Medmenham abbeyhenley-on-thames, oxfordshire/buckinghamshire

Marlow 4 miles Henley-on-Thames 5 miles Reading 12.6 miles (London Paddington 45 minutes) M40 (J4) 6.7miles M4 (J8/9) 10.3 miles Heathrow Airport 24.8 miles Central London 36.2 miles(Distances and time approximate)

A truly idyllic grade II* listed riverside residence steeped in history

Entrance hall Kitchen Breakfast room Dining room Sitting room Music room Drawing room Library Utility room Study Cinema Cloakrooms Loggia

Master bedroom suite with dressing room and bathroom 8 further bedroom suites

Spa bathroom with steam room Gymnasium Bar

Housekeeper’s cottage comprising: Kitchen/Breakfast room Sitting room Bedroom Bathroom Utility room WC

Extensive staff offices 3 bay garage Store room

0.67 miles of River Thames frontage Private wet dock Beautiful mature gardens and grounds Outdoor swimming pool Water meadows with extensive wooden board walk

Planning consent for a covered boat house, new garage block with first floor staff flat and an extension to the existing house keeper’s annex

In all about 42.10 acres

House approximately 12,938 sq ft (1,202 sq m) in total including garage

For sale freehold

Medmenham Abbey

Viewing by appointment only.these particulars are intended only as a guide and must not be relied upon as statements of fact. your attention is drawn to the important notice on the last page of the brochure.

+44 (0)20 7629 817155 Baker StreetLondon, W1U 8ANjames.crawford@knightfrank.com

+44 (0)1491 844 90020 Thameside, Henley-on-ThamesOxfordshire, RG9 2LJmatthew.mannall@knightfrank.com

www.knightfrank.com

henley-on-thames, oxfordshire/buckinghamshire

Situationthe area is well served with road and rail links with easy access via the m4 and m40 to the national motorway network and central london. there is a train service from henley-on-thames via twyford to london Paddington and direct trains run to london from both reading (12.6 miles) taking about 30 minutes and from high Wycombe (8.8 miles) to london marylebone taking about 34 minutes.

heathrow airport is within an average drive time of 40 minutes and northolt Private airport is near J1 of the m40 (25.4 miles).

there is an excellent range of independent schools in the area, including ludgrove, Wycombe abbey, Wellington college, bradfield college, eton, Queen anne’s school, the oratory and davenies in beaconsfield.

racing can be found at ascot and Windsor. Polo is at guards Polo club near ascot and the royal county of berkshire Polo club.

local fine dining can be found at the fat duck at bray, l’ortolan at shinfield, the french horn in sonning, the royal oak at Paley street, the compleat angler at marlow, le manoir aux Quat’saisons at great milton, and many others in the West end, which is an easy drive.

boating is on the river thames accessed via the private wet dock. marina facilities can also be found at hambleden (mill end), harleyford, Wargrave and caversham with the royal regatta course located at henley-on-thames.

Historymedmenham abbey is built on the site of, and possibly incorporating some masonry from, the cistercian abbey of st mary which was founded in 1204. the ruinous abbey house, which sits adjacent to the old site of the abbey, was rented by sir francis dashwood, afterwards lord le de spencer, and in the early 1700’s was restored for him by italian artists. it was here that he founded the famous brotherhood of ‘the knights of st francis of Wycombe’ in 1745 with the motto of love and friendship. this profligate society had the dress consisting of a gown and a turban of crimson and blue satin, with the device in silver. the society was limited to 24 members of rank and fashion, mostly resident in the neighbourhood, who resorted to medmenham abbey during the summer months. over the main entrance was placed the famous inscription ‘fay ce que voudras’ or do what you will.

the members included frederick Prince of Wales, the duke of Queensberry, the earl of bute, lord melcombe, sir William stanhope k.b, sir John dashwood-king, sir francis delaval, sir John Vanluttan, henry Vansittart, afterwards governor of bengal and Paul Whitehead the poet.

in 1898, medmenham abbey was restored by a mr hudson for colonel sir douglas dawson gcVo cmg. dawson saw action all over the globe returning to the united kingdom as master of ceremonies to king edward Vii from 1903-1907. due to his distinguished diplomatic career, he held a number of foreign decorations, including the iron crown of austria (knight commander); the turkish order of medjidie (3rd class); the danish order of dannebrog (grand cross); the Japanese grand cross sacred treasure and grand cross rising sun; the grand cross of the crown of italy; and the grand cross of the crown of romania along with some of the highest orders of chivalry in the united kingdom. throughout the 20th century the house has passed through several owners who have updated the property whilst maintaining many of its original features.

