Thursford Castle is a totally unique property, ingeniously designed and crafted combining the ancient ruins of the former workhouse with an outstanding new home. Set within 5.11 acres (stms) of sympathetically landscaped and private gardens and grounds. With self-contained garden room and guest suite. A peaceful sanctuary and wildlife haven with a large walled garden, meadowland, mature woodland, parking and garaging. Situated just 15 minutes’ drive from the North Norfolk Coast.

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ACCOLADES

- Voted one of VRBO’s top ten best holiday homes in Europe 2022
- Featured on Channel Four’s Extraordinary Escapes with Sandy Toksvig

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THURSFORD CASTLE

- Entrance through the ruins of the old chapel
- Gothic vaulted reception hall with glazed walkways
- Magnificent open plan kitchen dining and family room
- Sitting room
- Main bedroom suite with dressing room and en suite bathroom
- 3 further large bedrooms en suite
- Wide hallway with library/reading area
- Study/bedroom five
- Store room with provision to be converted fifth shower room
- Utility room and boot room area
- Plant room
- Inner hall
- WC
- Cloakroom
- Pantry

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THE GARDEN ROOM - WALLED GARDEN

- Open plan living area for kitchen/dining/sitting
- South facing decking
- Wood burning stove
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THE GARDEN SUITE – WALLED GARDEN

- Bedroom
- En suite shower room
- Dressing room
- South facing decking
- Gas fired central heating

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GARDEN AND GROUNDS

- In all 5.11 acres (stms) fully stock fenced
- Magnificent walled garden of about 1.5 acres (stms) sympathetically designed on footprint of the original workhouse
- Gardener WC and utility room in one of the turrets
- Mature woodland, lawns and small paddock
- Mediterranean style inner courtyard garden
- Fine gravelled driveways and plenty of parking
- Six car ports and two lockable garages
- Three-bedroom fully self-contained staff/guest cabin
- Timber framed green house

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KEY POINTS

- High specification fixtures and fittings throughout including:
- Constructed of Scandinavian triple fired handmade bricks
- Porcelanosa bathrooms
- Bespoke kitchen by Naked Kitchens
- German oak internal doors
- Polished concrete, tiled or carpeted flooring
- Bespoke oak and steel ceiling in main kitchen/reception room
- Powder coated triple glazed aluminium windows and external doors
- Future proofed technology and infrastructure
- CAT 6 wiring with inbuilt Sonos and 4g fast broadband
- Interiors created with exceptional attention to fine detailing
- Double sided wood burner with vented warm air system
- Energy efficient heating and lighting systems

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SERVICES

- Commercially scaled ground source heat pump
- Underfloor heating throughout main house
- Private water from bore hole with multiple filtration systems
- Two new private sewage treatment plants
- Commercially scaled water softener
- 400 litre pressurised hot water system with economical instant hot water pump
- Bottled gas fired central heating in auxiliary accommodation

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DRIVING DISTANCES (approx.)

- Wells-next-the-Sea 8 miles
- Burnham Market 11.5 miles
- Holt 8.5 miles (Greshams School)
- Blakeney 9.5 miles
- Norwich 28 miles (international airport and mainline trains to London Liverpool St)
- Kings Lynn 28 miles ( mainline trains to London Kings Cross via Cambridge)
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SITUATION

The property is located between the small villages of Thursford and Great Snoring and the larger village of Little Walsingham, the latter of which offers the nearest local shops and pubs with the multi award-winning Walsingham Farm Shop, the Black Lion and Bull Inn pubs, cafes, antique shops, village store and a primary school are all within a short drive.

The nearby picturesque market town of Holt is renowned for its attractive street frontages, Greshams Schools and a wide range of independent shops and boutiques. Beeston Preparatory School is also easily accessible.

A few miles in the other direction is Burnham Market which is a vibrant village again offering a wealth of shops and restaurants and is a popular tourist destination, being set just inland from Holkham Hall, Holkham Beach and Burnham Overy Staithe.
There is a buzz in the air as the region enjoys everything on offer from locally sourced butchers, fishmongers and farmers markets to artisan bakers, cool coffee shops, restaurants, delicatessens, up-market farm shops and art galleries.

