Caroline McGhie uncovers homes where owners, in harmony with their grounds, create noteworthy summer events .
On a hot summer Sunday afternoon, Jonathan and June Harrison’s garden fills with villagers in straw boaters. Picnic rugs are spread out, hampers are opened, wine glasses tinkle and June starts dispensing hot dogs in the barn. Then the members of the Chicago Jazz Band tune up their instruments and away they go, foot-tapping to big-hitting show songs, crooning through old pre-war favourites.
The house lends itself to musical jollity. It is a pretty three-bedroom period farmhouse called Arnold Yoke in the village of Leeds in Kent, known for its picturesque moated castle. It has a one-bedroom cottage too, but the party backdrop is provided by the beautiful gardens, paddock and barn. “We can always go into the barn if it rains but it isn’t always used as people come and put up their own gazebos, and when the rain comes down the umbrellas go up. This summer we had a beautiful sunny day,” says June.
“We have lived in the area since we got married three decades ago and over time we have raised money for local hospices and village causes with our musical events. We started with safari suppers so lots of people got to know each other,” says June. “I do hot dogs, home-made cakes and cups of tea. One year a local dramatic group came and did a version of ’Allo ’Allo. We have raised £40,000 over the years.” And the summer jazz concert has become a village tradition.
The house, priced at £1.15m by Knight Frank (01732 744477) has just gone under offer but to June’s joy the buyers look likely to continue the musical tradition. “They are known to do things for their parish, the wife is very musical and the husband is a passionate gardener,” she says.
“A property can be charming in itself but the owner’s interest adds to the atmosphere,” says George Berry, the selling agent, who confesses that he played the part of Lieutenant Gruber in the local production of ’Allo ’Allo. “A property takes on the personality of its owners and attracts like-minded buyers.”
This is music festival season. Away from the hurly-burly of big public events, others take place privately, organised by home owners who have the right kind of showcase houses. Sometimes the combination of talent and setting is just too good to resist.
Ellie Philp’s 18-year-old daughter Darcie has played the harp since she was nine. Each year Darcie is one of 10 harpists who gather in the hall of Netherton House, near Newton Abbott, as the Exeter Harp Orchestra prepare for the Devon Performing Arts Festival in Exeter. “People always say they make the sound of angels,” says Ellie.
The classic wisteria-clad house is full of quiet grandeur, with six bedrooms, servants’ quarters converted into two flats, a swimming pool, and a charming timber chalet in the gardens which run down to the River Teign. A little jetty is rented from the Crown Estate and along the bank you can walk all the way to Coombe-in-Teignhead.
“It is lucky we have a lot of space. There is room for the harps in the hall which is extremely large,” Ellie adds. She is now selling at £1.75m through Fulfords (01392 660007) and Savills (01392 455745) because it is just too large for the two of them and Darcie is about to leave home for university.
They even have a “harp car”, a Mondeo estate (without wheel arches or boot lip so that it can swallow the harp easily), to transport the instrument to the concerts, balls and weddings at which Darcie plays.
Setting is everything. At Pump Bottom Farm in Appledram near Chichester, Julian and Kathleen Moores are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their Blues On The Farm annual June weekend, voted Best British Blues Festival 2010.
“It started with a private party. We had a little marquee and friends, including Gary Brooker from the band Procul Harum, and he said this is a fantastic setting for music. People would pay to come. We thought why not?” says Kathleen.
It was the early Nineties. The couple were apple growers wanting to diversify so they began to produce cider and apple juice and got into the music scene at the same time. “It just clicked. We could sell our cider to the festival goers,” she says.
At first they had to persuade the musicians to come and play. Now the likes of Georgie Fame, Long John Baldry, Bill Wyman and Jools Holland, as well as Brooker, are keen to perform. This year they hosted 8,000 people over the festival weekend, including many campers.
Local suppliers of curries, hog roasts, fish and chips and burgers come to sell their wares.
Pump Bottom Farm also hosts corporate events and weddings for those who want less formality and more of a good party.
The Moores want to retire so they are selling the festival as a business, with 38 acres, their Cider House restaurant, farm building and four newly built oak frame holiday cottages for £3m through Chesterton Humberts (01243 531010). “If we had to sell the house as well we would – it would be selfish not to – but we hope to spend a year or two in it first,” says Kathleen.
