An Attractive Grade II Listed Farmhouse in a Prominent Position Overlooking the Village Green with 3.8 Acres.

What we Say at The Zoe Napier Group

What a wonderful opportunity for the incoming buyer where the farmhouse provides a delightful family home with the potential for equestrian facilities as well as the conversion of the outbuildings into potential holiday lets, classic car storage, stables, or an annex. The surrounding bridleways and footpaths are unsurpassed on the undulating Essex/Suffolk border.

What The Owners Say

This was our late parents’ home of over 40 years. We have all enjoyed the property with the grandchildren playing in the mature grounds, woodland, and rear meadow, (where there is a pond), to family gatherings and parties being enjoyed in the leisure building. We will be sad to see the house go and equally hope the incoming buyers will embrace the property as our family has.

History & Background

A most attractive double-fronted traditional Essex Farmhouse, dating back to the mid 16th century in part, listed as Grade II and offered with an extensive range of outbuildings, whilst situated in an enviable position overlooking the extensive village green and cricket pitch. The property, offered with 3.8 acres, has been in the same ownership for some 40 years and in the early 1980’s it underwent major restoration (stripped back

to the timber frame), where the late owners lived on-site in a mobile home during these works. The owners interestingly, documented photographic evidence of the works with the ‘then, during, and now’ imagery. The quality of this restoration remains evident today with its solid oak internal doors, attractive fireplaces, and other characterful features including a semi-vaulted ceiling on the landing to display the magnificent Crown post. Whilst the property now requires a modest level of updating, it provides immediate well-presented accommodation with unusually high ceilings and bright rooms (several rooms being dual aspect) with delightful views over the village green from its tall sash windows. The outbuildings provide excellent barn storage with a workshop, garaging, and a separate detached ancillary/leisure building, and the meadow beyond, covenanted against any future residential development (no housing), offers a fabulous opportunity for equestrian use or simply to retain as a private area for re-wilding and/or rural related activities.

Setting & Location

The property is nestled back off The Village Green adjacent to one of the two village ponds, adjacent to the Village Hall. A driveway leads to an extensive area for parking (with space to expand the parking) providing access to the courtyard arrangement of outbuildings and house. The mature gardens and buildings extend to just under one acre with a field gate leading immediately into the rear meadow where there is a central natural pond with Weeping Willow and a field gate onto Church Road. Wickham St Paul is a highly sought-after village on the Essex/Suffolk border, largely centred around a vast village green where there are the immediate local facilities of a village hall (with part-time post office), The Victory Inn pub, overlooking the green, and a vibrant Farm Shop (Cox’s at Spencer’s Farm) which has a restaurant, children’s activity/play area, pick your own area and more. The village has a richly supportive and varied community atmosphere where there are many annual events, (ranging from the village dog show to a scarecrow competition as well as Trafalgar Day fireworks), alongside regular clubs and activities including a village cricket team who plays on the green during the summer months. The village is largely surrounded by open countryside with an extensive network of footpaths and bridleways from which to enjoy off-road rural walks, cycle routes, and some fantastic horse riding. School busses collect children from outside the village pub for the local primary and secondary schools with good Ofsted reports. Shopping is via the nearest market towns of Halstead and Sudbury, Suffolk.

Ground Floor Accommodation

Whilst the property has a central front door leading to an entrance hall/vestibule, the main hallway is accessed from the rear elevation, where there is a wide reception area with cloaks cupboards, into a more spacious area showcasing the oak balustrade part galleried staircase with attractive solid oak doors leading to each of the rooms. The property has notably high ceilings with light rooms, many offering dual aspects from which to enjoy the pleasant views over the grounds. The well-proportioned sitting room has exposed ceiling beams, as well as an impressive, exposed brick Inglenook fireplace housing a traditional wood burner, and double doors open onto an additional garden/music room. The formal dining also has a most attractive red brick fireplace flanked by built-in bookshelves and a traditional crockery cupboard, exposed timbers, and offering a lovely space to seat 8/10 comfortably. The farmhouse kitchen/breakfast room is in the newer 20th-century extension with a deep box bay window with window seating from which to observe the wildlife and mature gardens. The kitchen is fitted in a range of oak-fronted units with oak trim work surfaces incorporating some built-in appliances and there is space for a central farmhouse breakfast table. Adjacent to the kitchen is a spacious services room/ with w.c. housing the boiler with additional storage. There is a separate utility room with space for white goods, fitted storage, and an airing cupboard.

First Floor Accommodation

The sizeable part galleried landing is further enhanced with a part vaulted ceiling showcasing the important 16th century Crown post, where there is an upper display area. Oak doors lead to each of the four double bedrooms and family bathroom. The main bedroom benefits from being dual aspect with pleasing views across the village green. Access leads to a spacious en-suite bathroom with an overhead shower. The remaining bedrooms are well proportioned and include a beamed front bedroom featuring the frame of an original mullion window. The smallest of the bedrooms is sited below the vaulted part of the landing and the third bedroom is within the newer part of the property above the kitchen. There is also a family bathroom with a three-piece suite and storage.

The Grounds

The house is set back behind a high boundary hedge with part of the village pond and green to the fore. The mature gardens extend to just under one acre incorporating terrace areas around the outbuildings, where there is also an old courtyard area in front of the double garage and extensive storage barns. One of the barns has an up-and-over door for vehicle/machinery access. On the opposite side is a timber-clad ancillary building which has been enjoyed for family gatherings/parties. Beyond are wonderfully established grounds, shaded by mature trees, with part walled areas, Blue Spruce, and an abundance of shrubs and perennials. A five-bar gate leads to the meadow area which provides grazing with a central natural pond part shaded by Weeping Willows. There is also a small coppice area and separately, a five-bar gate leads from the meadow onto Church Road.

Services

Mains Electricity

Mains Water

Mains Drainage

Oil Fired Heating

 Agents Notes

• There are three title deeds that form the sale. EX613851 (House & Garden) EX588351 (strip of land) EX935219 (Farm Buildings and Rear Meadow)
• Title Number EX935219 (the rear meadow/paddock area part only) has a covenant restricting any residential or commercial development. The land is to remain for agricultural, equestrian uses, or for the purposes of encouraging wildlife/re-wilding. Equestrian/agricultural facilities would be permitted, subject to the required planning permissions.
• Historically (for planning applications for equestrian facilities), the meadow has had horses grazing on the land for well over ten years. However, the existing outbuildings adjacent to the farmhouse may be a preferred setting for stables.
• Broadband access is excellent within the village with existing fibre speed options from both BT and County Broadband.
• The adjacent village hall is available to hire. It is generally used for community and club meetings, occasional fundraising evenings, occasional function hire, and on the rare occasion, a wedding reception (usually for a local couple), where a marquee has been permitted on the green. The village cricket team uses the pavilion and hall usually bi-weekly on a Sunday and all are welcome to watch and support the team. The hall is considered an asset as opposed to being of any disturbance.
• A Bramford, Ipswich to Twinstead, Near Sudbury National Grid substation is planned on the A131 south of Sudbury between Waldergrave wood and Butler’s Wood. (Approximately 1.2 miles from the property).
• Braintree Council 

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