The town of Fakenham is transformed by its weekly market with a farmer's market monthly and at least twelve race days a year held at Fakenham Racecourse - one of the finest national hunt racecourses in the country.

Access to the coast is eight miles to the north at Wells-next-the-Sea, a popular coastal fishing town with a wonderful sandy beach and colourful beach huts.

The whole of the North Norfolk Coast is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with one of the best bird reserves in Europe and a wide variety of other leisure pursuits available such as sailing, seal watching, golf and walking along the Norfolk Coast path. There are saltmarshes, long sandy beaches at low tides, creeks and the quintessential north Norfolk wide open skies.
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HISTORY

Thursford Castle never was a castle, but the site of Walsingham Union Workhouse. Built in 1836, the workhouse accommodated 250 ‘guests’ and had an unusual octagonal design.
The workhouse was closed in the 1930s, and the buildings were briefly used as a hospital and then by the Civil Defence, before being bought by a property speculator who changed the name to Thursford Castle.
Sadly, the buildings fell into disrepair and were demolished, and the site was then left to nature. The Chapel and the perimeter walls, with a turret in each corner and rifle slits, were the only structures still standing when the vendor bought the site in 2013.

During the challenging work clearing the site, the vendors uncovered the original footings of the workhouse and have since laid footpaths over them. In this way you can walk around the garden and reflect on the history.

The design of the main house is a contemporary interpretation of the workhouse walled enclosure, with an inner courtyard tucked away from the rest of the world.

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DESCRIPTION

The main entrance to Thursford Castle leads you through the ancient ruins of the former chapel, now a beautiful olive tree fringed garden walkway, with magnificent gothic window arches and the old mellow brick walls on either side, this is particularly impressive when lit at night. A huge front door opens to a stunning vaulted entrance hall with views to the courtyard garden and contemporary glazed corridors leading to the new building which enfolds the inner courtyard.

The main living space is open plan, a very impressive room, with polished concrete flooring, bespoke oak ceiling and some exposed brickwork. This is a wonderfully light room with large sliding glass doors opening on the south side giving direct access to the courtyard, creating seamless inside outside living, perfect for warm summer days.

There is a fully fitted kitchen at one end of the room, designed by Norfolk based Naked Kitchens, with a large oak topped island/breakfast bar and integrated appliances, including Fisher and Paykel double oven with warming drawer and induction hob and Miele dishwasher and large fridge freezer.

In the centre of the room there is plenty of space for dining, and here, as throughout the house a great deal of thought has gone into careful lighting solutions that provide the perfect task or mood lighting as needed.

At the far end of the room there is a generous seating area, here a contemporary inset double sided wood burner has a sophisticated ventilation system that circulates warm air throughout the room, this is the perfect family living space and ideal for sociable entertaining.

There is a further adjacent sitting room, which benefits from the reverse side of the wood burner, the perfect place to read a book or watch a film. This room has a cantilevered glass corner window, a feature of many of the rooms that allows the most wonderful and peaceful views of the garden and woodland.

A library area in the generously wide hallway provides another peaceful and wonderfully immersive place to sit and take in courtyard garden and chapel views.

There are three large double bedrooms leading from this hallway, two with elegant contemporary Porcelanosa shower rooms and one with an equally beautiful bathroom. Each room has bespoke fitted wardrobes with internal lighting and all have wonderfully restful garden views.

A further room currently used as a study faces the courtyard garden, this would easily make a fifth bedroom and a storeroom across the hall has full provision for a shower room if required.

The main bedroom is tucked away from the living areas in the far corner of the house, it is completely private. Here a large double bedroom benefits from a walk-in dressing room and a very spacious luxury bathroom with freestanding bath, oak vanity and large rainfall shower.

For practicality the house has a well-designed utility room and a boot room area by the back door it also benefits from a walk-in pantry, coat storage room and a WC. There is also a large plant room housing all of the workings to the house, like the ground source boiler and water treatment plant.

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THE GARDEN ROOM AND GARDEN STUDIO

Situated within the walled garden and taking full advantage of south facing views over this magnificent space; the Garden Room and Garden Studio are completely self-contained from the main house. This is of course also brilliant guest accommodation or ideal for multi-generational living or even home office and yoga studio, there are endless possibilities.

