Hucking Hill House, Kent
Hucking Hill House is a beautiful unlisted country home surrounded by the Kent Downs National Landscape countryside, between Maidstone and Sittingbourne. Formerly Snakeshaw Castle, the property was commissioned in the 1850s by the distinguished lawyer John Philip Green, who also built the nearby school, Admiral House. The house is set in a total of about ten acres and is full of period charm and character, with generous, flexible accommodation ideal for family living and entertaining. Thoughtfully upgraded over time, it blends period features with practical modern touches, creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere throughout.
Features include well-proportioned rooms with good ceiling heights, shutters, fireplaces with wood burning stoves, panelled doors, sash windows, coving, exposed brick and beams, and oak flooring.
The ground floor comprises an entrance hall and lobby, drawing room, formal dining room, family room, bar, kitchen, boot room, laundry room and cloakroom. The entrance hall has an elegant staircase to the first floor and original Victorian floor tiles in the lobby area. Doors from here lead to the double aspect drawing room with an attractive fireplace housing a wood burning stove. The elegant dining room has sash windows and a fireplace, while the bright and airy family room has doors to the terrace.
At the heart of the house is the bespoke kitchen with a York stone floor, underfloor heating and a Burley wood burner. There are granite worktops and a central island housing many integrated appliances, with a stylish bar area offering a focal point for social gatherings. There is also a boot room and stairs leading to the dry cellar, providing a wine cellar and storage.
Upstairs is the double aspect principal bedroom with en suite shower room and there are three further bedrooms, two additional en suite shower rooms and a family bathroom on the first floor. The second floor has two eaves bedrooms, one currently used as a dressing room.
Set behind a pair of electric gates, the property is approached by a gravel driveway with a generous parking area centred around an elegant fountain.
The 3.5 acre garden area is mainly lawn, with a fully fenced natural pond, mature shrubs, plants and ancient woodland forming a mystical parkland setting with an impressive outdoor entertaining space, Willow Lodge.
This substantial, open timber-framed party room has a pizza oven, barbecue area, ice machine and characterful flint and brick bar with reclaimed timbers. It has been designed for year-round enjoyment with electric heaters, and there is a shower room, space for a hot tub and a generous seating area with a circular table.
Nearby, a charming woodland area includes an enchanting children’s play area and tree house.
There are four acres of historic woodland which form part of the largest Woodland Trust Area in the South East, full of wild garlic and bluebells. The current owner uses part of the woodland as a forest school. There is also a three acre paddock with a water supply, a double garage, potting shed and outbuildings which were the original stables. There is lapsed planning permission for stables in the paddock and for ancillary accommodation within the original stables.
Julien Hunt of Savills Cranbrook and East Kent, says: “Hucking Hill House is a beautiful country home with timeless appeal in a splendid rural location. It’s perfect for those who commute to London or that want direct access to the continent, with the Channel Tunnel being about 40 minutes away.”
Hucking Hill House is being marketed by Savills for a guide price of £1,750,000.
