Fancy a house where you can swim from your back garden — and commute to work from your very own boathouse? Doannee House, an enormous, six-bedroom house on the banks of the Thames, is up for auction with Savills with a guide price of £3.8 million.
Located on Berkshire’s Fisheries Estate, on the edge of the upmarket village of Bray, Doannee House is commutable to London in 40 minutes on the Elizabeth Line — or, for those with plenty of time on their hands, a scenic voyage up the river.
Built in the early 1900s in Tudor Revival style, the house has black and white half-timbering and stands on 0.35 acres of grounds.
“The house has got the most incredible riverside position — you don’t really get that impression from the street. It’s got a very discreet appearance, says Gary Murphy, director at Savills Auctions.
“But once you’re in the house, the whole design is basically to take advantage of the river and the views you get. It’s incredibly restful, actually, being within the house, and in some of the rooms that overlook the river.”
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The house spans 8,000 square feet, plus a 1,564-square-foot cellar — used for wine storage — and a 624-square-foot boathouse, which was added to the property in 2001.
In the middle of the ground floor is the kitchen and breakfast room, which runs all the way from the front of the house to the back.
There’s a TV room, dining room, study, as well as a drawing room and music room which both overlook the river. A heated garage, accessible internally, provides parking space for three cars.
The house’s six bedrooms — plus seven bathrooms — are on the first floor, with the master suite having two ensuites and two dressing rooms.
All the rooms at the back of the house have access to the garden, with two of the bedrooms enjoying private balconies too.
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Outside, there is a private terrace with a hot tub, and another patio with an outdoor seating area. The gardens lead down to the river, where there is a private mooring and, says Savills, access for swimming.
The wet boathouse — meaning that it is built over the river, with boats kept in the water — stands on the left-hand side.
To Murphy, this is one of the house’s greatest selling points. “It’s very private,” he says. “It’s got a beautiful, very deep garden. The boathouse is very large, and there’s a very large boat in it. You can come out onto the river and enjoy boating up and down the Thames in that area.”
For boating fans, Henley Regatta also passes by every year. “Everyone who has riverside homes and boats up and down there enjoys that.”
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Doannee House’s current owners, who are naturally boat-lovers, bought the property for £2.25 million in 2006, according to Land Registry records. Since then, it has been their family home.
The property was listed for £6.75 million with Hamptons last year, before going on with Savills with a £1.8 million price cut, at £4.95 million.
Now, the property is due to be auctioned on 24 November with a guide price of £3.8 million.
“The owners are keen to move forward. The primary motivation here is speed — and auction as a method of selling can deliver that,” says Murphy. “As soon as the hammer falls, it’s binding.”
To Murphy, the house is likely to suit another water-loving family. “I think it would be an occupier, somebody who loves river dwelling, or hasn’t yet experienced the benefits of living on the river,” he says. “I would have thought it was definitely a family home — it’s a terrific party house.”
“It’s a very peaceful way of living, a very calm environment,” he adds. “It’s a beautiful riverside home.”
