High Easter Road, Barnston, Great Dunmow, CM6

Martels Manor is an exceptional Medieval house, a Grade II Listed building with later additions and conventionally constructed with a heavy timber frame with plastered and pargetted elevations under a neat tiled roof. The current owners have undertaken significant works to the house over a number of years and have updated the property with great sympathy. This impressive country house has an attractive approach past farmland to a pair of automatic wrought iron gates leading to the private driveway. A secondary driveway leads beside and behind the house to the garaging and outbuildings. There is an extensive area of parking in front of the garage and around the house.

The accommodation is arranged over two floors and is surprisingly bright for a house of this age. It would appear that many of the windows to the front were replaced in the 18th or early 19th century and afford delightful views over the drive and grounds. On the ground floor there is a generously proportioned hall with oak panelling, an inner hall with staircase to the first floor, glazed summer room with double glazed windows with views over the garden. There are four further reception rooms, two with fireplaces and wood burning stoves, kitchen/breakfast room with Aga, stone sink, granite work surfaces and three sets of doors to the garden. There is also a utility room and a ground floor cloakroom. On the first floor the landing leads to the impressive master bedroom which has a vaulted roof, fitted wardrobes and an en suite shower room, a guest suite with its own en suite and storage and five further double bedrooms.

The grounds are very much a feature and extend to about four acres including lawns, an extensive terrace running around the property, an orchard of damson, plum and pear and an extensive area of deciduous woodland. A stream (a tributary of the River Chelmer) runs between the bottom of the garden and the woodland. A pond and rill have been created and beside the rill there is a large terrace which is a perfect entertaining area. The triple garage block is well equipped with three rollermatic doors, light and power and a cloakroom. There are also two bunded oil tanks. The sizeable open bay cart lodge provides dry storage and there is also an excellent garden store and workshop, a hard tennis court and circular vegetable garden with brick

The current owners will be very sad to leave, as they have enjoyed living in the house and have enjoyed the delightful location. These are some of the features which attracted them to the property and make living there special. “It is in a very convenient location, about 7 miles from the M11 on a good run 10 to 12 minutes and there are railway stations at Stansted Airport and Bishops Stortford. Excellent access to London City (less than an hour) and about one hour twenty minutes to Mayfair and the West End. There are good pubs a
short walk away. The historical Flitch town of Great Dunmow has interesting shops. The initial driveway is about a third of a mile long (the initial section is shared). The house is centrally located in its grounds and has a partial moat, there is private woodland and total seclusion with an abundance of wildlife including kingfishers, owls, buzzard, kites and deer. There is underfloor heating throughout the ground floor and modern insulation to the floors and loft, a modern chef ’s kitchen with Miele and Gaggenau fittings”.

Historical note: Martels Manor has significant history; in more recent times it was the home of Lord and Lady Plowden who resided there for many years either side of WW2. Lord Plowden was a British industrialist and public servant in the Treasury, during the war he served in the Ministry of Economic Warfare, and later joined the Ministry of Aircraft Production, in which he remained until 1946. During 1945–46 he was chief executive in succession to Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfrid Freeman. Lady Plowden was a British educational reformer and influential figure in primary education, broadcasting and the rights of Romani people. She chaired the group which authored and published the 1967 Plowden Report on primary education in Britain, and was chair of the Independent Broadcasting Authority from 1975–80.

Barnston is a small village only 1½ miles from the market town of Great Dunmow. There are good facilities in Great Dunmow, including Michelin star restaurant, shops, primary and secondary schooling and various recreational amenities. A further range of facilities is provided in the market towns of Bishop’s Stortford and Chelmsford, both within 15 miles distance. Felsted Public School is some 5 miles from the property. There are mainline railway stations providing services top London’s Liverpool Street at both Bishop’s Stortford (approximately 35 minutes and Chelmsford. The A120 by-pass is about a mile from the property and has greatly improved travelling time to Bishops Stortford, Stansted Airport and the M11 (J8) which is about ten miles away and links to London, the M25, Cambridge and the Midlands.