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A slice of sporting heaven? Ride, swim, play squash and snooker in a 40-acre lakeside idyll


  • Mockley Wood Farm is a substantial lakeside house in a quiet location. It features a leisure complex with an indoor pool, farm and equestrian buildings and gardens and grounds extending to in all about 40 acres. The property is situated in Warwickshire, close to the Worcestershire border. The nearest town, Henley-in-Arden – three miles away – is known as being one of the prettiest in England. It has a mile-long high street of medieval, Tudor, Georgian and Victorian architecture, with history dating back to the 12th Century. Visiting the town has been described as “like diving into an Enid Blyton novel”. There are duck races, ancient mounds, summer music festivals and a famous ice cream parlour (50 flavours!), as well as a glorious bakery for wholesome picnics, and an old-fashioned butcher.

    Birmingham city centre is under 20 miles away, and you could reach big shopping centres on the outskirts in half an hour. The large town of Coventry is under 40min away. For more scenic options, Shakespeare’s birthplace Stratford upon Avon and the Regency town Royal Leamington Spa are also within 15 miles.

    While the area is wonderfully rural, it is very well connected to transport links. Birmingham Airport is just a 20min drive away. The most local town, Redditch, has a railway station, running commuter trains between Lichfield and Birmingham. Birmingham to London Euston is around 2hrs and there are over 200 trains a day. You’re also with 10 miles of junctions for the M40 and M42.

    For horsey families looking to join a Pony Club branch, you’re in the heart of West Warwickshire territory. If you’re after a Pony Club centre, there are three with 10 miles: Equine Learning, NTC Pony Club and Featherbed Stables.

    For those who hunt, the Worcestershire in the most local, with Croome and West Warwickshire and the Warwickshire close by.

    Racing fans will enjoy having two jumps tracks Stratford and Warwick on the doorstep, around 20min drive. With Stratford running meets through the spring to autumn, and Warwick autumn to spring, you can get your fix year-round. For the creme de la creme, Cheltenham is less than an hour away.

    Eventers can reach Moreton Morrell in half an hour, which also has its top-class arenas available for hire. Both Moreton Morrell and Broadway (45min) run horse trials up to novice, while Offchurch Bury (35min) goes up to BE105.

    And of course, you are just a stone’s throw from the NEC, for Horse of the Year Show, which is a 20min drive – so expect to have a full house come early October!

    Need a vet? Walnut Hill Equine Vet Clinic is less than 5min away.

    Mockley Wood Farm is on the market with Knight Frank for £4.85m. Let’s take a tour of its outstanding facilities.

    Birds-eye view of Mockley Farm

    The house itself is large, with six bedrooms and around 14,000sqft of accommodation. It has been designed with a high level of sophistication, including an ionic purifier (removes pollutants) for the swimming pool and air-conditioning in two of the bedroom suites. The decoration is spectacular, with a vaulted reception hall, exposed stonework and striking features throughout the home.
    indoor swimming pool at Mockley Wood Farm

    A tropical vibe at the indoor pool, which has a pine panel ceiling, stone paved floor, saunas and doors to the terrace

    The property is ideal for entertaining, with the impressive lakeside setting and lovely surrounding countryside. The reception rooms are generously sized and include the first-floor lake room. The lake room has an exposed granite stairwell, full-height brick and timber chimney stack and curved mirrored bar. There are four sets of French doors, which open onto the terrace and lake.
    Modern reception room with white grand piano

    Swanky decor in the lakeside room on the first floor

    Painted grey spiral staircase

    Even the staircase is eye-catching

    No need to enrol at the local rackets centre – there is a pristine private squash court.
    Squash court at private home

    The court has a maple-stripped floor and plate glass rear screen wall

    The kitchen is also large, and has a new ceramic tiled floor, hand-painted units with integrated appliances. It features a breakfast area, and is next to a conservatory overlooking the lake.
    Smart kitchen at Mockley Wood Farm

    The principal bedroom is vast, and decorated with a striking Versace design. It includes a sitting room with inglenook fireplace, full-width balcony, ensuite and dressing room.

    Versace bedroom

    The main bedroom suite – with the Versace touch

    En suite bedroom with fan

    Comfort and style: one of the four additional en suite bedrooms

    Originally built as a recording studio, the snooker room/games room has a mahogany bar, and is perfect for entertaining or chilling out.

    Snooker/games room at Mockley Wood Farm

    A ready-made pub!

    Behind the house is an extensive paved sun terrace with an inset flower border. The lake, with its abundance of wildfowl, weeping trees and a small island, lies beyond the terrace and provides a picturesque backdrop.

    Large terrace with fire pit

    Plenty of room on the terrace for a party

    Lake at Mockley Wood Farm Warks

    You reach the farm buildings along a concrete driveway, passing the enclosed kitchen garden area and all-weather tennis court. For the horses, there are is a steel frame stock building (105x35ft) including 11 traditional Monarch internal stables, with feed store and storage. The stables include two foaling boxes.

    Internal stables

    Further extensive farm buildings include four large bay enclosed steel framed buildings (45x60ft) with 18ft eaves, an enclosed steel frame workshop (45x30ft), a four-bay double span steel frame building (60ft²), lean-to (60x12ft), mono-pitch building (60x17ft), and a four-bay steel frame barn (80x60ft) with floodlighting.

    There is also an all-weather 20x40m manège.

    Outdoor riding arena

    The 40 acres of grassland are ideal for equestrian or agricultural use.

    Horses grazing in fenced paddocks at Mockley Wood Farm Warks

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