The Big Decision, Wentworth or St. George’s Hill?

Both in the top ten of most desirable places to live, how do homebuyers decide which is the right one for them? Both The Wentworth Estate in Virginia Water and St. Georges Hill, Weybridge have a lot to offer those lucky enough to have several million to invest in their next home. Super luxurious detached properties set back on quiet private, security patrolled roads, each house sitting on a large 1 acre plus secluded plot, with world-renowned golf and country clubs within a few minutes’ drive on each estate. Access to the capital and London airports is fast and efficient via nearby junctions (gap) onto the M25, so pretty level pegging so far. Equally, both estates are located close to excellent independent British and International schools, always a big attraction to purchasers with families.

“We have found that there is a fair bit of crossover with Octagon clients” commented Regional Director Angus McQuhae, “people seeking homes over several million are primarily looking for a top location, a generous plot and above all, a big, beautiful, and preferably brand new house. Wentworth and St George’s Hill tick all the boxes, so our purchasers tend to consider both before making a decision”.

Octagon have been building their larger family houses on these estates for over 20 years, attracting not just a loyal band of Octagon buyers, but also countless top building and design awards in the process. So hopes are high for the latest arrivals on the Wentworth Estate.

Crossacres is a superb 15,000 sq ft, 7 bedroom suited modern mansion situated on North Drive, which has attracted many serious viewings within days of being completed, as well as catching the judge’s eye for the forthcoming What House Awards, the ‘oscars’ of the building industry. With the combined forces of in house designers Joe Taylor and Kerry Beckwith, and external consultants responsible for the furnishings and décor, L & C Interiors, the house oozes the ultimate in wow factor and deserves every penny of its £17.5m price tag.

Accessed via a grand gated entrance, the house sits in 2.3 acres of formally laid out grounds, with a centrepiece ornamental swimming pool, whose retractable fountains rise and fall at the touch of a handset. Exterior design is classic, in stock red brick with extensive Bath stone dressings and front door portico, perfectly in harmony with the full height custom made sash windows.

With three floors of accommodation, it features a very comprehensive indoor leisure suite including a second heated swimming pool, jacuzzi spa, steam room, sauna, changing and shower rooms, a well-equipped gymnasium and cinema room. Crossacres, expecting to be doing some serious entertaining, also has seven reception rooms, and a second ‘catering’ kitchen adjoining the staff accommodation. The smoked mirrored 8-person passenger lift serving all floors makes delivery of meals and guests swift and effortless.

The main kitchen, as befits all Octagon homes, tends to draw deep intakes of breath, with its Stephen Clasper high gloss lacquered grey sycamore units, looking more couture than culinary with their gunmetal Shagren panels and deco-inspired mirrored breakfast bar. The built in Gaggenau appliances include two full size ovens, one a steamer, an espresso cappuccino machine, and a highly efficient down draught extractor. Kettles are superfluous, as is bottled water, with the Quooker boiling/chilled water tap, and thinking chilling, there are no less than two glass fronted wine chillers to back up the Gaggenau full size fridge and freezer units.

Bedrooms are all given the glamour treatment, with sumptuous en suite bath and shower rooms, and not one, but two walk in dressing rooms come with the Master Suite. Even the integral garage looks good enough to host a debutantes’ ball, with its alabaster bonded resin floor, and pale grey walls panelled with large mirrors. The garage is indulgently underfloor heated like the rest of the house, so very eligible to house the home fleet of demanding Ferraris and Bentleys, who can come and go in any weather via the curved and again, heated drive, onto the main front forecourt, in readiness for family departures.

Crossacres is available for viewing strictly by appointment through appointed agents Knight Frank telephone 01344 840 020. For further information please click here.

If the Crossacres price tag is out of your range, there is still a chance to live the Wentworth dream at Long Furrow, a charming family house on Abbots Drive, also on the estate.

With a substantial 7,500 sq ft of living space, including three spacious ground floor reception rooms, a home study, large eat-in kitchen and 6 bedroom suites, Long Furrow sits in a fully landscaped and planted 0.7 acre plot, and is priced at £5.5m.

Long Furrow is open weekends for viewing 10am – 4pm or through appointed agents Knight Frank telephone 01344 840020. For further information please click here.

Which brings us onto St George’s Hill, and another Octagon beauty, Saddle Stones, not quite as ambassadorial as Crossacres, but equally well situated on the most favoured road on the estate, and superbly appointed by the same in house design team of Joe Taylor and Kerry Beckwith, and embellished with opulent furnishings by Russian interior designers, the NR Group.

Octagon have transformed a 1.04 acre plot into the most breathtaking South backing gardens, featuring a sensational open air heated ornamental swimming pool, a delightful summerhouse and a romantic gazebo, offering far reaching views of Surrey countryside. As an added bonus, Octagon are throwing in a 7 bedroom, 8 bathroom house with optional staff accommodation, for £9.5m.

Classically built, the detached house is in mellow stock bricks with elegant stone dressings, and accommodation is arranged over three floors, connected by a dramatic oval atrium. The interior is cool, light and contemporary, starting in the grand white marble entrance hall with contrasting black border inlay, where a curving marble and glass staircase vie for attention with the superb Murano crystal chandelier.

Ground floor accommodation is all about family living and grand entertaining, and features a large cinema room, complete with wet bar, ready to entertain. Also on this level is a sophisticated grey and white furnished home office, a large dual aspect drawing room, entered from the hall through glass double doors, and a formal dining room, also accessed through glass double doors. This room has a more intimate feel, with a suspended Murano ‘bauble’ chandelier in palest bronze tinted glass, black velvet button back chairs, which surround an exquisite satin finished Makassar ebony veneer wood dining table.

The supersized kitchen and adjoining family room (pictured above) have sleek high gloss lacquered Stephen Clasper units, designed and made specifically for this house, fitted with the latest Gaggenau appliances, including three ovens – one being a combination steam oven – and the now familiar Quooker mixer tap, supplying both chilled filtered and boiling hot water. All surfaces and the state of the art six seater breakfast bar have Brazilian granite worktops.

Moving upstairs to a gracious glass galleried oval landing and five substantial double bedroom suites, the Master being a virtual complex taking up two thirds of the rear of the house and having both a large walk in dressing room, and two Italian book-matched marble bathrooms.

On the second floor is another beautiful oval glass panelled galleried landing, and above, an expansive glass rooflight, through which natural light streams down through all landing levels to the great entrance hall on the ground floor. Here are two more double bedrooms, one with an en suite bathroom and small kitchen, making an ideal staff or granny complex, the other with access to the separate walk in shower room. Across the landing is a large 26’ x 17’ games room, already equipped with a juke box, ‘Foosball’ football table, comfy sofa unit and floor cushions facing the plasma TV, the perfect bolthole for over energised teenagers or sports mad fathers.

The integral triple garage has a helpful motorized turntable to make indoor parking stress free, whilst the approach carriage driveway offers plenty of secure visitor space behind the tall main entrance, which is video controlled and with ornamental iron gates.

Saddle Stones is open weekends for viewing 10am – 4pm or through appointed agents Savills telephone 01932 838000 and Helas Wolf telephone 01932 820222. For further information please click here.