England’s ‘green and pleasant land’ proves a perfect hunting ground for equestrian estates with every imaginable amenity for horses as well as their owners
Living in the heart of the English countryside with your horses stabled on the premises is the ultimate dream for many avid riders. However, before you take the plunge there are several considerations that will make both the land and stable management easier in the long run. Sarah Broughton of buying agency Prime Purchase, advises,
“When buying a property with equestrian facilities, one of the most important facts to ascertain is whether the land is light or heavy. If it is light, it will be better in winter than heavy soil but the downside is that it is not so good in summer as you don’t get as good grass. If it is heavy it can get very soggy and waterlogged so check what drainage it has. Heavy soil does not need to be ruled out entirely, however, as it can be improved dramatically with the right drainage.”
Isolation is imperative if you are taking in horses from other yards or countries and biosecurity is becoming more important as horses travel further.
“The isolation yard needs to be a proper distance away from the main yard and preferably with a separate entrance,”
continues Ms Broughton.
“The layout of the paddocks is important whatever the equestrian element – too far from the stables and you could spend all day walking the horses to and from the yard. Check the hedging: if you get a bitter easterly wind, is there protection for horses in the winter? Shelters are also important – not only to keep rain and snow off in the winter but also for shade in the summer if there are no trees in the paddocks. Footpaths are definitely a negative and should be avoided if possible.”
Properties with full equestrian facilities are in huge demand as livery costs are so expensive, and often fetch a premium. Charlie Wells, managing director of Prime Purchase, says,
“Prices for equestrian homes vary widely and it’s worth bearing in mind that you may end up spending a significant amount on updating the facilities to your own specifications. One of my clients bought a property with £1.5m of equestrian facilities and completely remodelled it, spending £4m, for eventing. But the facilities are now good enough to train for the Olympics. Equestrian facilities can date relatively quickly: if they are used hard over 10 or 15 years, they will need replacing. If you don’t update such facilities, this will affect the value when you do come to sell.
“The more specialist the equestrian set-up, the narrower the resale market. You may be able to charge more but there will be fewer interested buyers. Someone who rides for a hobby and has children at Pony Club might require no more than a nice house with some stables and a paddock. If you have racehorses you will need much more specialist facilities while ‘jump’ and ‘flat’ yards do not make good three-day event yards.”
Mr Wells also stresses the importance of checking the quality of riding out and hacking in the area.
“Roads can be busy so check that you can safely ride on them and ensure you can go from country lanes to bridle paths, ideally without crossing a busy main road,”
he says.
“And finally ensure you have sufficient access through the village with a large horsebox. Access might be fine during the day when your neighbours are at work but when there are plenty of cars double-parked along the lane, will you be able to get through?”
Cover for every eventuality Last but far from least, once you’ve purchased your equestrian estate, it’s imperative that you have all the appropriate insurance in place. Alec Moore, partner of Weatherbys Hamilton, advises,
“Stables, tack rooms and associated buildings including indoor riding schools for private use will usually be insured as part of the household insurance package and the schedule would confirm this. Where the equestrian activities are more extensive, the property insurance may fall outside the appetite of the household insurer and advice may be given to insure the buildings under separate farm type insurance policy. This is actually not necessarily the most suitable arrangement as the farm policies provide insurance on a named peril basis, which excludes some areas of important cover such as subsidence and accidental damage. Whereas this may be satisfactory for the buildings on a working farm, it is not suitable for expensive stables built to home valuable horses, which necessitate cover on an all risks basis. Mr Moore also advises that, in addition to the material damage insurance of equestrian facilities, insuring the liability associated with owning horses is vital, both to third parties and employees; in the case of the latter often a legal requirement.
“Horses are flight animals,”
he says,
“and due to the unpredictability of their nature the insurance of equestrian related property and liability is a specialist area that some insurers shy away from. It is important to speak to a broker who is familiar with all aspects of horse ownership and is able to arrange suitable insurance.”
