Hensol House - an A-listed House overlooking the River Dee which is steeped in history. It consists of 4 reception rooms, conservatory, 10 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. Lovely gardens, grounds and wooded policies, with private driveway. Useful outbuildings and a courtyard cottage.
Features
- Lodge Cottage, Riverside Cottage, Pine and Garden Cottages with Walled Garden.
- Home Farm with farmhouse and steading.
- 94 acres grass leys, 134 acres permanent pasture, 460 acres rough grazings, 352 acres commercial and amenity woodland.
- Sportings in the form of an established driven pheasant shoot, duck flighting, roe deer stalking, 2 miles of frontage to the River Dee.
- The site of a radio mast yielding an income of £4,500 per annum.
- Frontage on to Loch Ken with a boathouse. Superb ornithological and bird watching on the Ken-Dee Marshes.
- About 1,068 Acres (432 Ha) in total.
Location
Hensol Estate is situated in the heart of Kirkcudbrightshire in the southwest of Scotland, situated beside the Black Water of Dee river and Loch Ken.
Mossdale 1.5 miles, Castle Douglas 9 miles, Dumfries 26 miles, Glasgow 79 miles, Edinburgh 97 miles.
Dumfries & Galloway is a region of contrasting landscapes ranging from the high tops of the Galloway hills to the sandy coastline of the Solway Firth. It is an area of Scotland which is renowned for its dairy and livestock farming, due to the mild climate. The estate is located in relatively close proximity to a busy livestock market in Castle Douglas which hosts weekly sales. There are also markets at Carlisle and Longtown.
The nearby Mossdale village is serviced by a local shop. It is one of the gateways to The Galloway Kite Trail where Red Kites and other wildlife can be observed from a network of cycle paths and walks, which form part of Galloway Forest Park, the UK’s largest forest park. The estate lies within the dark skies catchment area from which viewing the night sky is particularly clear.
Castle Douglas is 9 miles distant. It is an 18th century market town now known as Scotland’s ‘Food Town’, and provides a range of services including supermarkets, shops, banks, cafés, restaurants, a post office, secondary school, hotels and leisure facilities. The town also hosts the Stewartry Agricultural Show annually in August.
The Royal Burgh of Dumfries, 26 miles to the east, is historically famous as the town where Robert Burns lived out his final few years prior to his death in 1796. It is now an important centre of commerce serving southwest Scotland and has a good range of shops, leisure facilities and professional services plus a college of higher education.
Though nestled into a lovely private setting, the estate is easily accessible by transport networks. The M74 which connects Scotland to England is situated to the east and provides easy access to both the north and south. Prestwick Airport is 48 miles to the northwest and provides international links to destinations outwith the UK. Glasgow airport and Edinburgh airport have domestic and international flights. The nearest mainline train station is in Dumfries with regular services to Glasgow and Carlisle. Cairnryan ferry port provides daily sailings to Northern Ireland.
The southwest of Scotland has a mild, Gulf Stream climate which promotes the growth of a much wider range of plant species than in other parts of Scotland. Within the region there are some spectacular gardens which are open to the public including Threave Gardens at Castle Douglas, and both Logan Gardens and Castle Kennedy near Stranraer.
Estate History
Hensol Estate was formerly known as Duchrae Estate or Duchra, and is steeped in history. Two generations of the Charters family had possession of the estate, during which they were granted a charter of the lands from King Charles I in the mid-17th century.
The estate was purchased by William Cuninghame in 1786, a Scottish tobacco merchant from Kilmarnock who became one of Glasgow’s largest importers. He made his fortune at Cochrane, Murdoch & Company overseeing business in Virginia. On visits to the estate, as there was no principal house at Duchrae, William would reside with one of his tenants.
Following his brother-in-law’s death, he bore the burden of large debts and was forced to sell some of his property. Fortunately, Lainshaw and Duchrae Estate were not included and after his death, having disinherited his two eldest sons, he left Lainshaw to William, a son from his second marriage, and Duchrae was inherited by John, a son from his third marriage who was a mere three years old.
At the age of 16, John employed a reputable English architect named Robert Lugar, who was renowned for designing country houses. Together they designed a house for the estate which was completed 12 years later. It is constructed of grey granite sourced from nearby hills. The house was named after an English friend, Hensol. Later, in his book Villa Architecture, architect Robert Lugar wrote:
“This newly erected mansion stands on a bold rise of ground in the midst of romantic scenery. In full view and quite near the house runs the River Dee, which at a short distance empties itself into Loch Ken; the banks of which, on either side, are clothed with wood and interspersed with rocks, amongst which the river passes, skirting a beautiful bank of hanging wood, beyond which the mountain in the distance, melting with soft air show a highly finished picture of the greatest character… On the whole, the domain of Hensol may be considered of the importance and rank in the highest class of noble domain.”
In 1824, John 2nd of Duchrae also became 3rd of Lainshaw, when bequeathed the estate on the death of his stepbrother William. In 1864, on his death, he left Lainshaw Estate to his eldest son John and Hensol to his son Richard Dunning Barré. On his death his nephew Richard John Cuninghame of Lainshaw, son of John, inherited Hensol.
