If good fences make good neighbours then this house with a moat all but guarantees cordial neighbourly relations.
Washendon Manor near Biddenden, Kent, is on the market with BTF Partnership for £4.5 million.
The six-bedroom Grade II listed manor house itself dates from the 16th to 17th century and is surrounded by a late medieval moat of water encircling the gardens.
In the days before CCTV and panic rooms, a nice deep watery moat was the perfect home security system for the landed gentry.
Without heavy machinery the moats had to be dug by hand, turning them into something of a status symbol. Speaking to the New York Times in 1993, archeologist Robert Croft described them as "the medieval equivalent of having a Mercedes in the driveway”.
It’s a somewhat defunct technology now, but serves as a pretty water feature with a footbridge leading to the grounds beyond.
Outside of the moat are a collection of historic buildings set in 85 acres of picturesque fields and woodlands.
A Grade II listed Oast house has been converted into a three-bedroom holiday cottage. It’s currently let out on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement.
Recognisable by its conical tiled roof, the Oast house would have once been used to dry the hops grown in the surrounding fields as part of the process of brewing beer.
Having beer on tap is a treat today, but when the manor was founded it would have been an essential form of safe drinking water. You definitely wouldn’t want to have been drinking out of the moat.
Attached to the Oast house is a double garage and a workshop.
A traditional Kent barn, also Grade II listed, sits opposite the Oast house. Supported by ancient beams, the peg roof tiles would have been made in the traditional manner – hand formed then punched through with holes for a wooden peg attaching it to the roof.
Currently being used to hold agricultural equipment, the agents highlighted that it has potential to be turned into a party barn for events or simply a large private knees-up.
Washendon Manor also includes an unlisted cottage. It comes with planning permission to be demolished and replaced with a larger two-storey four bedroom home.
“This is a truly unique property with a real “wow” factor as you come down the sweeping drive in the heart of the Weald of Kent,” said Alex Cornwallis at BTF Partnership.
“The property has considerable flexibility for the new owner who might be looking to generate an income from the existing residential properties and barn or for someone who just wants the peace and privacy of their own space, surrounded by their own land.”