Ascot Park Polo Club, Chobham, Surrey
Available as a whole or in two lots, Lot 1 includes fabulous grounds with planning approval for a new mansion house. With an estimated 27,307 square feet of living space and leisure facilities, Ascot Park will be one of the area’s finest new mansions on completion. The consented mansion house comprises of an impressive reception hall with lift, six reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room on the ground floor plus a link to the two-storey indoor swimming pool complex. The first and second floors provide eight bedroom suites, all with dressing areas and en suite bathrooms. The lower ground floor plans comprise of further leisure amenities including a cinema, gymnasium, games room, bar, wine cellar, a servery and underground car parking. Landscaping plans include fountains, ponds and rolling parkland within this mature site of approximately 13.61 acres. The remainder of Lot 1includes mixed-use arable and pastureland with woodland, extending to around 37.38 acres – in total approximately 50.99 acres. Lot 2 is the internationally recognised polo club. It includes three full sized polo fields, two practice fields and a 100m x 50m all-weather arena; one of the largest in Europe, it has a purpose-built surface enabling use all-year round. There is also additional grazing land – in total approximately 68 acres.
£12m / €13.6m / $15.2m Savills
www.savills.com
Priory House, Stanmore, Middlesex
Built around 1530 on what is believed to have been the original 13th century Priory, this property has 3.3 acres including gardens, a paddock and stabling. Offering complete privacy, it includes seven-bedrooms, six reception rooms and a country-style kitchen. It has been superbly maintained by the current owners during their 50-year tenure and features a wealth of architectural detail from the three-quarter panelled drawing room and working fireplaces to the beamed dining room with William Morris panels. The property also has private access to Bentley Priory Nature Reserve.
£3.495m / €3.986m / $4.451m Preston Bennett
www.prestonbennett.co.uk
Winkfield Park Estate, Winkfield Row, Berkshire
Just minutes away from Ascot, Winkfield Park is entered via grand gates and a long sweeping drive and set in circa 45 acres of stunning traditional English parkland. Planning permission has been granted to replace the existing manor house with a circa 13,000 square foot new country mansion with views over the existing lake, a courtyard development of five cottages, and a circa 4,000 square foot estate house. The existing outstanding equestrian facilities include stabling for 65 horses, a riding arena, paddocks, and grass gallops. The Royal Berkshire Polo Club and Smith Lawn are within close proximity, as is the Royal Ascot Racecourse. World famous golf courses of Wentworth and Sunningdale are also within easy reach.
£7.25m / €8.27m / $9.23m Beauchamp Estates
www.beauchamp.com
The Old Rectory, Yelling, Cambridgeshire
Within secluded grounds of approximately 2.6 acres, this eight-bedroom, Grade II listed residence offers a wealth of character and accommodation set out over three floors with a tennis court and possible annexe. The original house dates from the early part of the 18th century and there is a later yellow brick Victorian addition which connects seamlessly internally. The stable block is a wonderful old building with immense character and stunning views towards Holy Cross Church. It comprises original built-in loose boxes with herringbone brick floors, a hayloft, separate tack room and 2.6 acres of gardens.
£2.15m / €2.44m / $2.72m Fine & Country
www.fineandcountry.com
Hill Farm, Barnadiston, Suffolk
This property has been in the same family for over 120 years and now provides an opportunity to purchase a farm with a fishing lake and family shoot. It includes a six to seven-bedroom period farmhouse, formal gardens, a three-bedroom lodge, an extensive range of farm buildings and 439 acres which have been used mainly for arable but also livestock. The outbuildings are of mixed ages and include covered yards, grain stores and a pottery studio. It could have huge potential as a racing stables or stud farm because of the scale of the outbuildings and acreage on offer, just 13 miles from Newmarket. There is a 6.5 acre wood as well as Glass Wood which is an ancient bluebell wood extending to over five acres with a large, established lake stocked for fishing. Roman remains have even been found on the land.
£4.815m / €5.492m / $6.132m for the entire estate or can be split into lots Cheffins
www.cheffins.co.uk
Dunsborough Park, Ripley, Surrey
In a delightful rural setting, yet only 25.8 miles from central London, Dunsborough Park offers a combination of residential and amenity assets with superb communication links. The estate extends to about 107.91 acres in all and comprises an impressive, principal, Grade II listed house,
10 further estate cottages, tennis courts, garages, an extensive range of outbuildings and excellent equestrian facilities. These include 17 loose boxes, two foaling boxes, a manège and paddocks.
£17m / €19.3m / $21.52m Savills
www.savills.com
