This creatively converted 17th-century barn balances sweeping volume with cosy, retreating spaces. The building’s exquisite bones are punctuated by wonderful insertions of glazing that illuminate the space and cast light across its varied textures. The house has four bedrooms, an expansive open-plan living area and a detached garage. Almost half an acre of grounds surround the house, with the beautifully mature lawn overlooking the rolling North Downs landscape.

The Tour

Set down a quiet country road, the house is accessed via a sweeping gravel driveway. A contemporary patio-style walkway is surrounded by beautiful slate planters, complementing the black timber-clad exterior with flashes of green. The house is flanked by large picture windows, creating an attractive and modern profile.

Full advantage is taken of the entrance hallway’s tall ceilings making a strong first impression. Access to the sun terrace is through French windows to the rear of the generous hall, creating a light, airy space with a directional flow to the outside space. Beautiful timber floorboards with underfloor heating run throughout the ground floor.

Up a slight split level, the open-plan kitchen/living area unfolds. The kitchen has a sophisticated finish, with quartz worktops, bespoke cabinetry and integrated appliances. A generous central island divides the kitchen from a sitting and dining area currently arranged on the other side of the room. With French doors to the garden, the space maintains strong visual connections to the garden outside. Discretely tucked behind the kitchen is a handy utility room.

A sitting room rests on the other side of the entrance hall. Centred around a wood-burning stove, it is a warm, intimate space, with tall proportions afforded by the sloping shape of the roof above.

In the older part of the house, great care has been taken to preserve the original exposed beams. Two bedrooms on the ground floor access their own en suites. The primary bedroom has a free-standing bathtub and glazed doors that open out onto the sun terrace.

A grand oak staircase ascends to the top floor, where a gallery landing creates an artistic division between the entrance hall and two of the bedrooms. A shared dressing room and family bathroom complete this floor’s plan.

Outdoor Space

The house sits amid beautifully landscaped grounds with a sun terrace, gravel driveway, front patio and mature lawns. The tiered sun terrace is surrounded by tall, woven fencing, lending privacy and seclusion to the space. Dark flagstones complement the house’s timber exterior, and stylish planters ripe for a herb garden border the seating area.

The Area

Chartham Hatch is a quiet rural hamlet in the Stour Valley off the Kentish downs, within easy reach of Canterbury and Faversham. Surrounded by orchards, the area even sports its own award-winning vineyard. Close by, The Wonky Parsnip offers a lovely market garden, and pick-your-own pumpkin patch in the autumn.

Chartham Hatch is a 12-minute drive from Canterbury. A world UNESCO site, central Canterbury is renowned as a cultural centre and for its excellent places to eat and shop. Particular attractions include The Marlow Theatre, Lilford Gallery, The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge, and the beautiful Westgate water gardens to be experienced on foot or by punt. There is also a Curzon Cinema annexed to Westgate Hall, a much-loved community centre and event space. The city has a wide selection of cafes and restaurants, including local favourites Refectory KitchenKitch, Wildwood, Fringe + Ginge and Marlowe’s Restaurant. There is an excellent year-round indoor farmers market at The Goods Shed. 

Home to the independent King’s School, Canterbury, the city also has three excellent grammar schools, Barton Court and Simon Langton.

The lively harbour town of Whitstable is a short drive away and has an impressive assortment of independent haunts, striking historic architecture and a thriving cultural scene. Famed historically for its oysters; the epicurean tradition has continued locally with the annual Whitstable Oyster Festival and year-round at Wheelers Oyster Bar. Harbour Street is home to a series of tempting shops including The Clothes Horse, Carol Ridley, Ruskin, Frank, Wallace Pring and Harbour Books. V C Jones is the go-to fish and chip shop and from there the working Harbour is a short walk away.

Margate is also easily reached, around a 35-minute drive away along the coast. Increasingly popular, it packs a punch with excellent food and cultural venues, including Turner Contemporary and Carl Freedman Gallery.

The house is also a 14-minute drive from Faversham, well known for its weekly local food market, monthly brocante – the largest town centre antiques market in the UK – and a host of restaurants and cafés. Faversham Creek is host to the famed fish market ‘Hermans Plaice’, Creek Creative Studios, independent antique shops and waterside pizzerias Papa Bianco and Posillipo. 

A little further afield is the revered Macknade food hall and café, which dates from 1847 and offers locally sourced produce. A 10-minute drive away is Michelin-starred pub The Sportsman, which offers refined dining at the edge of Seasalter and The Pig at Bridge Place is an brilliant addition. The area is renowned for its viticulture, and Gusbourne and Chapel Down make locally produced white and sparkling English wines and lead wine tours year-round. Kent is awash with walking routes through its abundant woodlands, marshes, shoreline and historic estates. Come summer, the county lives up to its name as the ‘Garden of England’ is resplendent with cherries, strawberries, and later on, apples and pears.

Trains run from Ashford to London Bridge in 37 minutes or from Canterbury to St Pancras in under and hour. The village is well placed for the A28 and M2

Council Tax Band: G

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.