Medmenham Abbeymedmenham abbey enjoys a very private and most idyllic position on the banks of the river thames affording wonderful views and utter tranquillity. the house is approached by a tree-lined, cobbled drive passing through impressive gates into a large courtyard at the east front. the walls encircling the courtyard at the west front are half timbered with herringbone brick infill under a tiled roof with splendid brick chimneys. the majority of the property has beautiful dressed chalk block walls.

the house has been restored several times throughout its history, more recently by the current owner and is presented to a high standard. the ground floor accommodation is well-laid out with beautifully ornate plasterwork on the ceilings, well-proportioned reception rooms and beautiful views over the garden to the river thames. there are many character features including grand stone fireplaces, intricate wooden panelling and detailed cornicing.

the principal rooms on the ground floor include a large drawing room, with two fireplaces and views over the formal garden to the swimming pool and water meadows beyond; along with the dining room and connecting music room. these all have ornate ceilings and intricate wood panelling. there is a further library accessed via the drawing room and the ‘river room’ with an impressive barrel vaulted ceiling and ornate plasterwork. this connects to the loggia with beautiful views over the lawn to the thames. the kitchen has been recently refurbished to the highest specification, enjoying state of the art appliances and along with the adjacent breakfast room, views over the lawn to the river. also on the ground floor is a study, entrance hall, utility room and a large cinema with tiered seating for 20. there are a further 3 cloakrooms and 3 staircases, under one of which can be found a priest hole.

The River Room

on the first floor there is a large and recently refurbished master bedroom suite with shower room and study/dressing room. there are 4 further bedroom suites all with bathrooms, 2 with dressing rooms and 1 with a large balcony with panoramic views over the formal gardens, water meadows, lawns and river. on this floor can also be found a spa bathroom with hot tub, shower and steam room, Wc and gymnasium. further to this there is a large bar connecting through to the cinema.

the second floor comprises 4 further bedroom suites, 3 with bathrooms, 1 with a shower room and 1 with a dressing room. the house can be divided on both the ground, first and second floors making it very comfortable for both family and guests.

the layout of the accommodation can be seen on the enclosed floor plans.

Cinema10.87 x 5.3535'9" x 17'6"

Study3.43 x 2.2511'3" x 7'6"

Utility Room3.43 x 2.5511'3" x 8'3"

Kitchen5.73 x 4.7318'9" x 15'6"

Dining Room8.15 x 5.70 26'9" x 18'9"

Sitting Room5.95 x 5.4519'6" x 18'0"

Library6.60 x 3.1921'9" x 10'6"

Drawing Room15.21 x 7.9050'0" x 26'0"

4.2614'0"

Entrance Hall8.51 x 4.8728'0" x 16'0"

Up

Breakfast Room3.80 x 3.4512'6" x 11'3"Loggia

Up

Music Room5.55 x 5.0518'3" x 16'6"

Sitting Room5.65 x 4.35

18'62 x 14'3" Bedroom4.00 x 3.3013'3" x 10'9"

Kitchen/Breakfast Room

3.90 x 3.8512'9" x 12'9" Utility

Room

A/C

Store Room(Under Cinema Back

Row Seating)

Garage6.35 x 5.9520'9" x 19'6"

Garage5.95 x 3.2719'6" x 10'9"

Store Room3.66 x 3.3012'0" x 10'9"

Boiler Room3.30 x 2.2010'9" x 7'3"

Balcony

Bedroom6.12 x 4.5920'0" x 15'0"

Bedroom6.05 x 5.5016'6" x 18'0"

DressingRoom

Dn Up

SteamRoom

Spa Bathroom

Gymnasium3.77 x 2.8512'3" x 9'3"

Bar5.65 x 5.0018'6" x 16'6"

Dn

Gallery

Bedroom4.15 x 3.8513'6" x 12'9"

Bedroom4.30 x 4.3014'0" x 14'0"

Dn

Master Bedroom4.45 x 3.3514'6" x 11'0"

Study/Dressing Room

5.40 x 5.2517'9" x 17'3"

DressingRoom

Up

Dn

Bedroom5.20 x 3.4517'0" x 11'3"

Bedroom3.50 x 2.9511'6" x 9'9"

Dressing Room

Dn

Bedroom4.85 x 3.5016'0" x 11'6"

