A substantial period property in large gardens, with extensive garaging, an adjoining paddock and superb countryside views, in all about 7.2 acres

Situation
Mount Farm is situated in an idyllic semi-rural setting enjoying superb rural views, on the outskirts of the village of Backford.

The nearby village of Upton provides a range of local amenities including public houses, restaurants, a village store and post office. Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet and Coliseum offers an enviable choice of shopping and leisure opportunities, including restaurants, brand-name shops, a cinema and more. The historic Roman city of Chester provides boutique style shopping, fine dining, along with its Roman architecture.

On the educational front, local state schools include the highly regarded Mollington Primary School and Upton High School with local independent schools including King’s and Queen’s Schools in Chester and Abbeygate College in Saighton. On the recreational front there are numerous championship golf courses within the area, sailing and canoeing on the River Dee and Wirral and some excellent local walking and cycling routes.

The area is well-positioned for commuting to the commercial centres of the North West via the M53 and M56 networks, whilst the A55 Expressway gives access to the North Wales coastline. Chester railway station offers direct services to London, Euston within 2 hours and Capenhurst Station offers a regular service to Liverpool and Chester.

The Property
Mount Farm is an imposing and spacious country house, formerly a farmstead, with the neighbouring barns. The property enjoys panoramic rural views across prime Cheshire Countryside and is believed to date circa mid-1800’s. The current owners have improved the accommodation during their tenure, whilst retaining the period charm, including high plaster-coved ceilings, sash windows, column cast-iron radiators, some encaustic tile flooring, and open fireplaces.

The property would ideally suit those with an equestrian interest but would also be appealing to those seeking general amenity land. For those that don’t have land interest, there is a current arrangement for the land to be farmed and hedges cut, which can continue if required.

Accommodation
An ornate canopy porch gives way to a panelled front door opening into a spacious reception hall. The reception hall features an open fireplace with brick reveals and enjoys a combination of encuastic tile flooring and polished exposed floorboards. With southerly aspect through sash windows, an elegant sitting room with high plaster coved ceilings, features an open grate fireplace within a stone surround and slate hearth and wonderful views across the formal gardens. Concertina panelled doors open into the adjoining drawing room which includes a contemporary basket fireplace within a stone surround with slate hearth, with built-in alcove cupboards. The sitting and drawing rooms create a superb entertaining space when the linking doors are unfolded.

The spacious breakfast kitchen features a vaulted ceiling with stairs leading to a galleried landing, offering secondary access to the first-floor accommodation. The kitchen itself is fitted with a bespoke range of oak cabinets including a breakfast bar under granite work surfaces. The focal point of the kitchen is a stainless-steel Stoves range cooker with extractor hood, a Smeg freestanding dishwasher, space for a fridge freezer and a twin Belfast sink. Off the kitchen is a utility room with plumbing for laundry appliances and a door leads out to an enclosed courtyard, ideal for airing laundry. Adjoining the kitchen is a charming dining room with adjoining snug. The snug area includes a woodburning stove within a noteworthy, exposed brick chimney piece with oak over mantel and stone hearth. The snug opens through to a generous dining room with high ceiling, creating a wonderful entertaining space.

Off the inner hallway, an enclosed staircase leads down to a cellar with generous head room comprising three principal rooms, having been used as a home gymnasium, yoga studio, plant room and a lockable barrel-vaulted wine cellar. Off the rear hallway is a large cloakroom with a twin Belfast sink, cloaks storage and a WC.

An elegant turned staircase rises to the first-floor landing. The principal bedroom has a feature stone open fireplace and enjoys superb southerly views across the formal gardens towards the property’s paddock and hills beyond. Opening off the bedroom is an elaborate dressing room with bespoke dark oak effect wardrobes with hanging rails, shelving, drawers and a central island unit. This room was formerly a bedroom, and still retains the original door thereby could be re-established as an additional double bedroom, where required. With access from the landing, and linked to the principal suite, is a luxurious family bathroom featuring a Porcelanosa “System Pool” spa bath, a walk-in shower cubicle with thermostatic drench head shower, twin contemporary pedestal bowl wash hand basins, a chrome heated towel radiator, WC and attractive slate flooring throughout. There is an additional double bedroom to the first floor, currently used as an office.

To the second floor are three further pretty double bedrooms with exposed purlins and superb rural views, one of which benefits from an en suite shower room with modern white suite. The second family bathroom enjoys a panelled bath with shower over, twin vanity wash hand basins with a granite surround, a WC, chrome heated towel radiator and access to a large eaves storage room.

Gardens and Grounds
An imposing gated entrance opens onto a tree-lined driveway with lawns to either side, leading to a modern treble garage building with remote doors, power points, lighting, water supply and a separate alarm system, ideal for a classic car collection. An extensive gravel courtyard provides parking for numerous vehicles, ideal for those with boat or motorhome. The formal gardens sit to the south of the house, mainly lawned with mature boundary hedges and deep, well stocked, borders including bamboo, twisted hazel, Camelia and a willow tree. To the east of the house is a Yorkstone paved terrace, from where to enjoy morning and afternoon sun, leading to an enclosed courtyard with timber pergola giving access to a large outdoor store.

Adjoining the southern boundary of the formal gardens is a large, stockproof, paddock with mature native hedging with a vehicular access off Poplar Hall Lane. The land is flat with gentle undulation, ideal for equestrian use or other livestock. There is an additional area of land, with pond, to the east of the house which extends to approximately 0.99 of an acre, as shown on the plan within these sales particulars, edged blue, which is available by separate negotiation. Please note the purchaser will be responsible for installing a stockproof fence between the two parcels of land in the event that they do not wish to purchase the optional land.