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KONAKI Elegant manor house, steeped in history on a private estate. A fabulous family house & very child friendly Island of Evia, Greece |
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property is the home of the Noel-Baker family who came here in 1832.Large and stately, it is rich with a history that has seen British politicians, members of the former Greek Royal Family, authors, poets and many a 19th Century Romantic pass through its doors.
Everywhere, there are reminders of this history, including a library full of books, some of which were written by Philip Noel-Baker, Baronet and Nobel Peace Prize winner and the father of the present owner.
Master double bedroom with full
ensuite bathroom and adjoining twin room.
Two large twin/double bedrooms, further large double bedroom, small bedroom with two single beds. Second large full bathroom. Dining room, drawing room, kitchen, library, study plus shower room, cloakroom and laundry room take up the ground floor.
The large garden, which drops away from the front lawn in terraces, has a small swimming pool, fresh water fed from a mountain stream. There is also a large swimming pool (15m x 7m) which can be used by all guests on the estate.
As the house is on top of a hill, there are stunning views from the lawn of the mountains, hills, forests and valleys around.
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In the courtyard in front of the house, the granaries and stables have been converted into studios, where creative courses such as painting and pottery are run in the summer. Apart from the shared courtyard, these do not encroach on the house, as the garden is private and at the back of the house.
The
Achmetaga Estate lies in spectacular scenery in the valley of the River Cereus, between the
mountains of Candili and Pyxaria, in the North of Euboea, about 2 hours drive North West of Athens.This 10,000 acre estate is an area of immense natural beauty with mountains and hills forested with Aleppo pine and oak, rivers bordered by plane trees, olive groves and and fertile valleys where maize and
cotton are grown.The village of Procopi is only a few minutes walk away. It is a living village, complete with church bells and mobile fish-mongers, which may at times act as an early morning wake-up call! The village has all basic shopping needs. There are a number of good tavernas, coffee houses and bars in the village. You will find banks and a post office, as well as slightly more sophisticated shops in the larger village of Mandoudi 10 minutes away by car.
There are also a number of delightful mountain and seaside villages within easy distance, including the old picturesque fishing town of Limni with its narrow streets and waterside tavernas.
There are remote monasteries, the spa town of Aedipsos and many beautiful beaches. There are marvellous walks from 20 minutes to all day, in the forest, up the mountain, along the river bed, which dries out in summer, or along the coast. Flora and Fauna are shown in their greatest beauty by the fantastic Greek light, especially at dawn and as the sun goes down. Honey is one of the delicious local products and you may taste all the different kinds available.
There is a bridge on to the island at Halkis, the main town. Euboea is a long narrow island so the sea is only 20 minutes drive to East Aegean coast, and 25 minutes to the West coast of the Gulf of Euboea.
Being so close to the mainland, Euboea has not been considered a 'typical' island, and has therefore escaped the attentions of the Tourist Developers and the Package Holidaymaker.
Prokopi is therefore a real Greek village with its shops, Tavernas and churches, including one dedicated to the Orthodox St. John the Russian, whose relics lie within, attracting pilgrims to visit him for his miracle performing powers.
Sofoula, the family's cook for the last 30 years will prepare marvellous real Greek food, with ingredients which come directly from the vegetable garden into the pot. Beds will be made, rooms swept and bathrooms or shower-rooms cleaned by the maid who visits three times weekly. We provide anti-mosquito plugs and tablets.
The Noel-Baker family Estate and home at Achmetaga (now known as Prokopi) go back to 1832 when Edward Noel, a prominent Philhellene and relative
of Lady Byron, first came to Euboea.A painter and poet, like other romantics of that era, he followed the footsteps of Lord Byron and fell in love with Greece so passionately, that he decided to stay.
He borrowed 10,000 gold sovereigns from Lady Byron and bought the Achmet Aga Estate from a departing Turk, Ismail Bey, at the time that the Independence of Euboea from the Turks was being negotiated. Turkish landowners were allowed to sell their estates before leaving, but, given 400 years under the Turkish yoke, few Greeks had money with which to purchase and so the newly formed Greek Government encouraged citizens of friendly foreign
powers, to buy the lands. Edward Noel was one such. Several estates on Euboea were purchased by foreigners, but within 50 years, nearly all had sold up and left. Today the Noel-Baker family is the only British, indeed foreign, family which has maintained this continuous link with Greece since its independence.
At the age of 25, Edward Noel's son Frank inherited the Estate, followed by his Grand-daughter Irene in 1919. Irene met Philip Baker, whilst nursing during the First World War in Italy, and when they married, they joined their two names to Noel-Baker.
A Quaker and a founder of the Friends Ambulance unit, Philip's vivid personal experiences of un-necessary death in the First World War trenches caused him to dedicate his life to the cause of Disarmament.
To gain a platform, he became a Labour member of Parliament and served in several cabinets. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1959 and entered the House of Lords in 1977. The Estate is now owned by their son, The Honourable Francis Noel-Baker, also at one time a Labour Member of Parliament. The family house and its atmosphere reflect a powerful mixture of British and Greek culture as a result of this heritage.
This is a unique property, and a rare opportunity to relax in beautiful surroundings, enjoy the rich and varied history and soak up the eccentric and evocative atmosphere of a Greek island stately home.
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 Please contact us by: Charlotte Nicholson: Tel [UK] 0788 7991931 Philip Noel-Baker: Tel [Greece] 0030 (0) 974062100 e-mail stay@candili.gr Post: Post: Candili Ltd, Prokopi, 340 04 Evia, Greece | |
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