Rooms

ORIGINAL FEATURES
Built with honey-coloured Northampton stone from a local quarry, the elegant, semi-detached house came with a barn and former stable building. Dating back to 1837, the house has seen many changes. The property had been home to the local doctor (pre-NHS days), who used an old, converted shack (now the summerhouse) as his surgery, and the cottage as his waiting room and dispensary. “Our aim with the renovation project was to retain as many of the original features as possible, while also ensuring this was a comfortable home for modern living,” Nicky recalls. “We worked very closely with conservation experts, initially starting work on the main house and then moving on to the rest of the property and the gardens. We did everything in the house in one go, from the ceilings and floors to the heating system, electricity and plumbing and then all the decorating. We were able to move in after about nine months.”

HAPPY TIMES
Today the main house, which has two staircases, is entered via a hall, which leads to the drawing room, living room and the central dining room. “We achieved planning permission to install French windows out to the garden from the dining room and this has been lovely. We have a large family and have been able to hold lots of wonderful parties and gatherings here. This is also a fantastic Christmas house as it looks so beautiful when it’s decorated and there’s plenty of room to spread out!”

GOOD SIZED BEDROOMS
At the back of the house is the kitchen breakfast room. This opens into a utility room and a bootroom, with a downstairs washroom. The second staircase would have originally been used by the maid. It still works well today as it leads up to two of the bedrooms and a shower room.” There are four bedrooms in total in the main house. One of the bedrooms at the top of the back staircase adjoins another, which has an ensuite cloakroom, making this part of the house ideal for visiting family members or guests with children. The main staircase leads up to the central bedroom as well as the gorgeous master bedroom with ensuite bathroom. “. “This house is often heaving with people, and they can all be accommodated very comfortably and overspill into the cottage and stables, if necessary, as this provides 8 bedrooms in total.”

HOME AND AWAY
After completing work on the house, the couple then moved on to renovating the barn and converting the stables. Today, the cottage (former barn) features an open-plan kitchen, dining and living space downstairs, with two bedrooms and a shower room upstairs. The former stable building now encompasses two self-contained studio apartments. These each feature an open-plan kitchen, dining, bedroom and living space, plus an ensuite shower room. “We have run holiday lettings () in the cottage and stables for some years now and we have really enjoyed it,” Nicky explains. “Someone else could simply step in and continue with this very easily if they wished to or they could use these spaces as guest or family accommodation – we do both!” She adds: “There is also a sizeable plot of land here with lapsed planning permission for a bungalow that new owners could look into reinstating if they wished.”

NATURAL BEAUTY
Blisworth has proved an excellent place to live and visit. “Our guests visit for a variety of reasons”, says Nicky, “from family weddings to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, or simply to walk along the towpaths of the Grand Union Canal. Blisworth is in close proximity to Northampton, Milton Keynes and Towcester. It is also just 10 minutes from the M1 and an hour by train from London or Birmingham”. She adds, “This has been such an amazing place to live and leaving will be hard. We feel incredibly privileged to have lived here - it’s a very special house.”

Disclaimer
Chewton Rose Estate Agents is the seller's agent for this property. Your conveyancer is legally responsible for ensuring any purchase agreement fully protects your position. We make detailed enquiries of the seller to ensure the information provided is as accurate as possible. Please inform us if you become aware of any information being inaccurate.