Summer tennis parties, High Tea in the Rotunda, the sound of the floodlit fountain gently invading the night soundscape of cicadas, and the best views over rolling pastoral acreage, this charming Southern Highlands country home on 100 acres (40.48 ha)at Sutton Forest (90mins from Sydney CBD) is the ultimate weekend escape.
Steeped in local history with original land ownership dating back to 1862, the house was built around 1880 from sandstone blocks quarried on site, with the more recent addition of the conservatory and a guest suite created from the same stone quarry.
This sandstone house is a glorious contrast of traditional style; open fireplaces with ornamental mantles in the dining room and main bedroom, and modern comfort – central heating throughout, with under floor heating in the conservatory. Accommodation consists of 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, an en suite and dressing room to the main bedroom, formal lounge and dining room, kitchen, conservatory and laundry on the ground floor with a guest suite upstairs, comprising bedroom, sitting room, office and bathroom.
A well fitted timber farmhouse style kitchen with attractive tiling and a Falcon range is adjacent to the conservatory and close to the formal dining room which means the head chef will not feel left out.
The most recent addition to the original house is the North facing conservatory, which looks over the garden out to the specially created pond stocked with goldfish and on towards the paddocks. This room is charming, light and bright with views that seem to go on forever.
The 3 acres of house garden is a real feature of the property; currently a mass of spring bulbs and shortly to be a riot of blossom it has been carefully planned and nurtured over many years, a testimony to the forethought of the current owner to leave something truly beautiful for future generations; a Birch grove, Blue Spruce, Claret, Flowering Quince, Golden Ash and the mighty English Oak all feature in this peaceful space. Sit in the rotunda and watch a game of tennis, or listen to the fountain and just dream.
Not just a pretty place, this property is also a working farm, turning a profit with 40 head of cattle in 7 fenced paddocks with 3 surface water dams, 2 pumped from one of the two bores and 5 gravity fed cattle troughs. Water storage is not a problem with this property with a 100,000ltr partly in-ground tank.
Continuing on the practical side there is a large machinery shed with a lock-up storage area, a workshop and under cover parking for several vehicles, a two stand shearing shed, which has not seen a wooly back for a year or two but makes for great wet weather play- space for younger visitors.
And then there are the Gullies which lead to Long Swamp Creek…….. right on the far western boundary of the property is where the tamed pasture runs into the wild – nearly 20 acres of the land the Southern Highlands is famous for with sheer cliff drops, rock formations, ferns and bush, cleared walking trails, running streams and the best picnic spots you can imagine.
Property Code: 404270178