Our home was built 11 years ago using all modern conveniences, but styled to emulate a 17th century style English country house. The gardens around the house are set on 2.5 acres plus an adjacent 1.5 acre paddock. The site is situated upon a hill surrounded by forest to the north with vast sweeping views of the surrounding country side to the south. The house is south facing basking in sunlight from dawn till dusk. Neighbors are sparse but friendly.

The house has four levels. The basement has a fully kitted gym and engine room for heating. The ground floor has a large kitchen, dining room, sitting room, playroom, study, conservatory, 3 fireplaces, 2 toilets and a large foyer. The second floor has 4 large bedrooms, 3 on suite bathrooms, 1 stand alone bathroom and a study. The top floor has 3 bedrooms, large bathroom and storage room. Each room has magnificent views and all bedrooms except one are south facing.

The majority of the furniture is either French or English oak which is in keeping with the 17th Century style. French oak beams line the ceiling throughout the ground floor.

Two gardeners maintain the property all year round.

We are located 1 hour from London. There are two train stations nearby (i) Borough Green Station(7 mins) and (ii) Hildenborough Station (17 mins). Trains from Borough Green go directly to London Victoria Station (50 mins) and from Hildenborough to London Charring Cross (40 mins). There are many National Trust properties nearby for viewing, country estates, public gardens, walks, pubs, restaurants, horse riding, bike riding, golf, tennis and local historic towns for site seeing.

We are close to Ebbsfleet Station (35 mins drive) to catch the Eurostar to France -Paris (2 hours), Lille (1.5 hours) and Brussells (1.5 hours).

Places for site seeing include, for example, Leeds Castle, Churchills house (Chartwell), Hever Castle,Bedgebury, The Enchanted Forest at Groomsbridge Place.

Plus many other castles, gardens and estates around Kent owned by the National Trust: Scotney Castle, Knole Park, Bodiam Castle,Emmetts Garden, Ightham Mote, Nymans, Old Soar Manor,Sheffield Park and Garden, Sissinghurst Castle, Smallhythe Place, Stoneacre, Wakehurst Place, Woolbeding Gardens.

Dec 15 to Jan 6, 2013

We are keen to spend 3 weeks in Sydney at the end of this year. Or somewhere warm and sunny.

We are husband and wife (Chris and Rebecca) with two children (22 and 5 years old). Chris is British and Rebecca is Australian. We have lived together in Kent for 17 years. We have one cat who is very independent, comes and goes via a cat flap in the utility room.

We like to ski in February, travel to warmer climates in August and at the end of the year. Or ski over Christmas holidays as well. We are somewhat restricted to school holidays.

English