Location

Hurst Lodge is one of the principal houses in the village of Hurst. This Berkshire village has fine local facilities including a village shop, local inns, cricket ground and a highly regarded primary school and Dolphin Prep School.
Reading, Twyford and Maidenhead are readily accessible with fast trains to London Paddington with Crossrail Services from 2019. There are further cultural, educational and shopping facilities at Bracknell, Wokingham and Henley-on-Thames including theatres and arts centres.
Racing is available at Ascot, Newbury and Windsor. Polo at Guards and The Royal Berkshire Polo Club in Windsor and Ascot Park. There is also boating on the River Thames.
Communications are readily accessible, with good access to the M4, M40, M3, M25 motorway network and Heathrow and Farnborough Airports. Reading and Twyford stations give access to Paddington from 28 minutes (Crossrail services from 2019), with Reading also providing access to Waterloo.
(all distances and journey times are approximate).

Description

Hurst Lodge is Grade II* listed and understood to date back to 1580. The house was built by John Barker, who at the time was a gentleman usher to Queen Elizabeth I. The house was passed to Lady Cardross who was the late 4th Countess of Buchan and then in turn to the Palmer family in the 1740s. Arranged over three floors, the accommodation is classically proportioned of its time and the main reception rooms all benefit from lovely high ceilings and a wonderful southerly aspect over the gardens and grounds beyond.

The property abounds with period features and elegance, including Delft tiling, 17th century oak panelling and original fireplaces. Over recent years the property has undergone considerable modernisation.

The main house is entered through the grand reception hall, with an open fire, wood block parquet herringbone pattern floor and 17th century panelling. An inner hall gives access to the main reception rooms, individually styled, the dining room has panelling and a chequer board pattern floor and the drawing room has a spectacular vaulted ceiling with a large feature window. The kitchen has modern appliances. The bedroom accommodation is spread over two floors and combines generously proportioned rooms, many with en suite bathrooms, and an impressive principal bedroom suite.

There is good secondary accommodation with a four bedroom Gardener's Cottage and the old Coach House which is in need of restoration and was formally arranged as two self-contained flats, one two bedroom and one three bedroom.

OUTSIDE
Completely private from the outside, the property is approached via a solid wooden electric gate with a numeric code and audio visual entry system.

The tarmac drive sweeps around to the house, with a branch off to the gardener's cottage, and on one side a mature yew hedge.

The southern side of the house looks out on to the fields and is mainly laid to lawn, with herbaceous borders and shrubs, including specimens such as rhododendrons, camellias and a flowering cherry, there is also a rockery next to a lily pond.

A York stone terrace flanks the wisteria clad southern and western sides of the house and on this western side is the 'Dutch' garden with formal beds bordered by box hedging. North of the 'Dutch' garden is a mature yew hedge with traditional topiary designs and beyond the drive is a further part walled garden and lawn with a central sundial.

On the eastern side of the house is a further, part walled garden mainly laid to lawn, with fruit trees and also giving access to the old stables and a large barn.

The property is well suited for a variety of equestrian uses, surrounded on three sides by level paddocks and woodland beyond, there is also agricultural potential.

The numerous outbuildings include the Gardener's Cottage and former Coach House, former squash court/studio, a barn and stables and three other agricultural buildings and a glasshouse.

These agricultural buildings are serviced by a secondary drive and electric gated entrance from the main Village Street.

Directions

From London proceed west down the M4 to Junction 8/9 and take the A404M to the second exit (J9b Thicket Roundabout) and turn left onto the A4 for Reading.

Continue for about 6 miles to a large roundabout and turn left onto A321 to Twyford. Go straight across the traffic lights, signposted Wokingham and having crossed the railway bridge, turn immediately right to stay on the A321. After approximately 2 miles you will be in the middle of Hurst. Go past the cricket ground on the left, then bear left into Broadcommon Road. The entrance for Hurst Lodge will be found immediately on the left. Take the right drive up to the house. Total distance from Junction 8/9 to Hurst Lodge is about 10 miles.