Richard John Cuninghame spent part of his life in eastern and central Africa and became one of the greatest big game hunters. He led safaris, and along the way saved the life of President Roosevelt from wild elephants.
In 1922 the Cunighame family sold Lainshaw Estate in order to focus their efforts on Hensol Estate.
In 1933 Richard’s widow re-married Lord Charles Kennedy, heir to his older brother, the 4th Marquess of Ailsa, and they lived together at Hensol.
Shortly after 1943, when Lord Charles Kennedy succeeded his brother, Lord and Lady Ailsa chose to continue life at Hensol rather than at Culzean Castle which was gifted to the National Trust of Scotland in 1945.
Lord Ailsa died in 1957 and the estate and its archives were inherited by his wife’s God-daughter Lady Henderson. In 1971 her husband Admiral Sir Nigel Henderson, once a chairman of the military committee of NATO, Brussels, came to live at Hensol. They restored the house to that designed by Lugar, and in doing so demolished an earlier addition to the house, the Victorian servants wing. Around the same time a conservatory was erected. The let farms which became vacant initiated an in-hand farming venture. The woodlands were replanted and an area of wetland and woodland beside the River Dee was leased to the RSPB, of which Lady Henderson was a firm supporter.
Sir Nigel died in 1993 and, on Lady Henderson’s death in 2010, the estate was sold and the contents were put up for auction, which included Cuninghame’s, books of big game hunting, safari knives and an elegant latrine tent.
Residential Property
At its core, overlooking the River Dee, is Hensol House, a magnificent category ‘A’ listed property of Gothic/Tudor design, constructed from local granite stone. The house has lovely views down the River Dee towards Loch Ken.
In addition to Hensol House, the estate includes a courtyard cottage situated in the grounds of Hensol House, a gate lodge, a farmhouse, and three cottages.
Land and Farming
The estate extends to about 1,068 acres in total. It is ring fenced with a number of attractive dry stone walls. It consists of 94 acres of grass leys, 134 acres of permanent pasture, 460 acres of rough grazings, 352 acres of woods, and 28 acres of miscellaneous/unclassified land.
The land lies between 50 and 139 metres above sea level and the soil type consists of brown soils derived from lower Palaeozoic greywackes and shales.
The farmland qualifies for agricultural grants under the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme.
Sportings
The estate has an established driven pheasant shoot, and also has the capacity to enjoy less formal walked-up days. A keen shooting enthusiast will identify with the contours, habitat and scale at Hensol.
The proximity of the river provides duck flighting; there is roe deer stalking; and rough shooting for pigeon, snipe and woodcock.
The estate has two miles of single bank river frontage on the River Dee.
Information regarding the fishing rights is available from the selling agent on request.
There is a boathouse on Loch Ken.
Woods
The forestry element of Hensol covers almost a third of the estate, and is a particular feature. Of the 352 acres of woodland, 182 acres are conifers and 170 acres are mixed broadleaves.
The woods are a key part of the landscape. They provide amenity, shooting coverts, timber production, and livestock shelter.
The vendor has a long term forest plan (prepared by Langholm based consultants, Forest and Land Management Ltd.) which began in 2014 and runs up until 2034. It identifies plantations which can be maintained, thinned and in due course felled.
The objectives of the forest plan incorporate a cash flow for the estate, create a long term positive carbon sequestration sink, protect and improve environmental and archaeological features, and increase the estate’s sporting capability.
There is considerable potential for a large scale afforestation programme.
Hensol House
The category A-listed country house is at the northern end of the estate and is accessed via a private tarmacadam driveway. After passing the Lodge Cottage, the drive which runs parallel with the River Dee continues past overhanging trees creating an avenue effect and then reveals the stunning house.
Internally the house has high ceilings and large windows. On the ground floor there is an entrance hall, a large inner hallway with a vaulted ceiling incorporating a sitting area and woodburning stove, a conservatory, three reception rooms, drawing room, library and billiards room. Features such as the architraves around the doors, shutters and cornices are mainly original.
Gardens
The gardens originally designed by Helen Ethel Cuninghame, encircle the house. To the south there is a well maintained garden with yew trees. A stone pathway leads through the garden. Here, on a pedestal, the 17th century Lainshaw sundial is located. Distinctive in style, it is carved with the initials of Sir Alexander Cuninghame and Dame Margaret Stewart, thought to date back to their wedding in 1673. It is complex with many dials, some hollowed and some heart-shaped. The sundial was transported to Hensol in the 20th century when Lainshaw estate was sold.
Features of the gardens include gravelled areas and a variety of flower borders and shrubs. There is also a summerhouse and a tennis court.
The policies provide a sense of seclusion and peacefulness, and are a particularly attractive part of the estate which include some outstanding specimen trees.
