Available for the First Time in Almost 50 Years, Well Farm Is Banstead's

Available for the first time in almost 50 years, Well Farm is Banstead’s oldest house.

Woodmansterne Lane Banstead

A short, level walk to Banstead Village London by rail 40 minutes from Banstead or Change at Sutton 25 minutes M23 / M25 5 miles London 15 miles Times and distances are approximate

Located in a conservation area in the heart of the village, an outstanding architectural gem offering a remarkably substantial family home that enjoys a high degree of privacy in delightful, secluded gardens.

Offers Invited

View by appointment please, exclusively through Richard Saunders and Company of Banstead Telephone 01737 363333 [email protected]

 Entrance Hall  Cloakroom  Drawing Room  Morning Room  Garden Room  Study  Library  Dining Room  Kitchen-Breakfast Room  Utility Room  2nd Cloakroom

 5 Bedrooms and 3 Bathrooms including Principal Suite

 Detached Double Garage  Driveway Parking  In all, some 0.6 acre

Tel: 01737 363333 Fax: 01737 362222 [email protected]

History in brief. Well Farm draws its name from the 350-foot deep well nearby, in former times essential to a rural village some 600 feet above sea level and without rivers. Originally with 100 acres, Well Farm is an exceptionally well preserved mediaeval Yeoman's farmhouse with an elegant Georgian facade.

Built around 1471 in the reign of Edward IV, Well Farm was bought in 1493 by the remarkable Tudor cleric Robert Sherborne. Clearly in favour with Henry VII, the ambitious Sherborne held ecclesiastic posts prior to even having been ordained. In 1499 he was appointed Dean of St Paul's and later rose to become Bishop of Chichester in 1508. It is thought that Sherborne added the rear 'porch' wing and the so-called Bishop's bedroom has fine timbered walls and one of the finest surviving Tudor fireplaces in Surrey, probably taken from another building and bearing Christian symbols. By 1526 Well Farm had become a flourishing mixed farm and was bought by John Lambert, a member of the highly influential Lambert family who owned much of Banstead at that time. The Lamberts were wealthy Royalists who became impoverished during the Civil War and divided their estates between them to avoid sequestration. Hidden for centuries behind panelling in the Study, a painted Stuart coat of arms was discovered, which is believed to date from John Lambert's time in service to James I. The house remained one of the main estates of the Lambert family and by 1871 the farm comprised 650 acres and so it remained until sold by the Lamberts in 1919.

By 1921 much of the estate's farmland had been bought by the Government under the Allotment Act for returning WWI soldiers to use as smallholdings. At this time, the house was bought by Commander Sir Guy Standing KBE who became a renowned actor on the British and American stage, later moving to Hollywood to pursue his career. It was Standing who sealed off what is thought to have been an 18th Century putative entrance to a tunnel which is alleged to have provided a means of escape for John Lambert's family to another of the Lamberts' neighbouring houses, Well House.

In 1954 the house became a Listed building (Grade II - of Architectural or Historic Interest) and at this time was bought as the family home of Lord Tedder, Marshall of the Royal Air Force. From 1943 to 1945, Lord Tedder was deputy to General Dwight Eisenhower as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe and who was later elected 34th President of the United States of America. Later Lord Tedder would write to Eisenhower, telling him that he had "moved to a funny old house on the Downs south of London,....full of enormous beams, sloping floors and crooked ceilings". Falling victim to Parkinsons' Disease, Lord Tedder had a lift installed behind panelling from the Drawing Room to the principal bedroom. Lord and Lady Tedder attracted visitors as diverse as Dwight Eisenhower, Walt Disney and David Dimbleby, who arrived with a film crew to interview Lord Tedder. At Lord Tedder's death in 1967, Well Farm was bought by the current owners.

The house has survived the reign of 25 monarchs and its physical character retains many clues to the lives and times of its previous owners and yet it is still to yield all of its secrets.

Tel: 01737 363333 Fax: 01737 362222 [email protected]

Location. Substantial village houses are seldom available and Well Farm enjoys

remarkable privacy whilst being at the very heart of Banstead Village. This location is within

a short walk of a choice of excellent schools; Greenacre, St Anne's, Banstead First and

Middle and The Priory Prep and the adjacent Old Barn pre-school Nursery. There are

several other schools in the area. The High Street offers diverse shopping as well as a

Waitrose Supermarket and M&S Simply Food and the village has numerous cafes, a variety of restaurants, the Woolpack pub and the nearby Mint gastro-pub. There are rail services at Banstead and nearby Chipstead stations and faster services from Sutton or Epsom and the A217 provides arterial road access to London and to the M25 at Reigate (Junction9). The A3 at Tolworth is also easily reached. This part of the Surrey Downs has much to offer for sport, leisure and cultural pursuits with theatre and cinema at Reigate, Epsom and Sutton, several local gyms, golf courses and sports clubs and the open spaces of nearby Banstead Downs, Banstead Woods, Park Downs and Epsom Downs offer great walks and cycling, the latter being home to the famous Derby Races. The Lady Neville Park nearby is also home to Banstead Cricket Club.

The Property. A magnificent period detached house originally comprising a medieval Yeomans farmhouse with later Georgian facade, set in private, leafy gardens. The house, complete with its several historic alterations, is preserved in excellent order. As you step through the front door of the elegant Georgian facade, you enter a remarkably light and spacious interior that has provided a well- appointed and practical family home.

There are several living rooms, each with a distinct character and purpose and the large kitchen features an Aga stove and ample space for a central table, ideal for family dining. The five bedrooms are all of good size and unusually there are three bathrooms, including one en suite to the impressive principal bedroom which itself features a heavily beamed and vaulted ceiling and Jacobean panelling. The oak staircase is beautifully worn and there are magnificent oak timbers throughout, many bearing the signs of an earlier use, maybe within ships or barns. There are also several fireplaces of various periods, some having been reclaimed from other period origins.

The gardens are a delight, encompassing the house and consisting of lawns and beds of long- established shrubs and trees. There is a sunken ornamental paved garden with pond, an ancient Well, and to the rear a nature garden creates a secluded idyll. The gardens have a broad, walled frontage and to one side a gate leads to a parking area in front of a detached double garage. Well maintained throughout, the house has changed little in recent decades and offers a unique opportunity for new owners to refurbish and update some elements of this beautiful home. Tel: 01737 363333 Fax: 01737 362222 [email protected]

TOTAL FLOOR AREA

4,305 SQ FT / 399.9 SQ M

Cellar

Double Garage (not shown in position) Ground Floor see more at richardsaunders.co.uk

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PURCHASERS: We endeavour to make our sales particulars accurate and reliable, however, they do not constitute or form part of an offer or any contract and none is to be relied upon as statements of representation or fact. The services, systems and appliances listed in this specification have not been tested by us and no guarantees as to their operating ability or efficiency are given. All measurements have been taken as guide to prospective buyers only, and are not precise. If you require clarification or further information on any points, please First Floor contact us, especially if you are travelling some distance to view.

As the property is listed Grade II and is situated within a conservation area, there are several covenants which were drawn up to preserve the character and setting of the house. The vendors will require that any purchaser will be bound to preserve these covenants following a sale.

Tel: 01737 363333 Fax: 01737 362222 [email protected]