The Mount in Cookham Dean is so magical, it’s inspired famous authors and artists alike.
A Grade II listed residence near the River Thames just listed for £4 million (about $5.1 million), and the historic abode is the former childhood home of British author Kenneth Grahame. Known as The Mount, the property dates back to the late 16th century when it served as a hunting lodge for Windsor Castle. Set on three-and-a-half acres, the property’s riverside setting is said to have inspired Grahame’s famous children’s book, The Wind in the Willows.
“It is incredibly rare for such a beautiful house with a tapestry of rich history to come to market in one of the best locations in Berkshire,” says Paul Finnegan of Savills Country Department. According to the listing, acclaimed English artist Sir Stanley Spencer used the spread as a subject for many of his landscape and still-life paintings. Though, brothers Alexander & Arthur Levy, most known for cutting the Cullinan diamond, are responsible for transforming the hunting lodge into the Victorian manse seen today.
Measuring 7,422 square feet, the house comprises 12 bedrooms and four bathrooms. The interior retains its storybook appeal with fireplaces, stained glass windows, and picturesque garden views. Though, the pad could use a bit of TLC. The ground floor is laid out with a wood-paneled drawing room, a formal dining room, a family room, and a kitchen. Elsewhere, the top two levels hold all of the sleeping quarters.
Since it was last scooped up in 1969, 10 years after Spencer’s death, it’s remained in the same hands since. “We had a wonderful childhood playing at The Mount, with days and days spent exploring the enchanted woods, gardens, fields, and orchards surrounding it,” recounts John Kellett, one of the current family members selling the property. “Of course, back then, we had no inkling that the same willows, elms, and apple trees were the inspiration to Grahame’s classic tales that we, and I am sure many more, enjoyed reading as children.
“We are sad to be leaving the home,” he continued, “but now is the right time for another family to raise their children there in all The Mount’s glorious surroundings.”
Click here to see all the photos of The Mount.
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