What we love in and around Sandon Manor
We love Sandon Manor Estate, its our home and we hope you can come here and enjoy it too. Here are a few of the things and places that we love and we hope we can share these with you when you visit sometime.
Sandon Manor is a family-run estate and one that means a great deal to us. We, Kate and Mark, both grew up in the Manor House, with memories full of laughter, family get-togethers, and celebrations. It’s been a real joy to evolve the place into something others can now experience too, a space that’s sustainable, full of character, and open for you to enjoy just as we always have.
The estate itself has a long story intertwined with our family history. It first appeared in the Domesday Book in 1086 and the Medieval Barn (which still stands today) was built in 1250. It was once the centre of village life and over the centuries Sandon Manor grew into a working arable farm, an important part of the local community. Our family, the Fordhams, became only the second owners of the estate in over 1000 years. The farm stopped handling grain in 2006 and the Manor House was our home right up until then, sleeping on the top-floor bedrooms as children.
Our father Teddy Faure Walker’s restoration of the barn and house started in 2012, sparked by a few family weddings here that made us realise how special the space really is. Then in 2022 we rewilded over 1,000 acres of the estate, creating a haven for wildlife and a place where nature can thrive again whilst keeping 200 acres in farmed food production. We have created lots of permissive paths to explore across the estate – perfect for a wander.
Sustainability has been a big part of our journey. We’ve worked hard to create something future-facing and low impact, using solar power, battery storage, rainwater harvesting and air source heat pumps. It’s a work in progress which we’re proud to share with you. Mark has a deep personal interest in the environment- soil health and regenerative farming, whilst Kate’s passion for interiors- inspired by travels around the world can be seen throughout the design of the space.
While you’re here, we hope you’ll enjoy some of the things we love most about life on the estate. Think: picnics in the woods, peaceful birdwatching, rambling walks around the farm and nature reserve, sensory trail, scavenger hunts, or a relaxed drink at the Copper Top Bar. There are some great local coffee spots, pubs and bars nearby too if you fancy venturing out- we’ve shared our favourites with you. And of course, we still make time to celebrate and share joyful moments with friends and family whenever we can – we hope you’ll do the same.
Whether you’re here to explore, stay, unwind, connect with nature, or throw a party to remember- we hope your time at Sandon Manor is as memorable as it’s been for us over the years.
We hope you enjoy every moment.
Kate, Mark and the Sandon Manor Team xx
Read the full blog here - https://www.sandonmanor.com/stories/places-we-love/