Historic estate on the market for £5.25m

An historic 225-acre estate with substantial equestrian facilities and vineyard has been listed for sale on the Suffolk/Essex border.

Dewlands Farm in Higham, in the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) between Ipswich and Colchester, is being jointly marketed by Savills and Strutt and Parker with a guide price of £5.25 million.

Thought to have been named after its medieval owners and with original parts of the current farmhouse dating from the mid-16^th Century, the property subsequently became part of the Higham Lodge Estate until its sale by auction in 1926.

Later it is believed to have been the home of artist Denise Broadley, who studied at the Ipswich School of Art and exhibited locally as well as at the Royal Academy and New English Art Club.

Today the Grade II-listed farmhouse has been fully restored and includes three reception rooms and five double-bedrooms, two of which have been fitted-out to be dressing rooms with custom-made wardrobe units. There are also three newly-refitted bathrooms.

To the south of the main house is a recently built indoor lap pool with sauna and changing room, while the grounds also include an outdoor tennis court.

The equestrian facilities include a stable block providing nine loose boxes, a tack room, heated wash room, feed store and drying room, together with a 60-metre by 40-metre arena, fully fenced paddock and one-bedroom stable flat.

At the northern end of the farm is a newly established 12-acre vineyard with 18,450 vines, consisting of 10,000 Chardonnay and 8,450 Pinot Noir.

There are also a range of refurbished and converted farm buildings providing a home office and entertaining space alongside garaging and storage.

Property agent William Hargreaves, who leads the rural agency team for Savills in the East of England and is based in the firm’s Suffolk office, said the sale represents an excellent opportunity for a buyer who wants an amenity farm with additional income streams in an idyllic location.

“Located down a 400m drive and enjoying picturesque views over the surrounding farmland and woodland, Dewlands is a beautiful residential and equestrian farm in the heart of the renowned Stour Valley made famous by landscape artist John Constable,” he said.

“The main farmhouse has been refurbished to a very high standard, while the equestrian setup is as good as it gets and could be run in hand or operated as a separate business. The vineyard was planted earlier this year and also offers great potential for the establishment of a new venture in a prime location.”

Giles Allen, senior associate director for the eastern estates and farm agency department at Strutt and Parker, said: “Opportunities such as this come along very rarely and we are expecting strong interest. Together with the swimming pool, tennis court and barn facilities it should appeal to a family looking for a home in a private setting, with good connectivity to the rest of the area and into London.”