Opera or operetta
Access to tickets to dress rehearsals of Garsington Opera’s 2012 season come with this brick-and-flint cottage with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and walks in the grounds including the lake and deer park on the Wormsley Estate in Buckinghamshire. Garsington moved its shows to the estate, home of the Gettys, this year. A beautiful kabuki inspired opera pavilion is to be built every summer to house the singers, the orchestra, the stage and the terraces. The cottage is available on a long let at £3,495 per month through John D Wood (01865 311522).
Riverbank House at Ferry Lane, Shepperton in Surrey, was rented by Arthur Sullivan while he and his librettist W S Gilbert were preparing their shows for D’Oyly Carte who built the Savoy Theatre to show their work. It witnessed many parties and informal rehearsals and Sullivan would retire here after having temper tantrums with Richard D’Oyly Carte whose house was on a neighbouring private island. Shepperton Studios’ proximity has attracted many showbiz personalities – Frank Finlay, Edward Woodward, Bernard Braden and Barbara Kelly have all lived here. John D Wood (01932 842323) is selling at £1.1m.
Ellie Philp’s 18-year-old daughter Darcie has played the harp since she was nine. Each year Darcie is one of 10 harpists who gather in the hall of Netherton House, near Newton Abbott, as the Exeter Harp Orchestra prepare for the Devon Performing Arts Festival in Exeter. “People always say they make the sound of angels,” says Ellie.
The classic wisteria-clad house is full of quiet grandeur, with six bedrooms, servants’ quarters converted into two flats, a swimming pool, and a charming timber chalet in the gardens which run down to the River Teign. A little jetty is rented from the Crown Estate and along the bank you can walk all the way to Coombe-in-Teignhead.
“It is lucky we have a lot of space. There is room for the harps in the hall which is extremely large,” Ellie adds. She is now selling at £1.75m through Fulfords (01392 660007) and Savills (01392 455745) because it is just too large for the two of them and Darcie is about to leave home for university.
They even have a “harp car”, a Mondeo estate (without wheel arches or boot lip so that it can swallow the harp easily), to transport the instrument to the concerts, balls and weddings at which Darcie plays.
Setting is everything. At Pump Bottom Farm in Appledram near Chichester, Julian and Kathleen Moores are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their Blues On The Farm annual June weekend, voted Best British Blues Festival 2010.
“It started with a private party. We had a little marquee and friends, including Gary Brooker from the band Procul Harum, and he said this is a fantastic setting for music. People would pay to come. We thought why not?” says Kathleen.
It was the early Nineties. The couple were apple growers wanting to diversify so they began to produce cider and apple juice and got into the music scene at the same time. “It just clicked. We could sell our cider to the festival goers,” she says.
At first they had to persuade the musicians to come and play. Now the likes of Georgie Fame, Long John Baldry, Bill Wyman and Jools Holland, as well as Brooker, are keen to perform. This year they hosted 8,000 people over the festival weekend, including many campers.
Local suppliers of curries, hog roasts, fish and chips and burgers come to sell their wares.
Pump Bottom Farm also hosts corporate events and weddings for those who want less formality and more of a good party.
The Moores want to retire so they are selling the festival as a business, with 38 acres, their Cider House restaurant, farm building and four newly built oak frame holiday cottages for £3m through Chesterton Humberts (01243 531010). “If we had to sell the house as well we would – it would be selfish not to – but we hope to spend a year or two in it first,” says Kathleen.
Opera or operetta
Access to tickets to dress rehearsals of Garsington Opera’s 2012 season come with this brick-and-flint cottage with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and walks in the grounds including the lake and deer park on the Wormsley Estate in Buckinghamshire. Garsington moved its shows to the estate, home of the Gettys, this year. A beautiful kabuki inspired opera pavilion is to be built every summer to house the singers, the orchestra, the stage and the terraces. The cottage is available on a long let at £3,495 per month through John D Wood (01865 311522).
Riverbank House at Ferry Lane, Shepperton in Surrey, was rented by Arthur Sullivan while he and his librettist W S Gilbert were preparing their shows for D’Oyly Carte who built the Savoy Theatre to show their work. It witnessed many parties and informal rehearsals and Sullivan would retire here after having temper tantrums with Richard D’Oyly Carte whose house was on a neighbouring private island. Shepperton Studios’ proximity has attracted many showbiz personalities – Frank Finlay, Edward Woodward, Bernard Braden and Barbara Kelly have all lived here. John D Wood (01932 842323) is selling at £1.1m.
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