Suffolk

Bury Road
Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 7BT

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Description

A fine former racing lodge with Lutyens wing overlooking Warren Hill Gallops

Location

Mesnil Warren is situated on the eastern side of The Bury Road backing onto the Heath and Warren Hill gallops. Newmarket has excellent facilities including a large Waitrose supermarket and a full range of independent shops for everyday needs. Newmarket station is 1.4 miles to the south west and has a direct rail link to the city of Cambridge taking around 22 minutes. Newmarket is famous as the Home of English Racing and the July & Rowley Mile race courses are situated at the southern end of the town together with Tattersalls bloodstock auctioneers. There are good schools in the area including Fairstead House prep school in Newmarket and a full range of well regarded independent schools in Cambridge together with Culford at Bury St Edmunds. A number of other well regarded boarding schools are found within an hour and a half including Oundle, Uppingham & Stowe. For the commuter access to the A14 is 2 miles distant leading to the M11.

The ‘high-tech' university City of Cambridge offers a comprehensive range of shops and services including a full range of supermarkets, restaurants and specialist shops. The city has theatres, cinemas and extensive cultural and recreational amenities as well as the world leading university.
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Further Information

HISTORY

Mesnil Warren has a long history being within the same family's ownership since the early part of the last century when the Hon George Lambton moved in shortly after he married in 1908. The house was perfectly located for him to make the short walk across the road to Stanley House Stables where he trained horses for Lord Derby, a role he carried out with considerable success from the turn of the century until 1933.

In 1925, Sir Edwyn Lutyens was commissioned to design a large extension to the house to provide extra guest bedrooms and further staff accommodation. One of George Lambton's greatest successes, Sansovino, won the Derby in 1924 and this led to an intriguing story that he had laid a large wager at very good odds over the winter on an anticipated victory, which subsequently enabled him to fund the building project. How much truth lies in the story, we will never know, but certainly no expense was spared on this fine extension, designed by the most fashionable architect of the day in a classical style with some subtle Arts & Crafts touches, which perfectly compliments the late Victorian original.

After retiring as Lord Derby's trainer in 1933, soon after training Hyperion to another Derby victory, George Lambton continued as a public trainer until his death in 1945. His wife Cicely continued to live at Mesnil Warren until 1972 when the house was taken over by his son, Teddy Lambton who was also a racehorse trainer and then subsequently by his grandson who has lived at the property with his family since 1996.

DESCRIPTION

Mesnil Warren is a substantial house dating from the latter part of the nineteenth century built with commanding views over Newmarket Heath and the Warren Hill gallops. Constructed of brick under a tiled roof the house has extensive accommodation laid out over three floors. In common with many substantial properties on the Bury Road, Mesnil Warren was once a racing lodge, originally with a stable yard to one side. The current property offers spacious flexible accommodation which is particularly suitable for family occupation together with space for guests including a large self contained flat on the second floor of the original house featuring a sitting/dining room with a balcony giving distant views over the gardens and gallops.

Of particular note is the fine main drawing room which has a tall panelled ceiling, open fireplace, and wide bays to front and rear, which, together with the well proportioned dining room and family sitting room, all radiate from the reception hall. The Lutyens wing was added to the north of the original house and is built of a mellow red brick with a characteristic plastered cornice beneath the tiled roof which incorporates integral lead lined guttering. Much of the ground floor in this part of the property has wood block parquet flooring including the kitchen which also has a full width glazed roof light, original built-in dresser and two interconnecting larders. At first floor a second drawing room with open fireplace also has access to the gardens via French doors and a flight of brick steps. The master bedroom has fine outlooks, a dressing room and en suite bathroom. Two further bedrooms and a bathroom complement this part of the first floor. The remaining bedrooms are within the Lutyens wing and spread over two floors accessible from either a secondary staircase or the rear stairs.

The accommodation is shown in full detail in the attached floor plans.

OUTSIDE

The property is approached through tall brick piers with a pair of remotely controlled electronic gates on the Bury Road. The driveway winds through mature trees up to the front of the house where there is a large shingled parking area. The gardens to the front of the house include a rose pergola, topiaried box hedging, level lawns together with a number of fine mature trees, most notably a majestic Wellingtonia. Passing through a further pair of brick piers one is lead around to the garaging and workshop/machinery store with further parking. The floodlit hard tennis court is situated in front of the outbuildings.

The gardens to the rear of the house are beautifully landscaped, laid mainly to lawn and feature a "garden room" with glazed doors facing south. To the rear of the lawns are fine wrought iron gates which open into a vegetable garden with topiaried box and neat beds. Along the northern boundary is a small orchard and attached to the southern elevation of the house is an original lean-to greenhouse.