Samuel and Son is delighted to bring to the market The Normanhurst Estate at Catsfield. The picturesque 442-acre estate stands in 1066 countryside in the High Weald National Landscape (formerly area of outstanding natural beauty), three miles from the town of Battle and easily commutable to London.
Accommodation on the estate comprises an attractive, 19th century, three-bedroom converted barn, a two-bedroom detached annexe and a pair of two-bedroom, semi-detached cottages set in a tucked-away location away from the main residential and buildings complex.
There is a comprehensive range of equestrian facilities with extensive stabling, barns, outdoor manége, grazing enclosures and excellent riding out over private trails throughout the estate. A second yard area has a range of modern agricultural buildings and storage facilities. The farm land extends to about 235 acres of productive grazing and cropping land.
The estate encompasses several distinct areas of woodland covering about 191 acres, predominantly a mix of chestnut coppice, birch and conifer plantations with some magnificent specimen trees including some majestic pines and mature oak standards and incorporating about four acres of beautiful lakes, the largest well stocked. Compartments are well laid out, with an excellent network of tracks and rides and the woodland harbouring an abundance of wildlife, making it ideal for walking, riding and sporting activities.
Historically, the wider estate has had a succession of notable owners including Thomas Alfraye, the 16th century Lord Mayor of Catsfield and John Fuller, the uncle of Mad Jack Fuller of Brightling. In 1865 the estate came into the hands of Thomas Brassey, one of the pioneers of Victorian railway engineering who, by the time of his death, had built one in every 20 miles of railway in the world.
Between 1875 and 1912, the Brassey family carried out a careful programme of landscaping, lake creation and emparkment at Normanhurst with numerous tree and plant specimens, many of which survive today, collected on their global voyages.
The current owners manage the estate on a commercial basis with the various property elements providing income by way of licences, leases and tenancy agreements. A comprehensive woodland management plan/woodland grant scheme could be established with the Forestry Commission to help manage the woodland and the owners have recently had a biodiversity net gain baseline survey undertaken across the entire estate.
The estate is being marketed by Samuel & Son, Horam, at a guide price of offers in excess of £4m.
For more information call 01435 810077 or email info@samuelandson.co.uk
