Inside £1.9m Georgian home in Angus with farmhouse, lodges and 102 acres

The Courier

3 days ago

West Newton is a beautiful B listed Georgian home that comes with a five-bedroom farmhouse, two gate lodges, a stunning walled garden and 102 acres of fields and woodland.
It sits off the A92 midway between Arbroath and Lunan Bay. Although it's just a five-minute drive to Arbroath, West Newton sits behind a screen of trees and is surrounded by its own land. It enjoys a tremendous sense of privacy and seclusion.
It dates from the late 1700s and for the past 30 years it's been owned by Audrey Barron, who bought the house in 1994.
A long driveway sweeps between two gatehouses, running through trees and emerging at a gravel parking area outside the main house.
Both of Audrey's sons are farmers and a cluster of lambs belonging to one of them is basking in the sunshine on the grassy field in front of the house.
Audrey and her friendly cockapoo Rosie give me a warm welcome and usher me into their home.
Double storm doors open into a vestibule and spacious entrance hall. The drawing room has high ceilings, a large window to the front, and glazed doors onto a terrace. Across from the drawing room is the living room, which is where Audrey spends most of her evenings.
'This was originally the dining room and the living room was at the other side of the house,' she explains. 'This room is right next to the kitchen so my sons suggested turning it into the living room.
'Michael even had a wood burning stove installed for me as a Christmas present a couple of years ago. I spend most of my time in here or the kitchen.'
A short corridor leads into the welcoming farmhouse-style kitchen, which is made cosy by an oil-fired Aga. Beyond the kitchen there's a pantry and boot room and a door to the back garden.
Another corridor leads past a study with a rear facing window. The hallway opens up into a wider space that is lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on one side and is a lovely reading area.
A curtain pulls back to reveal a hidden staircase leading up to a self-contained level with two bedrooms and a bathroom. 'When my elder son Michael was a young man he always liked to stay in this part of the house,' Audrey remembers.
A spacious dining room has a storeroom behind it and a door to the back garden. Back in the main hall a cantilevered spiral staircase leads up to the first floor. The master bedroom has its own dressing room and en suite bathroom and a beautiful outlook across the Angus countryside.
There are three more bedrooms and a WC on the first floor. The largest of these is the main guest bedroom. It has wonderful views through two large windows, one of which looks across the fields and trees, with the other having a fine outlook over West Newton's stunning walled garden.
Another stair leads to the attic floor, where there is a bathroom and a bedroom/storeroom.
West Newton also comes with a five-bedroom farmhouse. Audrey lived here for several months in 1994 while she made changes to the main house. More recently she's had the farmhouse renovated and ran it as a successful holiday let for three years.
There are also a pair of one-bedroom gatehouses that guard the entrance to West Newton.
One of the most special aspects of West Newton is its beautiful walled garden. As well as fruit and vegetables, there are roses and even tea plants. 'They were given to me by a friend and I've done my best with them,' Audrey smiles. 'It's quite a labour intensive process – last year I got 15 teabags from all the plants.'
The walled garden has a hexagonal summerhouse constructed from an oak tree that came down in a storm many years ago.
Audrey is a talented equestrian. She competed at a high level in carriage driving and she'll be judging the Highland Ponies in Hand category at this year's Royal Highland Show. Horses are well catered for at West Newton, with ample grazing ground, a large stable block, and an agricultural shed that can double up as an equestrian facility.
After showing me around the walled garden we jump in Audrey's Land Rover and she takes me on a tour of the estate. Two beautiful horses run along the edge of their field, keeping pace with us until we disappear into the woods.
Altogether the estate has 62 acres of arable and grazing land and 40 acres of woodland.
Aged 78, Audrey has now decided the time has come to downsize. 'Neither of my sons want to live here,' she says. 'They both have their own homes and lives. I've bought a single-storey house on the Dunkeld side of Blairgowrie.
'It's a bit of a project – it needs completely renovated. I'm moving the living area from one end of the house to the other. But once it's finished it will be a nice home for me and a bit more manageable than this one. It's only 20 mins to one son's house and 25 minutes to the other so I'll see much more of my children and grandchildren.
'And it has 20 acres of land so I'll still be able to keep my horses.'
West Newton, by Arbroath is on sale with Savills for offers over £1.9 million.