Nestled in Darling Buds of May country is Keepers, the home of Chris and Amanda Wetz. Homes & Living found out more about this 18th-century gem.

Four-bedroom Keepers is in some of Kent’s finest countryside at Little Chart, the village where HE Bates, author of The Darling Buds of May made his family home.

With woods, fields and a view around every corner, you’d struggle to beat the village for sheer good looks and for 13 years Chris and Amanda Wetz have been part of this rural community.

In that time they have restored and modernised their Grade II listed house.

They have overhauled the kitchen, restyled the family bathroom from scratch and made the huge gardens into a useable and manageable asset.

Chris says: “We love the seclusion, being completely surrounded by arable fields.”

“We have spent the best 13 years of our life in Keepers. It is the most beautiful house in the most beautiful setting, and has to be seen to be believed.”

Off the oak woodblock floored main hall is a dining room, also with oak woodblock flooring and an inglenook with wood-burning stove.

The hall also leads to a large sitting room with a further inglenook fireplace. Both inglenooks have a large bressumer beam and original bread oven.

A spacious kitchen/breakfast room has a brick floor and is equipped with a four-oven Aga, separate hob, twin oven, and integrated fridge/freezer and dishwasher.

This leads through to a utility/boot room with built-in storage, and a shower room, also with brick floor.

The large first floor landing leads to the redesigned bathroom and two double bedrooms. Both the first floor bedrooms have built-in storage and unusual oval natural brick fireplaces with brick hearths and bressumer beams.

Two further bedrooms are on the second floor, each accessed via separate staircases and also with built-in storage.

Little Chart is less than two miles from Pluckley, where much of the TV drama based on Bates’ Darling Buds novel was filmed. The Little Chart cricket pitch was used in the episode When the Green Woods Laugh.

On a more practical level, Canterbury, Ashford and Maidstone are readily accessible. The M20 is handy and there are nearby stations at Charing and Pluckley.

Just six miles away, Ashford International station has connections to London St Pancras in 37 minutes.

For more information ring the agent on 01227 451123