A Stunning Early Georgian 7 Bedroom Country House with a 3 Bedroom Coach House, an Essex Barn, and in all 16.6 Acres

What We Say at The Zoe Napier Group

We believe that this magnificent country home is competitively priced to attract serious buyers in a position to proceed. The property will be an end-of-chain with flexibility on completion dates. The Essex barn is prime development stp or could otherwise offer a multitude of uses with a further barn suitable to accommodate internal stabling (stp)

 What the Owners Say

We have loved living here with our large family and extended family living in the coach house. The property has so many special features and we have just finished a substantial extension we are thrilled with how the specialist builder has blended old and new so seamlessly. We are selling due to new adventures outside the UK.

History & Background

An architecturally stunning early Georgian 7-bedroom Country House, built in 1870 with later additions providing extensive 5851 sq ft accommodation with classical high ceilings. The house is not listed but interestingly the earlier adjacent detached coach house and two of the three barns are recorded to be Grade II listed buildings of either the late 18th or the early 19th century. The property occupies a total plot of 16.6 acres, including extensive grazing with excellent potential for equestrian uses, alongside mature gardens.

The house has recently undergone a significant double-storey extension, having been sympathetically designed and constructed to seamlessly blend the attractive soft red brick old and new finishes with now, a total of seven twisted chimney stacks on the hand clay tiled roof. The property is elevated with an extensive rear west-facing terrace from which to enjoy the far-reaching and undulating views and beautiful sunsets.

The Coach House is an attractive an well appointed Grade II listed three-bedroom ancillary cottage with cart lodge garaging. The barns have separate gated access and include a more modern barn (potential for internal stabling) and two listed barns including the substantial Essex Barn which offers scope for conversion to a residential dwelling or alternative leisure uses stp. The barns are on a separate title to the house and coach house.

 Setting & Location

The house is situated in an idyllic country setting close to the highly sought-after rural farming village of Great Maplestead, just outside the market town of Halstead on the Essex/Suffolk border. The property benefits from being positioned on the edge of the Colne Valley which offers undulating countryside, stunning views, and excellent hacking for horse riders along country lanes and bridleways. The property is located near Dines Hall’s 1000 acres of private country and shooting estate, where there are attractive Bluebell woodlands and a network of footpaths and green lanes for scenic country walks and horse riding.

The house is well screened from its country lane setting with an extensive part-walled frontage, automatic entry gates to the carriage drive, and additional gated accesses for the barns and meadows. The mature gardens enjoy far-reaching west-facing views to the rear with beautiful sunsets falling across undulating countryside. On the south side of the house are the extensive outbuildings including the Coach House and barns. The modern barn would be suitable for internal stables (stp).

 Great Maplestead has its own C of E primary school (Ofsted good) and the village has a lovely community atmosphere with a church and church hall. Private schools are in Gosfield with private, grammar, and high schools in and around the Cities of Colchester and Chelmsford.  The nearest village for a local grocery store (co-op) and doctor’s surgery is in Sible Hedingham, with Halstead being the nearest market town. There are many picturesque surrounding villages on the County border with a good choice of pubs and restaurants in both Essex and Suffolk.

Great Maplestead village centre 1 mile* Halstead 2.8 miles* Sudbury 7.5 miles* Braintree 9 miles* Colchester City 16 miles* Chelmsford City 22 miles*

Ground Floor Accommodation

The main entrance is from the south elevation, initially into a useful entrance vestibule and then a long hall with notably high ceilings throughout with the main staircase offset to a part galleried landing, adjacent to an open plan study area and cloakroom/w.c. The well-proportioned reception rooms provide a blend of classic features with attractive fireplaces in the older part of the house and more contemporary rooms in the newer part, equally enjoying classic high ceilings and well-designed architectural features. In all five reception rooms, including the stylish and spacious dining room with a wood-burning stove and family room, both of which open onto the extensive outside rear terraces. Nearly every room has large double-glazed window ranges, bringing immense natural light into the home. The kitchen/breakfast room is extensive, designed, and fitted by the luxury Stoneham Kitchens with contrasting hardwood style and navy-blue units, quartz granite working surfaces, and a large island/breakfast bar. There is extensive storage and numerous built-in appliances which include Miele twin double ovens, a microwave, and a coffee machine. There is an area for a breakfast table and access to a substantial pantry, also fitted with units and storage. Access leads from the kitchen to the newer part of the house, a cellar (ideal for wine storage), and a separate staircase provides alternative access to the main bedroom suites. A further rear hallway provides access to the remaining rooms and exterior. These include a beautiful open-plan family room with views, an office, and additional service rooms.