These are very stylish buildings, separated by a small area of garden, they definitely have the same wow factor as the main house. Clad in Siberian Larch with large, double-glazed windows and French doors that open to south facing raised wooden decks, their roofs overhang to provide maximum light in the winter and shade on hot summer days. Both are fully insulated and very thoughtfully and beautifully finished with lovely features like wooden ceiling fans and clever hidden LED lighting.

The Garden Room is one large open plan living space with a stunning internal architectural beamed roof. It benefits from a fully fitted bespoke kitchen with integrated appliances including a Bosch induction hob, electric oven and two fridges.

Oak flooring runs throughout the building and there is plenty of space for dining and comfortable seating with a contemporary wood burning stove providing extra warmth and a lovely feature.

The Garden Studio is a few steps away, this is a bedroom suite, with a stylish en suite shower room and a separate walk-in dressing room.

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OUTSIDE

The entire site is fully enclosed and securely fenced, with two separate entrances secured by five bar gates, one of which is electric. Gravelled driveways lead to two symmetrically positioned open cart lodges, each with three open bays and a lock up garage, there is plenty of parking space too.

Within the quadrangle of the main house there is a very sheltered courtyard garden, it has a Mediterranean feel with pea shingle areas and paved pathways, interspersed with herbaceous borders filled with a variety of ornamental grasses and structural plants. This is the perfect place for outside dining, sunny and protected from the wind.

Outside of the walled garden is a natural landscape with fine mature trees, lawns and intermittent planting giving privacy and affording places for adventure and escape or to enjoy a campfire in the woods. The paddock is fenced and has been used for horses in the past but now is mostly natural with mown pathways.
The main event is the stunning walled garden, here gravelled pathways are laid out on the foundations of the original workhouse, in this way you can walk around the old buildings but experience the space from a new perspective.
The walls and original corner turrets have been beautifully restored, one turret even houses a gardener’s WC and utility room for the use of the garden studio.

This is the most tranquil space, it is beautifully designed to be at one with nature with very clever planting to give all year-round natural interest with wildflowers meadows between the pathways and fabulous architectural planting, this garden is the ultimate retreat from the outside world when all you need is a bit of peace and quiet.
The property also has a very well-hidden cabin, tucked away behind the walled garden on the west boundary it capitalises on amazing views and sunsets. The cabin is fully self-contained and has three bedrooms.

Seldom do properties of this calibre come to the market, Thursford Castle is an incredibly special property unique and beautifully executed, a wonderful home with total privacy and seclusion it offers a peaceful sanctuary but has also a proven income potential if desired.
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LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Norfolk District Council Band G
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TENURE

Freehold

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DIRECTIONS

From Fakenham take the A148 heading towards Holt and turn left at the crossroads by the Crawfish Thai restaurant, towards Thursford and Hindringham. Take the first left hand road to Thursford and proceed through the village and continue towards Little Walshingham. Take the next left-hand lane (there is a sign here for Torque Bicycle Rental) and the entrance to the property can be found on your right-hand side.
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DATE DETAILS PRODUCED

October 2022
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IMPORTANT NOTICE

1. These particulars have been prepared in good faith as a general guide, they are not exhaustive and include information provided to us by other parties including the seller, not all of which will have been verified by us.

2. We have not carried out a detailed or structural survey; we have not tested any services, appliances or fittings. Measurements, floor plans, orientation and distances are given as approximate only and should not be relied on.

3. The photographs are not necessarily comprehensive or current, aspects may have changed since the photographs were taken. No assumption should be made that any contents are included in the sale.

4. We have not checked that the property has all necessary planning, building regulation approval, statutory or regulatory permissions or consents. Any reference to any alterations or use of any part of the property does not mean that necessary planning, building regulations, or other consent has been obtained.

5. Prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves by inspection, searches, enquiries, surveys, and professional advice about all relevant aspects of the property.

6. These particulars do not form part of any offer or contract and must not be relied upon as statements or representations of fact; we have no authority to make or give any representation or warranties in relation to the property. If these are required, you should include their terms in any contract between you and the seller.

7. Note to potential purchasers who intend to view the property; we would politely ask you discuss with our staff if there is any point of particular importance to you, before you make arrangements to visit or plan a viewing appointment.

8. Viewings are strictly by prior appointment.