5 bedroom detached house

Facing southwest and looking out across the surrounding lush countryside, Allerford House is a fine, Grade II listed country house that dates to the 18th century and still bears all the hallmarks of that most elegant period of English architecture. It is part of the Holnicote Estate, which was donated to the National Trust in 1944 and is set in an almost perfect rural idyll with the wooded upland of Selworthy Beacon behind and immediate access to about 150 miles of footpaths and bridleways linking to the South West Coast Path.

Allerford House has been the home of several historically famous people. Including Admiral Moresby and Captain Moresby, who founded Papua New Guinea in their Ship 'The Wizard', hence Wizard's Cott on the lower Ground Floor. The house is built of local stone covered in distinctive Acland Yellow limewash and has a Welsh slate roof and sash windows. It has generously sized rooms with high ceilings throughout with accommodation over three floors including upper and lower ground floors plus an extensive suite of attic rooms.

It has been altered and extended over its life and, as well as providing a fantastic family home, now also incorporates three self-contained flats fashioned from the domestic staff rooms. It has also retained many architectural fittings that reflect its rich history. These include elaborate cornicing, working fireplaces, working shutters, picture rails, timber floors, a fine internal fanlight between the reception and inner halls plus a wide, original staircase illuminated by a domed stairwell window.

The house has two principal reception rooms either side of the hall, that both face southwest, a cosier study plus a kitchen/breakfast room and pantry both fitted with bespoke painted timber units. The kitchen is also equipped with stone work surfaces, a walk-in larder and two oven AGA and has a lovely view over the garden.
On the first floor is the principal bedroom, which is south and west-facing and has a lovely view and an en suite bathroom, plus two further double bedrooms, which share the family bathroom, walk-in shower room and further WC. The self-contained accommodation could easily be reabsorbed into the main body of the house if required.

Outbuildings, garden & grounds
Allerford House is set back within its garden and enjoys an excellent degree of privacy. It is approached off the passing road via a sweeping gravelled drive that leads to a turning circle in front of the house, beside which is parking for several cars.
Standing sentinel on one side of the front gate are two fine Monterey pines and immediately beside the front gate on the opposite side is a timber stable block opening onto a level paddock enclosed by park railings/ post and rail fencing. All Allerford House Land and Property is safely fenced for animals.

The garden and most of the remaining grounds extend out to the southwest and northwest of the house and consist of a level lawn with an attendant spinney of mature trees, a south-facing wall bearing trained productive fig trees and orchards of plums/pears/cherries and apples and a productive organic vegetable garden and polytunnel.
At the rear of the house the lower ground floor incorporates a self-contained flat with its own garden plus a range of useful storerooms, a gardener's WC and a single storey wing containing a stable with two loose boxes, a gig house and a further storeroom/feed store. Immediately adjacent is a cobbled/gravelled parking area with an external flight of timber stairs rising up the back door to the kitchen.

Allerford House is situated on the western edge of the pretty hamlet of Allerford, which is part of the 12,420 acre Holnicote Estate and falls within the Exmoor National Park Allerford Village has its own Post Office, Museum, Tea Rooms and Owl/Birds of Prey Centre, the famous Pack Horse Bridge, Village Hall, Honey Farm, Riding School, amazing walks, Forests and Beaches. The nearby village of Porlock has an excellent range amenities including a traditional butcher, pharmacy, post office and hardware store amongst a selection of locally owned and run shops, pubs and cafes. The nearby town of Minehead provides most day-to-day requirements with a
good selection of shops and local businesses including a Tesco superstore and a nurse-led community hospital.

The county town of Taunton is also within easy reach. For transport links, the M5 is within a reasonable driving distance, Taunton has regular rail services to Bristol Temple Meads (52 minutes) and Paddington (1 hour 39 minutes) and both Exeter and Bristol airports are about an hour's drive away.
There is also an excellent range of schooling available from both the state and independent sectors. This includes Blundells in Tiverton, Taunton School, King's and Queen's Colleges in Taunton, West Buckland and Wellington School.