If you’ve got a spare £2 million knocking about, you’ve got a chance to follow in the footsteps of generations of Hart-Dykes – or to be precise, the hoofprints of their horses.

Up for sale with Savills estate agents, The Old Stables at Lullingstone Castle in Eynsford, is a Grade II*-listed, two-storey stable conversion dating from the 16th Century, and could be yours for £1,999,950.

The stables, which now have accomodation over two floors, stand in the grounds of the historic castle belonging to Tom Hart Dyke, the 20th generation of his family to own the castle.

First mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, the manor has a long and colourful history, peppered with a litany of notable owners, guests and visitors, some more welcome than others.

Acquired in 1279 by goldsmith Gregory de Rokesley, the manor later passed to the Peche family, and the construction of the present manor house was started in 1497 by Sir John Peche, High Sheriff of Kent, who could count Henry VIII and Queen Anne among his regular visitors.

In 1543 the estate passed by marriage to Sir John’s nephew, Sir Percyval Hart, and generations later Anne Hart married Sir Thomas Dyke in 1728, thus beginning the existing legacy.

Current castle owner Tom Hart-Dyke has found almost as much fame as any of his previous owners, first shooting to prominence in 2000, when he and travel companion Paul Winder were kidnapped by gunmen in The Darién Gap between Panama and Colombia, while hunting for rare orchids.

Held captive for nine months and threatened with death, Tom occupied his time in the jungle designing a design for a “World Garden”, containing species from around the planet, and after his release he later set about creating the garden back at Lullingstone.

A subsequent BBC series Save Lullingstone Castle followed his attempts to bring the garden to life and further efforts to maintain the family estate, and he continues to hunt for plants around the world, gathering new specimens for the World Garden.

But Tom hasn’t been the only one making headlines at Lullingstone in recent years – and he’s not even the only one to have brought a few strange species to the grounds.

Earlier this year businessman Simon Giles, who had been living in part of the castle, narrowly avoided jail after being caught growing magic mushrooms in his bathroom – escaping with a suspended eight-month jail term and ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work.

The court heard he’d been using the mushrooms to treat depression, and they’d had “a transformational effect on his well-being,” but Judge Julian Smith had little sympathy, stating: “Why a talented, intelligent man, with a first-class honours degree, someone with many options and of his ability, should commit a criminal offence by growing a class A drug beggars belief.

“It is not stupid - it is asinine. It is not just a question of letting himself down. He put in peril all he holds most dear.”

The castle was also the backdrop to a tragic scene in May 2020, when grandfather and keen angler Charlie Hilder died following a heart attack – reportedly having been pelted with rocks after confronting poachers at the private fishing lake on the castle estate.

Police launched an investigation, calling for footage from mobile phones, drones or dashcam devices, but despite gathering extensive information, the Crown Prosecution Service said there was “insufficient evidence” to progress a case in court.

Neverthless the castle and it grounds remains a popular tourist destination, attracting thousands to Lullingstone throughout the summer months; and the new owners of The Stables will no doubt be looking to write a few more positive chapters in the manor’s history books.

If so, the property listed with full information on Savills’ website, looks like the perfect setting to do just that.

The 16th Century stables, which adjoin the castle gatehouse, include wall and ceiling timbers and beams, exposed brick walls, deep window sills, engineered oak flooring, impressive fireplaces, under-floor heating in the kitchen and bathroom, a wood-burning stove in the reception and a vaulted recreation room currently used as a gym and TV room.

Outside there’s a driveway with parking for five cars and a private garden area, while the stables also include a separate annexe.

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