Outbuildings
To the north of the house are several outbuildings. They form a courtyard accessed via steps at the rear of the house or by a branch of the drive through an archway. It includes a cottage, garden shed, former stables, garaging and storage.
Courtyard Cottage
This is a single storey cottage sitting above the garages accommodating two bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom and sitting room.
Riverside Cottage
An attractive detached cottage painted white, located near the main driveway of the estate. It overlooks the river and the accommodation comprises a kitchen, sitting room, dining room, two bedrooms and bathroom. The property is let out as a holiday cottage on a weekly basis.
Hensol Lodge
This is an attractive B-listed gate lodge, situated at the entrance to the estate. Constructed in 1822 of granite stone, this Gothic, asymmetrical lodge has a sitting room, dining room, kitchen, utility, shower room, two bedrooms and bathroom over one-and-a-half levels. Externally there is a well maintained garden to the rear which leads down to the River Dee. An area of surrounding amenity woodland extending to 0.80 acre is also included.
The property is let out as a holiday cottage on a weekly basis, which provides useful revenue.
Pine Cottage
Located off an internal estate road, is this semi-detached stone-built cottage with a slate roof. The gross internal area of the cottage totals approximately 59.97 square metres. It is currently vacant. There is a kitchen, sitting room, two bedrooms and a bathroom. There is a small garden.
Garden Cottage
Adjoining Pine Cottage, with the potential to be incorporated into a single house if required, is Garden Cottage. This two-storey cottage has a sitting room, kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom. It has recently been re-roofed and has a small garden. The cottage is let at a rent of £4,800 per annum. There is a lean-to store, shared garden and parking area.
Walled Garden
The walled garden is located to the west of the cottages.
Boat House
Built around 1931, the Boat House beside Loch Ken is a feature of the estate. It provides access to the loch for fishing and kayaking.
Home Farm Farmhouse
A single storey, traditional stone-built farmhouse, painted white with a slate roof. The accommodation comprises two reception rooms, four bedrooms, a kitchen and bathroom, and has a gross internal area of approximately 157 square metres. It is accessed via a spur off the drive and has its own enclosed garden to the front. The house has recently been installed with central heating. It is presently let at a rental of £5,400 per annum, but this can be terminated.
Farm Buildings
A traditional courtyard steading sits alongside the farmhouse, measures approximately 859 square metres and is constructed of white-washed stone walls under a slate roof. The steading is used for general purpose storage and for wintering sheep. Towards the rear are livestock pens and a silage pit with concrete floor and earth walls.
Amenity
A particular feature on the estate is a nature area known as the Ken-Dee Marshes, a wetland and woodland reserve which is beside the River Dee and Loch Ken. The reserve is situated on the largest lowland river and floodplain system in the south of Scotland. Its remote location provides the perfect location for viewing a number of species including white-fronted and greylag geese, redstarts, willow tits, red kites, otters, and red squirrels. It includes a nature trail and two separate bird hides.
Land marked as Field 71 on the sale plan and some surrounding land is let to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) as a bird reserve until 10th April 2020 at a peppercorn rent.
Telecommunications Mast
In the centre of the estate, there is a Telecommunications mast. The site is let to E-E who pay a rental of £4,500 per annum. The lease commenced in 2017 and has a term of 20 years.
Method of Sale
Hensol Estate is being offered for sale as a whole.
Interested parties should note the vendors also own the adjoining 1,188 acres to the south which include a modern dairy farm, two farmhouses, two cottages, and old mill, and a combination of modern and traditional farm buildings. The vendors may consider a sale of these subjects in combination with Hensol Estate.
Closing Date: A closing date for offers may be fixed. The sellers reserve the right to conclude a bargain for the sale of any part(s) of the estate ahead of a notified closing date and will not be obliged to accept the highest or any offer for any part of the subjects of sale.
Offers: Offers should be submitted in Scottish legal form to the selling agents. Prospective purchasers are advised to register their interest in writing with the selling agents following inspection.
Financial Guarantee/ Anti Money Laundering: All offers (regardless of the country of residence of the offering party) must be accompanied by a guarantee or appropriate form of reference from a bank which gives the sellers the satisfaction that the purchaser has access to the funds required to complete the purchase at the offered price.
In addition, the offerer must supply certified copies of his/ her passport and confirmation of residence in terms acceptable under anti money laundering (AML) legislation.
Entry and Possession: The date of entry will be by mutual agreement between the purchaser and the sellers.
Plans, Areas and Schedules: These are based on the Ordnance Survey and Title Deeds and are for reference only. They have been carefully checked and computed by the selling agents and the vendors’ solicitor and the purchaser shall be deemed to have satisfied himself as to the description of the property and any error or mis-statement shall not annul the sale nor entitle either party to compensation in respect thereof.
Health and Safety: Given the hazards of an estate with a working farm we ask you to be as vigilant as possible when making your inspections, for your own personal safety.
Guide Price: £4.25m
Viewings
Strictly by appointment with the selling agent.
Strutt & Parker - Edinburgh
Tel: 0131 226 2500 / Diane.Fleming@struttandparker.com
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