With an 18th century style and antique touches, history is synonymous with Fox Hill Farm.
The property features amenities like a pool, tennis court, barn, vineyard, indoor and outdoor arenas, dressage ring and cross-country course.
In Cheshire Hunt Country sits a luxurious equestrian farm reminiscent of old-world country living — and for the first time, the seven-bedroom, nine-bath estate is on the market. Sitting on 80 acres of land, the home was built on the historic property in 2006 by local architects Peter Archer and Richard Buchanan and is surrounded by an arboretum of mature trees. “The house feels as though it’s always been there, even though it’s brand-new,” Buchanan says.
Upon entering the home, step onto the foyer’s Italian checkered marble floors, which once belonged to an English manor house and is often used in Georgian architecture. For more charming characteristics, look to the music room, living and dining rooms, which utilize 200-year old wood floors that came from a French chateau.
The foyer’s Italian checkered marble floors were once in an English manor house.
Even though the aesthetic of the home is formal and traditional, the floor plan is more contemporary in style and function. “All those modern functions that we expect in a contemporary home exist, but they are addressed as though they belong in the 18th century stylistically,” he adds. Down the hallway, off the center hall, there is a butler’s pantry and spacious kitchen. The farm-style kitchen holds everything an in-house chef would require, including a Lacanche multiburner gas stove with three ovens and two Sub-Zero refrigerators with two freezer drawers. The marriage of style and functionality is present in this space where the Calacutta marble counters and backsplash provide ample counter space and Andersen-Knudsen Design cabinetry offers stylish storage.
The farm-style kitchen
One inspired element on the main floor is in the library and music room space. The handkerchief vault ceiling, which was popularized in the 1700s by English architect Sir John Soane, has a delicate curve that creates a comfortable atmosphere.
Take the elliptical staircase to the second floor and into the primary suite, which has a walk-in closet, access to a porch and an attached primary bath. Choose from the oversized shower, connected steam shower or soaking tub under the bow window that overlooks the gardens. Buchanan explains that the suite was designed to provide refuge and tranquility. “There’s a lovely sense of privacy, long views and the peaceful country experience,” he says. The second floor has four additional bedrooms, two with a shared bathroom and two with en suite bathrooms with access to the back porch. The third level features two more bedrooms, one with a full bath and one with a powder room.
The primary bedroom was designed to be a space for refuge and tranquility
Make your way down the grandiose stairs to the lower level and view the climate-controlled, brick-floored wine cellar, dreamy screening room, extensive home gym and classic game room including a billiards table. The wine cellar, itself is over 1,000 square feet and surrounded on all sides by masonry so it can maintain a perfect 58 degrees year-round.
Outside, the landscape and exterior of the home preserve the historic nature of the property. A portico serves as a stunning place to welcome guests, while a veranda at the back of the home encourages indoor-outdoor experiences. “We used a porch on the back of the house, looking out across the pond, as a way to really bring nature into the home and bring the living space out into nature,” Buchanan says, Also, to create the illusion that the home has been sitting on this property for generations, the exterior material is fieldstone—which is salvaged from the demolition of old barn ruins and is more weathered. “There’s a softness and a naturalness to fieldstone,” he adds. “There’s age, weather, lichen and crud on those stones that you don’t get otherwise.”
For those seeking a property ripe with history and contemporary amenities, Fox Hill Farm is the ideal estate. As Buchanan puts it, “There’s a sense of long collections thoughtfully acquired both inside the house and outside the house with the landscape and many features within the landscape.” $6.875 million, 380 Upland Road, Kennett Square; Holly, Stewart and Stephen Gross, 610.430.3030, foxroach.com
Photography by: Ric Castro, Virtual Vista Real Estate Photography
