This astonishing Grade II*-listed house occupies one-half of a grand Tudor manor dating to the 16th century, if not earlier. Unfolding over 5,400 sq ft, the six-bedroom home is defined by its immense timber frame and intricate leaded windows. A sensitive restoration has celebrated its rare historic features, including swathes of panelling and a handful of remarkably intricate carved fireplace surrounds. Beautiful gardens meld with the surrounding countryside and encompass a large heated swimming pool and sweeping lawns. Alderden Old Manor is situated in a bucolic pocket of Kent equidistant to the larger towns of Cranbrook and Hawkhurst and close to the East Sussex border.

The manor sits in the heart of the Weald of Kent, an area that was once covered in woodland; its name, ‘Alderdon’, derives from the Old English for ‘forest’. Strikingly well-preserved, the house is shaped by its 16th-century details. Outside, these include exposed timber beams typical of the area and sculptural brick chimneys. Casement windows with wooden mullions and transoms and diamond-shaped leaded panes punctuate its stunning exterior.

Inside, the sitting rooms display remarkable panelling which likely dates from the early 17th century, as well as, as Historic England observes, a “very fine Jacobean overmantel with pilasters and angels”. Elsewhere, large inglenooks can be found, as can moulded beams and an original oak door that opens into the garden from the main, impressively wide hallway, now used as a dining room. For more information, see the History section.