Bedroom5.35 x 4.1417'6" x 13'6"

EavesStorage

EavesStorage

EavesStorage

EavesStorage

Ground Floor

Reception room/General living area/Circulation area

Work room, i.e. Kitchen/Workshop/Utility

Bedroom/Dressing room

Bathroom

Outside space

Vaults/Storage

S

EW

N

S

EW

N

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EW

N S

E

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N

Approximate Gross Internal Floor Area:House: 1,123 sq m or 12,088 sq ft

(includes house keepers cottage)

Garage: 79 sq m or 850 sq ft

for identification only, not to scale.Second Floor

FIrSt Floor

HouSe KeeperS cottAGe

GArAGe

Up

3.65 x 2.7512'0" x 9'0"

Up

5.78 x 3.5619'0" x 11'9"

5.78 x 3.8119'0" x 12'6"

4.13 x 3.7613'6" x 12'3"

Workshop4.18 x 3.3013'9" x 10'9"

Garage6.00 x 3.1619'9" x 10'3"

DnDn

5.80 x 4.2119'0" x 13'9"

4.22 x 3.9813'9" x 13'0"

3.79 x 1.9812'6" x 6'6"

5.46 x 3.8418'0" x 12'6"

3.84 x 3.1212'6" x 10'3"

Staff Office 2 Staff Office 1

Staff officesset away from the main house this wooden clad structure currently comprises 2 staff offices set over two floors. both have an entrance hall, kitchen and bathroom with two rooms on the second floor. they are attached to a workshop and single bay garage.

Gardens and groundsthe gardens and grounds at medmenham abbey are a particular feature of the property. to the east are formal gardens in the form of box-hedging and ornate yew trees leading the eye to the outdoor swimming pool. to the south and south east the gardens are mainly laid to lawn with mature trees and wooden decking on the banks of the river up to the wet dock which is suitable for 2 small boats and has planning consent to be enclosed and covered to form a boat house. the majority of the remainder of the grounds are beautiful water meadows surrounded on one side by the river, providing a haven for wildlife. these water meadows can be enjoyed by a newly installed board walk that follows the circumference. the gardens and grounds afford great privacy, uninterrupted by footpaths and enjoy approximately 0.67 miles of river frontage.

Reception room/General living area/Circulation area

Work room, i.e. Kitchen/Workshop/Utility

Bathroom

Vaults/Storage

S

EW

N

S

EW

N

S

EW

N S

E

W

N

Approximate Gross Internal Floor Area:Staff Office 1: 124 sq m or 1,335 sq ft

(includes garage & Workshop)

Staff Office 2: 112 sq m or 1,206 sq ft

for identification only, not to scale.

Ground Floor

FIrSt Floor

A4130

A4130

A4155

B4009

A4155

A4074

A4094

A329A329

A4130

A4074

A4155

B481

B481

A329

A355

MedmenhamAbbey

M25

M40

M4

A413

A404

Maidenhead

HEATHROWAIRPORT

M40

M40

M25

M25

M4

M4

A4010

A355High Wycombe

Windsor

Slough

Uxbridge

Reading

Bracknell

Wokingham

Henley-on-Thames

Marlow

Nettlebed

A4

Watlington5

89

Medmenham

Bray

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B

C

D

E

F

G

Cookham

H

I

AscotNewbury

Oxford

Didcot

Abingdon

Beaconsfield

Amersham

Thame

PrincesRisborough

A413

A413

M25

M3

A30

A41

A41

A4010

A40

A40

A418A4142

A34

A34

A34

M4

A33

Stokenchurch

HemelHempstead

Shinfield

JK

L

M

N

O

NORTHOLTAIRPORT

M40

Note: For identification purposes only. Not to Scale

River Thames

Medmenham Abbey

Medmenham Abbey

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Mapping and GIS DepartmentKnight Frank LLPRamsbury House, 22 High StreetHungerford, Berkshire, RG17 0NF

(t) 01488 688508 (f) 01488 688505(e) mapping@knightfrank.com

Produced by:

NB: If field & building type are unknown - assumed pasture & residential

Title

07:11:14Scale:Date: Drawn By: Plan Ref:

1:3500 @ A4CWN

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This Plan is published for guidance only, and although it is believed to be correct its accuracy is not guaranteed, nor is it intended to form part of any contract. Where this plan is based on the Ordnance Survey map it is with

the sanction of the controller of H. M. Stationery Office Crown Copyright reserved. Licence No. 100021721

Land Use:ArablePasture

Gardens

Orchard

WaterVerge / Misc

Road / Track

Rocks / BouldersHeathland

Building (Residential)Boardwalk

WoodlandScrub

Game Cover

Total area = 42.10 acres approx.

directions (Sl7 2eZ)From the M40 (J4):take the a404 south towards marlow. on reaching the town take the a4155 through the centre towards henley-on-thames. after leaving the town, travel 2.5 miles to the village of medmenham, before the dog and badger public house turn left into ferry lane. after about 650 metres you will find the metal gates for medmenham abbey on your left.

