FULMER GARDENS HOUSE

Believed to date back to the late 1800s, Fulmer Gardens House is a fine country house, still retaining the grandeur of a bygone era, showcasing many character features and architectural detailing including stone quoins, impressive high ceilings punctuated with elaborate cornices, decorative wall and ceiling panelling, picture rails, parquet wood flooring and ornate period fireplaces. The property is set in about 10.5 acres and provides over 13,000 sq ft of accommodation, including a self-contained cottage, and now requires a degree of renovation and modernisation, offering potential purchasers a rare opportunity to acquire an exciting project.

On the ground floor, in the main wing of the house, a grand reception hall leads to the impressive principal reception rooms, providing significant and opulent space for both formal and informal entertaining. The accommodation on this side comprises drawing room with magnificent garden views, formal dining room, library, music room, billiard room, kitchen and utility. On the other side of the house, formerly the servants quarters, further more modest accommodation includes a garden room, snug, kitchen, breakfast room, dining room and utility. On the first floor the principal bedroom suite overlooks the garden and features a large, sumptuous en suite bathroom. There are 12 further bedrooms and six bath/shower rooms on this floor with an additional bedroom, bathroom and sitting room in the attic room.

Set in about 10.5 acres, the formal gardens and grounds are a real feature of the property and provide an enchanting backdrop, with expansive lawns, pathways, water garden, hard tennis court and a swimming pool. Of particular note are the abundance of specimen trees throughout the garden, with many trees featuring tree planting plaques commemorating royal visits, with one thought to have been planted by Queen Victoria. Steps from the lawn lead to the walled, stone entertaining terrace adjoining the rear of the house. The house benefits from three gated entrances and three driveways providing ample parking. There is a double garage and a further single garage attached to a double car port. In addition to the main house is a self-contained two bedroom cottage.

Historical Note
Steeped in Fulmer’s history, Fulmer Gardens House was the home of Colonel the Hon Sir Harry Legge from 1883 to his death in 1928. Sir Harry was Equerry to King Edward VII and married the maid of honour to Her Majesty Queen Victoria so consequently the connection with the Court was strong. The Queen and her family visited the house over a prolonged period of years. Sir Harry pursued his interest in trees and started his tree collection, planting a profusion of specimens and many of these royal visits culminated in tree planting ceremonies. Today, through the commemorative plaques, the gardens are testament to those early 20th Century visits. As an estate the scale of the gardens was very much greater in the 1900’s that it is today. The estate had 15 gardeners and even in the 1880s trees were numerous and well developed.