in a splendid rural position, complete with a luxurious spa complex and the most beautiful gardens and grounds of around 13 acres.”
A guide price of £5,700,000.
