When Sir Eric Parker’s horse Seagram won the 1991 Grand National, he celebrated the victory with jeroboams of champagne. Becoming the next owner of Crimbourne Stud, Parker’s impressive estate in Billingshurst, West Sussex, would be a similar cause for celebration.
The industrialist and racehorse breeder bought the stud farm two years before Seagram’s winning performance at Aintree. The stud was established in the 1950s by Major John Baillie, a member of the Jockey Club, but the timber-framed south wing of Crimbourne Farmhouse, which is grade II listed, dates from about 1450 and is distinguishable by its crown-post roof.
The farmhouse was added to over a 500-year period, culminating in a sizeable extension to the north built by Parker. His intense 18-month refurbishment of the property in the early 1990s included renovating the ancillary accommodation and the equestrian facilities.
Inside, the four-bedroom farmhouse is quintessentially country; there is a large inglenook fireplace in the entrance hall, and the open-plan kitchen has an Aga, built-in worktops and a utility area. There is a billiards room with a bar, and a wine cellar with french doors to the gardens, which have been immaculately maintained and comprise well-stocked flowerbeds, pristine lawns, a vegetable garden, and ponds surrounded by apple trees.
The sale of Crimbourne Stud through Strutt & Parker for £4.95 million includes the farmhouse, five other homes on the estate (among them a three-bedroom barn conversion), an indoor swimming pool, sauna and tennis court — plus the stable yard with 16 loose boxes, indoor manège, farm office, paddocks and woodland. The land for sale is 48 acres.
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Parker died in 2014 and his family have decided that it is time to sell. Although the property will have obvious appeal for horse enthusiasts, it does not have to be used as a stud farm, says Parker’s eldest son, Charlie. “It can be more of a lifestyle, or run as a business as we have done, or a combination of the two.” According to Matthew Sudlow, of Strutt & Parker, early interest in the property, which came on to the market last week, has not been confined to equestrian-led buyers. “Given its prime location in West Sussex, we are getting residential country house and estate buyers looking at it as well.”
Nearby recreational activities include polo at Cowdray Park, racing at Goodwood, and golf at Wildwood, Foxbridge and Slinfold. Avid sailors will note the accessibility of Chichester harbour and other centres along the south coast.
When Sir Eric Parker’s horse Seagram won the 1991 Grand National, he celebrated the victory with jeroboams of champagne. Becoming the next owner of Crimbourne Stud, Parker’s impressive estate in Billingshurst, West Sussex, would be a similar cause for celebration.
The industrialist and racehorse breeder bought the stud farm two years before Seagram’s winning performance at Aintree. The stud was established in the 1950s by Major John Baillie, a member of the Jockey Club, but the timber-framed south wing of Crimbourne Farmhouse, which is grade II listed, dates from about 1450 and is distinguishable by its crown-post roof.
The farmhouse was added to over a 500-year period, culminating in a sizeable extension to the north built by Parker. His intense 18-month refurbishment of the property in the early 1990s included renovating the ancillary accommodation and the equestrian facilities.
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Inside, the four-bedroom farmhouse is quintessentially country; there is a large inglenook fireplace in the entrance hall, and the open-plan kitchen has an Aga, built-in worktops and a utility area. There is a billiards room with a bar, and a wine cellar with french doors to the gardens, which have been immaculately maintained and comprise well-stocked flowerbeds, pristine lawns, a vegetable garden, and ponds surrounded by apple trees.
The sale of Crimbourne Stud through Strutt & Parker for £4.95 million includes the farmhouse, five other homes on the estate (among them a three-bedroom barn conversion), an indoor swimming pool, sauna and tennis court — plus the stable yard with 16 loose boxes, indoor manège, farm office, paddocks and woodland. The land for sale is 48 acres.
Parker died in 2014 and his family have decided that it is time to sell. Although the property will have obvious appeal for horse enthusiasts, it does not have to be used as a stud farm, says Parker’s eldest son, Charlie. “It can be more of a lifestyle, or run as a business as we have done, or a combination of the two.” According to Matthew Sudlow, of Strutt & Parker, early interest in the property, which came on to the market last week, has not been confined to equestrian-led buyers. “Given its prime location in West Sussex, we are getting residential country house and estate buyers looking at it as well.”
Nearby recreational activities include polo at Cowdray Park, racing at Goodwood, and golf at Wildwood, Foxbridge and Slinfold. Avid sailors will note the accessibility of Chichester harbour and other centres along the south coast.