BARTON ST MARY

About this property

Barton St Mary is an impressive mansion house, designed by Edwin Lutyens in the grand Tudor Revival style, with pebble dashed and tile-hung elevations under a hipped tiled roof, mullioned windows with leaded lights, and deep gables and tall brick chimneys. It was built in 1906 for the shipping magnate Sir G Munro Miller; it was used as a school in World War II and subsequently bought by Matilda Marks, of the renowned retail family. Miss Marks later married Terence Kennedy, and together they made a number of changes to both the interior and exterior of the house, including adding the striking pastoral mural to the principal staircase.

The entrance to the property is marked by a pair of Grade II listed gatehouses, forming an archway for the tall wood gates which open to the gravelled driveway. This leads past the kitchen garden and formal front gardens, and on to a turning circle with water feature ahead of the house.

The mansion itself is set well back in its grounds, cleverly positioned to take advantage of the sweeping southerly views across its own glorious gardens to the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty beyond.

Barton St Mary offers extensive accommodation arranged over two floors, with an additional cellar. The floorplans give an excellent overview of the house and should be used a comprehensive guide to the full extent of the house and its outbuildings.

The property offers a wealth of fascinating architectural features, with many original features still intact, including oak sills, skirtings, doors and architraves, and the impressive fireplace in the sitting room; the drawing room has carved bookshelves flanking the doors and two large windows framing the far-reaching views. The music room is worthy of particular mention, with its ornate partially gilded plasterwork. It is likely a later addition, as are the ornate marble fireplaces fitted in the drawing room and dining room.

The kitchen/breakfast room sits to the rear of the house, with a study/games room.

The principal staircase and its picturesque mural sweep up to the first floor. The principal suite has a bedroom with fitted wardrobes, bathroom, and a dressing room, all with wonderful views over the grounds. There are six further bedrooms and three bathrooms lying off the main landing; a further bedroom suite with living room, bedroom and family bathroom can be reached from the landing or via a secondary staircase, and is suitable for guest or staff accommodation.

1 & 2 Barton St Mary’s Lodge
A pair of Grade II listed cottages, attached at the first floor and forming the gatehouse entrance to the property. Each is presented in good order, with plenty of ground floor space and three bedrooms, and they are ideal for staff or for letting.

Outbuildings
The triple garage is attached to the gatehouse; there is also a range of machinery stores, garden shed and greenhouse near the kitchen garden. Attached to the main house is a courtyard, with a gardener’s WC, open woodstore and two stores. To the east of the house is an all-weather tennis court, and a swimming pool with pool house.

Gardens and grounds
The gardens were designed by Gertrude Jekyll in 1907, and, whilst the planting has changed over the years, much of the original hard landscaping remains intact. Features include a drive, avenues of fruit trees, a formal kitchen garden, a four-square garden, a sunken garden bordered by yew hedging, a topiary walk to a water feature, and informally-planted lawns. The rear of the house is spanned by a stone terrace, with steps leading down to the lawns which stretch gently away from the house, interspersed with mature trees, with light woodland at the boundary and three ponds at the southernmost point. In all, about 20.53 acres.