6 bedroom detached house for sale

Grade II* listed country house and barn with 7 acres in a secluded situation.

Description

A rare opportunity to purchase this exceptional Grade II* listed timber-framed, seven-bedroom house, with a wealth of period features set within mature gardens of about 2 acres including a small productive vineyard producing Madeleine Augevine grapes. In addition there are a further 6 acres of paddocks and grassland, several outbuildings, ponds and a large timber-framed barn with possible potential for development. For the first time in nearly 50 years, and mentioned in Pevsner’s Guide to the Buildings of Essex, this stunning home has come to market and we highly recommended viewing.

Ground floor: The attractive entrance with its glazed front door brings you into a light-filled hall, before leading your eye through to the spectacular drawing room. This is a very spacious entertaining area with views out across the gardens on both sides. It has exposed moulded oak beams that span the entire room, and an enormous Elizabethan brick-arched fireplace making for a real wow factor. The large Charnwood wood-burning stove in the fireplace is very capable of making this sizeable room feel really warm and comfortable. To one side of the room, a panel oak door leads to the dining room with another oak-beamed ceiling and windows on two sides providing light and views over the garden, which can be accessed through an arched glazed door onto a paved area and lawn. From here a door leads to the study/snug, the oldest part of the house dating back to 1360, a cosy, light-filled room with bespoke book shelves that line one side of the room and a small fireplace with a log-burner. The farmhouse-style kitchen is also accessed from the drawing room. Another generous double aspect room with exposed beams and a large brick-arched fireplace housing a Redfyre stove. To one side there is a purpose-built, walk-in larder and a utility/rear entrance hall and back door. Most large windows have unobtrusive secondary glazing.

First floor: The first floor is accessed via an oak-framed stair tower extension, with double-height leaded window offering views across the garden to the barn and fields beyond. It incorporates a craftsman-built oak staircase and shower room. The long landing leads to the principal bedroom at one end of the house, which has stunning views over neighbouring villages to the Castle at Castle Hedingham. This triple-aspect room has a dressing area to one side and an en suite bathroom with a separate shower. Adjacent to the principal bedroom is the guest bedroom and en suite, another beautiful room with views to the south over the garden and a brick-arched fireplace and small en suite shower room. At the other end of the landing there are a further two south-facing bedrooms, one with a brick-arched fireplace and the family bathroom, currently fitted with a large walk-in shower and offering views up to the village church. Above the entrance hall to the front of the house is the purpose built home office.

Second floor: The top floor of the house is reached by an open wooden staircase and has windows to the front and back with far-reaching views and exposed oak timbers throughout. There is one large central bedroom with a further interconnecting dressing room giving access to a large loft space and separate bedroom with washroom on the other side.

Garden: Beautiful landscape-designed borders and planting surround the house on all sides and include a white garden, rose borders, jewel garden, formal lily pond, woodland garden and walk, and a lavender path up to the front door. Beyond the woodland walk is a large vegetable garden with greenhouse and fruit cage, an orchard and other fruiting trees around the garden including apricot, morello cherry, cherry-plum, greengage and bullace. To the front of the house, the sweeping lawns are planted with mature trees either side of the driveway leading up to a parking area for four cars. At the back there is a large stone-paved patio facing south, that wraps around the house providing seating, dining and relaxing areas with stunning views across the neighbouring landscape. Adjoining the house to the south is a double-storey barn (which could be converted into an annexe, subject to planning). There are a further two single-storey barns housing garden machinery, wine making equipment and the wine store.

Land
Beyond the existing driveway and lawns to the front of the house is a fenced paddock (approximately 2 acres) running back towards the road, with an avenue of mature lime trees bordering the old carriage drive.

Services
Mains water and electricity. High speed broadband. Private drainage. Please note under current legislation the private drainage system will need replacing with a compliant treatment plant and it will be the responsibility of the incoming purchaser to install this.

Note
Photographs taken in May 2022.

Location

Toppesfield: 1 mile, Finchingfield: 5.4 miles, Castle Hedingham: 4.2 miles, Halstead: 7.7 miles, Sudbury rail station: 10.3 miles (Liverpool Street from 1 hour 18 minutes), Braintree: 11.5 miles (Liverpool Street from 1 hour, 1 minute), access A120 at Braintree, Stansted Airport: 14.8 miles. All distances approximate.

Sitting on the edge of the village of Toppesfield, approximately half a mile walk across footpaths leads to the attractive village church, primary school and community-owned pub, as well as a volunteer-run shop and post office. The village has a thriving community with local events including the annual fete, church auction and BBQ, live music and open mic nights in the pub, a micro-brewery, beer festival and concerts. It is also home to the award-winning Toppesfield Vineyard. The house is set well back from the road and sits comfortably within its peaceful grounds, surrounded on all sides by beautiful countryside with open views of fields, hedges and woodland looking across to neighbouring farms and the church. There are numerous footpaths and bridleways offering beautiful walks and ways to explore the surrounding area.

Square Footage: 3,784 sq ft



Directions

From Braintree take the A131 to High Garrett, then the A1037 to Gosfield, Sible Hedingham, Great Yeldham. Turn left just past the White Hart into Toppesfield Road. After one and a half miles Olivers is on the left just past Toppesfield Hall down a track.

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Postcode: CO9 4LS