Home brought back to life to make the most of countryside

WHEN businessman Nigel Elkes and his ex-nurse wife Megan first bought the derelict Edwardian property in Goring 15 years ago, they were still in their 40’s and very excited about the prospect of turning it into a dream home.

“We were renting next door and suddenly Haydown came up for sale,” said Mr Elkes. “It is elevated and has the best views in the entire Elvendon Road. It had been derelict for about 30 years so it was real blank canvas.

“We set about increasing it by about 30 to 40 per cent into a family home with nine bedrooms and eight bathrooms and with parking for up to 15 cars.”

First built in 1907 in the Arts and Crafts period, Haydown retains many original features such as galleried landings, high ceilings, cornicing and the original herringbone flooring but has the freshness of a new build having been luxuriously modernised throughout.

Mr Elkes said: “We are on the edge of the village and so we raised the roof to enlarge the windows on the second floor to take advantage of the incredible views across the countryside and the Elvendon valley. It took us about two years from start to finish to complete the project.”

The property has 7,459 sq ft of accommodation across four floors and is set in about 1.4 acres of gardens, incorporating a stone laid terrace of about 250 sq m which spans the width of the house.

The entrance to the property is via an impressive pair of electric wrought iron gates which open on to a resin and tarmac forecourt. The garage has two electric up and over doors.

Once through the oak double doors into a lobby area, the house opens up into a galleried reception hall with Travertine flooring and underfloor heating throughout. The sitting room has a beautiful sandstone fire surround with log burner and the original herringbone flooring has been restored to a high standard.

The dining room sits on the other side of the hall and also has a fireplace. Doors lead into the generous kitchen-breakfast room, which sits across the back of the house, with bi-fold doors opening on to the large terrace.

The kitchen is a Griggs and Mackay design with quartz workshops and a wooden island. A breakfast bar overlooks the garden and there is a family area to the rear of the room with a wood burner. There is a spacious utility room and a boot room with a cloakroom and shower.

There is a rear lobby with a cloakroom and steps down to a full-height wine cellar with power and lighting and not a cobweb in sight. The ground floor annexe has a double bedroom, kitchen/sitting room with steps out to its own private, fenced garden, shower room and utility cupboard.

On the first floor the principal bedroom has a luxurious en suite and a balcony with panoramic views. There are four further double bedrooms, all en suite.

The second floor has an atrium at the top of the staircase which fills the landings with light. Here, we can find three double bedrooms, two with en suites, and there is a walk-in airing cupboard.

The house is immaculate and finished to a high standard.

Mr Elkes said: “We added a pond to the garden with plenty of Koi carp so that we could have sundowners while taking in the views.

“We also added a separate annexe with its own front door, which we have been letting out as an AirBnb but it would make a very convenient annexe for elderly relatives or long-stay guests.” He went on to say that they had planning permission to build a two-storey “leisure complex” with open space below, to the side of the house, but it could have multiple uses.

Mr Elkes said: “We were going to build a gym but we have decided to sell up and downsize and find another project in the same area as we love Goring. It is so picturesque here and it is just a 15-minute walk to the station.”

Goring’s history traces back to Saxon times and it has collected a wealth of exquisite properties from many different eras. Today, it has outstanding schools close by and an excellent range of amenities including a riverside café and a boutique hotel, along with fast commuter services to London in well under the hour.

• Haydown is on the market at a guide price of £3,250,000. For more information or to arrange a viewing, call Warmingham & Co on (01491) 874144.