An attractive, unlisted period farmhouse with lovely gardens, with swimming pool, and fine rural views, just outside Empingham village near Rutland Water, between Stamford and Oakham.

Description

Approached through electric gates, the tree-lined gravel driveway leads to a turning sweep at the house. Shacklewell Lodge is an attractive period stone farmhouse, dated 1873 above the carved Ancaster Arms crest, in a private setting with garden surrounds, a sense of space and rural views, which has been in the owner’s family for 100 years.

Entering through a wide stairwell hallway, the farmhouse offers three spacious reception rooms. The dual-aspect drawing room is the amalgamation of two original rooms, with exposed stone corbels and open fire. The parquet floored dining room has high windows, with lovely views over the garden and driveway. The third reception room, with high ceiling and attractive arched window, currently the study, and its adjoining gym, are accessed along an oak-floored inner hallway. It is thought that this wing, the former dairy has potential, subject to consents, for the creation of an annexe, with its courtyard entrance as a private access.

From the stairwell hall, a staircase descends to a tanked, carpeted and decorated cellar, formerly both a games room and teenager’s den.

The kitchen has impact, with its adjoining dining conservatory which, with its two sets of double-doors to the garden access, make for a fabulously convivial heart to the house for families and for entertaining. With tiled flooring, under-floor heated within the conservatory, the fitted shaker kitchen suite has granite worktops, double-oven oil Aga and central island incorporating a deep Butler sink, whilst the double oven, microwave and induction hob augment the Aga, with a pantry and a spacious utility, with external access, adjoining the room.

At first floor, the elegant, dual-aspect principal bedroom suite, has a well-appointed en suite shower room. Along the south facing house frontage, there are two further double bedrooms, one with an en suite cloakroom and the other with an en suite shower room, whilst two further west facing double bedrooms and an elegant family bathroom, incorporating a clawed-foot roll-top bath, with a separate shower room off the landing corridor, could form a private guest wing.

The mature gardens surround the house, with the principal garden laid to tiered lawns, framed by mature shrubs and trees. A block-paved terrace adjoins the kitchen conservatory, whilst the swimming pool is positioned in a sunny and sheltered position near north east of the garden, with a low wall, with wrought iron gateway, surrounding a wide poolside terrace, which is ideal for seating and sun loungers.

Location

The property is positioned less than a mile and a half east of Empingham village and four miles west of Stamford, amidst attractive and rolling countryside.

The Conservation Village of Empingham les almost midway between the market towns of Stamford (six miles) and Oakham (five miles), to which there are frequent bus services. The village has an active community with a well-regarded village shop, pre-school and primary schools, along with a doctor's surgery and a popular public house. There are cricket and bowls clubs.

Rutland Water is close to the village, where one can enjoy sailing, bird watching, fishing, windsurfing or fine walks, among many other activities and interests. It is a perfect location for schooling, with state academies at Casterton College (three miles) and within Stamford, as well renowned private schooling in the nearby market towns of Stamford (four miles), Oakham (seven miles) and Uppingham (nine miles). The commute to London Kings Cross from Peterborough station (18 miles) is from 50 mins, whilst Stamford station has hourly Midlands Cross Country services to Cambridge.

Square Footage: 3,984 sq ft



Additional Info

Services
Mains Electricity, water & drainage

Septic tank

All journey times and distances are approximate