Exceptional country house with delightful gardens, cottages and almost 70 acres.
Keithock House forms the heart of a delightful small residential estate. Situated centrally within its own grounds, extending to some 69.4 acres, the house looks out over its own gardens and beyond to its woodlands, providing privacy. It is a most elegant house, with its bow fronted sides and Doric columned portico at the front, while at the same time being a manageable and practical home. With its walled garden, outbuildings, cottages and grounds, Keithock is a lovely, small and readily accessible estate. Well proportioned reception rooms with cornices and window shutters are perfect for entertaining, yet the house is also ideal for modern family living.
Gates, flanked by a pair of matching single room stone built lodges (4.35m x 3.4m and 4.4m x 3.65m), open onto the main tarred drive from the east which leads to a gravelled sweep at the front of the house, and continues on over a bridge on the Keithock Water to a further drive to the west with stone gate piers and gates, and another running past the stable block to the north, and the woods on the other side of a minor public road.
The Doric columned entrance and front door opens to an outer hall with cornicing and tiled floor which leads into a fine hall with a magnificent stone hanging staircase with a cupola above, together with two Doric columns, a warming wood burning stove and a stone flag floor. Off this are the principal reception rooms. A stunning double aspect drawing room has a fireplace and parquet flooring, and opens, with pocket doors, to a bow fronted music room again with a fireplace and parquet flooring as well as a shelved alcove. Opposite is a library, another fine double aspect room, with an ornate fireplace with Barbas fire, four wall lights and a shelved press. The bow fronted dining room has a marble fireplace, and the date stone of 1680 over a door which conveniently links to the kitchen.
The fully fitted kitchen has fitted units with wooden worktops, a central island unit and Amtico flooring. Appliances include two Lamona dishwashers, double sink, four oven AGA with side module with four ring gas hob, under counter wine fridge and a Samsung fridge/freezer with water and ice dispenser. Adjacent is a secure walk in cupboard, while opposite is a cloakroom with fitted cupboards and a separate WC with pedestal wash basin. A back hall connects to the kitchen and has rear stairs with under stair cupboard, a store with fitted cupboards, and a boiler room housing two Ideal Concord CX boilers and side entrance door. A laundry has two Whirlpool top loading washing machines, sink, Bosch washing machine and dryer and a larder cupboard. Beyond is a pantry with stone and wooden shelves. Also off the back hall is an office, and a freezer room with back door. Off this is a timber-lined sauna room with shower and tiled floor, a split level wine cellar and a store with outside door.
The front staircase leads up to the first floor landing. Bedroom 1 is bow fronted with window shutters, while the adjacent bathroom has a bath, marble wash basin and a WC. Bedroom 2 is double aspect with a fireplace, window shutters and picture rail. The double aspect principal bedroom has window shutters, a fireplace, dressing room with fitted wardrobes, a balcony over the portico and an en suite with bath with shower, two wash basins and WC. Beyond is bedroom 4, also bow fronted with window shutters, picture rail and a walk in wardrobe with hanging rails and shelves. Partway up the staircase is a side landing with the back stairs and two laundry cupboards. Bedroom 5 has a shelved alcove and built in hanging cupboards, while a billiard room has a brick fireplace. Behind is a bathroom with bath, wash basin and WC, and bedrooms 7 and 8. Stairs lead up to the second floor landing with fitted shelves. Off this is bedroom 9, a playroom which could be a further bedroom and an attic.
At the back of the house is a store, former WC and dog kennel with run. To the side of the house is a lovely walled garden with flower and herbaceous borders, fruit and apple trees, a tennis court, lawns (a Husqvarna automower is included in the sale), raised vegetable beds and a Victorian greenhouse (20.1m x 4.2m), divided into three, one with a productive vine, and potting sheds to the rear. On the west side of the house are paved seating areas, making the most of afternoon and evening sun, and a stretch of lawn leading down to the Keithock Water and woods beyond. In front of the house are expansive lawns with fine trees including copper beech and sequoia, rhododendrons, and a lily pond to the side. Beyond a ha-ha is a field enclosed by shelter belts.
The Olde Laundry House
Situated to the west of the walled garden is an attractive two storey house with single storey wings. Stone built with a slate roof it begins with a hallway with stone flag floor and two cupboards, one housing a wall mounted Worcester boiler. To one side is a dining kitchen with underfloor heating. The fitted kitchen has a Lamona dishwasher, oven and four ring gas hob and a sink. There is ample space for dining, a staircase to the first floor and a rear entrance lobby with the back door. Bedroom 1 has an en suite with shower, wash basin and WC. On the other side of the hallway are two further bedrooms, one with beamed ceiling and entrance door, and a bathroom with bath with shower, washbasin with vanity unit and WC. The staircase leads up to a sitting room with a fireplace with wood burning stove, wooden mantel and window shutters. The garden in front is in grass.
Stable Block
Off the north drive is a stone built stable block, which is arranged around a courtyard, with a doo'cot over an entrance archway, and includes two cottages.
No 1 The Stables Cottage has a hallway with stairs to the first floor, a sitting room with a wood burning stove, wooden mantel, wooden floor and under stairs cupboard. The dining kitchen has fitted wall and floor units with a two oven gas AGA, Lamona oven and four ring gas hob, a Lamona dishwasher, sink, under counter fridge, a cupboard housing a wall mounted Worcester boiler, and a wooden floor. A utility room has a Belfast sink, plumbing for a washing machine, a separate WC with washbasin, and a back door to a small courtyard with a store. On the first floor is a bedroom with fitted wardrobe and an en suite shower with washbasin; a further bedroom with fireplace and cupboards; and a bathroom with bath with shower, wash basin and WC.
No 2 The Stables Cottage has a hallway with stairs to the first floor and under stairs cupboard. There is a downstairs bedroom and a sitting room with a wood burning stove, while a kitchen has units with a Lamona oven and four ring gas hob, dishwasher and fridge/freezer, a sink, plumbing for washing machine, wall mounted Worcester boiler and a back door to a small courtyard with two stores. On the first floor is a further bedroom and a bathroom with bath with shower, wash basin and WC.
On the opposite side of the drive from the cottages are gardens. The remainder of the stable block comprises (all measurements approximate) stables (10.5m x 4.75m) with panelling and hatch to loft above; store; garage (6.3m x 4.9m) with double doors; former byre (5m x 4.25m); workshop (7.6m x 4.9m); former stable (4.9m x 4.3m); store (4.9m x 5.8m) with cobbled floor; tractor shed (5.6m x 3.5m); former kennels with run (now housing chickens); store (7.1m max x 10.5m max ); store (5.2m x 4.8m) with cobbled floor; store (4.6m x 4.9m); loft (4.9m x 9.9m) with outside steps; workshop (4.9m x 4.9m); cart shed (4.9m x 4.9m): and a further cart shed (5.4m x 3.3m).
In addition there is a wooden tractor shed (7.1m x 5.3m) with box profile roofing.
Woodland
Off the north drive is an area of woodland including an area which could be fenced as a small paddock. On the other side of the minor public road is an area of mixed woodland, mainly hardwoods with some pine.
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Keithock is a stunning property, one of my favourites in Angus. As well as a beautiful Georgian house, the grounds, cottages and land mean this perfectly compact estate has a little bit of everything.
Ruaraidh OgilvieProperty agent