Chaldon, Surrey

A rare opportunity to acquire an historic 14th Century Grade II* listed Manor House – where history meets modern living. A unique single family house or multi-generational home.

Enjoy the peace and tranquility of living in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – with wonderful rural walks on your doorstep. Surrounded by open countryside, yet less than 20 miles from London – the property is about 3 miles from Caterham, with everyday shopping facilities, main line station and the award winning co-educational Caterham School. There is a fast rail service from Merstham (about 3 miles away). Easy access to London airports and the South coast via the M25 and M23. 

This remarkable property offers an extraordinary opportunity to own a home that is as versatile as it is captivating – effortlessly combining centuries of heritage with contemporary comfort. Although the next owners will have their own plans, the current owners took advantage of the 3 entrance doors to facilitate flexible family living:

The East Wing – kitchen/sitting/dining room with wood burning stove, utility room, fabulous manor hall, 2 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms, beautiful English garden with pond and paddock

The West Wing – This is the oldest part of the house, originally a two-bay solar wing dating back to 1326-1358, carefully renovated by the current owner to preserve the heritage of the house, whilst creating a practical and comfortable family home. There is a sitting and dining room, superb modern kitchen with AGA and Neff electric oven, modern bathroom, 4 bedrooms and enjoys its own self-contained garden

The Studio Flat – single storey – kitchen and bed/sitting room with fabulous views, bathroom (ideal for young student/older relatives or as a rental income)

The versatility of the property means that the East and West Wings could have different layouts by virtue of the various staircases and inter-connecting doors.

Garage and Workshop Superb oak framed double garage and spacious workshop. Gravelled parking area for numerous vehicles.

Gardens and Grounds About 1.25 acres of beautifully maintained grounds opened for the National Garden Scheme, raising significant funds for charity. The garden includes beautiful borders, fine lawns, mature trees, rose covered arch through to the pond, vegetable garden, fruit trees and small paddock.

A brief history of Tollsworth Manor – over 700 years of rich history

Tollsworth Manor is a Grade II* listed house and a rare surviving example of an early Medieval open-hall house with a two-bay solar and three-bay hall range ‘of a grand character’. Tollsworth (Tullesworth) was one of the moated Granges owned by Merton Priory from the 1200s until the Priory’s dissolution in 1538. The current manor house, on the surface, looks like a 17th century building but the stonework exterior hides two medieval ranges:

• A two-bay solar wing which has been dated (using dendrochronology) as being built between 1326-1358.

• A three-bay hall range was likely to have been built between around 1435/6

• The Screens Passage (converted into a solid walled passage) still exists, where separate doors led to the scullery/ pantry and buttery (for butts of beer) Subsequently a dairy was added in 1550 and further extensions in 1604,1720 (Manor hall) and in 1935 the YHA washrooms (now the Studio flat)

Notable historical features of Tollsworth Manor include:

• The original smoke blackened roof timbers of the solar and hall range are still evident in the roof space, as is the spectacular Crown Post of the hall roof (c. 1435)

• A very unusual scratch dial, in one of the bathrooms, dated circa 1150

• Jacobean panelling and carvings on the staircase dated circa 1612

Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1500s, the manor passed to the Crown, under the direct stewardship of Henry VIII. It was lived in, subsequently, by some notable families, including a lady called Patience Lambert (1648), whose name is engraved on the Tudor pulpit in Chaldon church (St Peter and St Paul).

The property was bought by Lord Hylton in 1902, then sold to the Youth Hostel Association (YHA) in 1947. Tollsworth was purchased in 1983 by the current owner, Gordon Gillett and his late wife Carol; their love for history and gardens has meant that the Gillett family have spent 43 years sensitively restoring Tollsworth to a very high standard (ref English Heritage and Domestic Buildings Research Group) whilst making it appropriate for 21st century living standards. Note: Fast broadband (via the Starlink subscription service) makes the property ideally suited for home working.

Freehold

Council tax band H.

Private drainage (treatment plant installed 2022). Oil fired central heating & electric radiators, calor gas tank.

NB. some photos are from the vendor’s own collection.