From the M4 (J8/9):take the a404 north towards marlow. at the first roundabout, take the first exit to bisham following this over the river into marlow. after the bridge, follow the high street to the roundabout taking the first exit towards henley-on-thames. from then, details as above.

Servicesmains electricity, water and drainage. the central heating runs off calor gas. there is also an emergency generator.

tenuresold freehold with vacant possession. there is a grazing licence over the pasture land.

planning permissionthere is planning consent for a covered boat house, new garage block with first floor staff flat and an extension for a house keeper’s annex. the plans are available separately.

Fixtures and fittingsonly those mentioned in these sales particulars are included in the sale. all others, such as fitted carpets, curtains, light fittings and garden ornaments are specifically excluded but may be made available by separate negotiation.

easements, wayleaves and rights of waythe property is offered for sale subject to and with the benefits of any rights of way, either public or private, all easements, wayleaves and other rights of way whether they are specifically referred to or not.

local authorityWycombe district council. tel: 01494 461 000

ViewingViewing is strictly by appointment only via knight frank llP.

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Michelin Starred Restaurantsl’ortolan (1 michelin star)Church Ln, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9BY

le manoir aux Quat’saisons (2 michelin stars)Church Rd, Great Milton, Oxford OX44 7PD

the fat duck (3 michelin stars)High St, Bray, Berkshire SL6 2AQ

the hand and flowers (2 michelin stars)126 West St, Marlow SL7 2BP

the hinds head (1 michelin star)High St, Bray, West Berkshire SL6 2AB

sir charles napier (1 michelin star)Sprigs Holly, Chinnor OX39 4BX

Waterside inn (3 michelin stars)Ferry Road, Bray, Berkshire, SL6 2AT

the royal oak (1 michelin star)Paley St, Littlefield Green, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 3JN

Hotelsrelais & chateaux, belmond le manoir aux Quat’saisonsChurch Rd, Great Milton, Oxford OX44 7PD

small luxury hotels, danesfield houseHenley Rd, Marlow-On-Thames SL7 2EY

relais & chateaux, cliveden houseClivedon Road, Taplow, Berkshire SL6 0JF

the crazy bear75 Wycombe End, Beaconsfield HP9 1LX

macdonald compleat anglerMarlow Bridge Ln, Marlow SL7 1RG

small luxury hotels, stoke Park country club, spa and hotelPark Rd, Stoke Poges SL2 4PG

Marina and Golf clubharleyford golf clubHarleyford Estate, Henley Rd, Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 2SP

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Important notice1. Particulars: these particulars are not an offer or contract, nor part of one. you should not rely on statements by knight frank llP in the particulars or by word of mouth or in writing (“information”) as being factually accurate about the property, its condition or its value. neither knight frank llP nor any joint agent has any authority to make any representations about the property, and accordingly any information given is entirely without responsibility on the part of the agents, seller(s) or lessor(s). 2. Photos etc: the photographs show only certain parts of the property as they appeared at the time they were taken. areas, measurements and distances given are approximate only. 3. regulations etc: any reference to alterations to, or use of, any part of the property does not mean that any necessary planning, building regulations or other consent has been obtained. a buyer or lessee must find out by inspection or in other ways that these matters have been properly dealt with and that all information is correct. 4. Vat: the Vat position relating to the property may change without notice.knight frank llP is a limited liability partnership registered in england with registered number oc305934. our registered office is 55 baker street, london, W1u 8an, where you may look at a list of members’ names.Particulars dated: July 2016. Photographs dated: october 2014 and July 2016.

+44 (0)20 7629 817155 Baker StreetLondon, W1U 8ANjames.crawford@knightfrank.com

+44 (0)1491 844 90020 Thameside, Henley-on-ThamesOxfordshire, RG9 2LJmatthew.mannall@knightfrank.com

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