Historic Withersdane Hall in Wye for sale for £3 million
Published: 00:01, 20 February 2019
Updated: 07:35, 20 February 2019
A former rehab centre boasting more than 350 rooms is up for sale with an asking price of £3 million.
Withersdane Hall, off Coldharbour Lane in Wye, has served many roles since its construction in the early 1800s.
Originally a grand home, in 1940 the building became the divisional HQ for the operation to repel the expected invasion of Kent.
It hosted two divisions, accommodating the divisional general and the intelligence section.
Following the war, the Imperial College of London used the site as halls of residence for its agricultural students.
This prompted the installation of two further accommodation blocks in the 1950 and 1980s.
The three to four-storey main hall and education buildings now cover approximately 61,231 sq ft.
Further accommodation, offices and facilities bring the total combined floor area to approximately 79,739 sq ft.
The Grade I-listed hall is surrounded by more than 17 acres of land, which contain tennis courts, a croquet lawn and gardens touting rare botanical specimens donated by the likes of Kew Gardens.
The facilities were used extensively during the property’s tenure as a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre from 2009 until last year.
Sophie Salisbury, surveyor at estate agent Knight Frank, said: “This site presents an excellent opportunity for continued institutional uses or development, combining scale and a desirable location on the edge of the charming village of Wye.
“We expect to see strong interest from a variety of end users.”
Wye Parish Council clerk Debbie Baines says the state of the building could quickly take a turn for the worse.
She said: “Withersdane represents a fantastic opportunity - a beautiful property with extensive facilities adjacent to Wye nature reserve and with easy road and rail links to Ashford, London and the continent.
“The building in its current state could quickly fall into disrepair and the parish council would like to see it occupied."
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Charlie Harman