 First Floor Accommodation

The main staircase leads to a spacious and bright part galleried landing. This landing provides access to the seven good-sized bedrooms, which include the former main bedroom with a luxury en-suite bathroom*. Two further bedrooms benefit from having en suites and there is also a family bathroom. The ‘new’ bedroom suite is accessed via the separate staircase via the kitchen (or through the former main bedroom) where there is a bedroom area, a lounge area that opens onto the balcony with superb views, a dressing room, and a luxury en-suite. In all 7 bedrooms, two main suites and five bath/shower rooms on the first floor.

The Detached Coach House

As mentioned, the Coach House is Grade II listed. The interior is generally well appointed combining modern living with a cosy sitting room in the older part of the property which features exposed timbers and a brick fireplace housing a traditional log burner. The extensive, modern kitchen combines both a dining and lounge area with attractive oak flooring, modern Duck egg-coloured units with some appliances and Corian work surfaces. There is an idyllic valley view from the French doors. Access leads to the boiler room and service rooms. Two staircases lead to the first floor where there are three good double bedrooms and a modern bathroom. The accommodation is heated via radiators. In addition there is an integral double garage with an auto roller door.

The Essex Barn & Barns

 The barns provides storage space with good potential for alternative uses other than storage, subject to planning. These are on a separate registered title to the house and garden. The more modern agricultural barn could offer great facilities to provide internal stable partitions (stp) to create American-style barn stabling with storage areas for a tack and feed room etc. The remaining two barns are Grade II listed. The single storey brick barn has part open frontages and offers good storage rooms, with the potential to convert to ancillary uses (stp). The main Essex Barn stands prominently in the centre of the grass yard. Internally it displays the structure of its heavily exposed timber frame with access to an adjoining brick barn/former stables. Due to the Essex Barn being listed, there are good possibilities for this building to be restored and used for either ancillary uses or the barn has potential as a barn conversion/building plot (stp). This is something for the incoming purchaser to benefit from if they wished to pursue it in the future.

 Formal Grounds

 The house sits on mature gardens of just under two acres which includes the Coach House building. The frontage onto the country lane offers maximum privacy with mixed hedging, mature trees, and attractive part brick and flint stone walling. A pair of brick pillars lead up to the decorative wrought iron automatic gates onto a carriage-style drive providing ample parking. To one side is a south-facing ‘quiet’ garden seating area with high mixed hedge boundaries. On the east side are numerous mature trees and further grass areas which lead to a fenced kitchen garden with a five-bar gate into a meadow of just over 6 acres. On the west side of the house is an extensive patio area with a retaining brick wall and steps leading down to the lawn. This elevated terrace enjoys far-reaching views across the countryside with spectacular sunsets. To one side is a hedge enclosed kitchen garden and there is also a fenced area is where the hollow of a natural pond is. There is potential to reinstate and line this pond to create a feature if required. Access leads through to the separate yard and barns.

Grazing Meadows

There are two meadows adjoining the property, each with access from the road. One lies to the west of the house providing approximately 6 acres of grazing including a small coppice area and the remaining meadow lies to the south of the barns which extends to approximately 6.7 acres.  Horses and livestock can graze the land and equestrian facilities may be permitted, subject to planning. The property further benefits from being ringfenced with no public footpaths.

Services

Mains Water. Mains Electricity. Oil Fired Heating. Private Drainage (Septic Tank).

Agent’s notes

• There are three title deeds. The house & Coach House EX554361 (approximately 1.9 acres). Land to the west and south including barns EX511772 and Acreage from part title AA33224.
• The main house is not listed. The earlier Coach House, Essex Barn, and a single-storey barn are noted as listed buildings on the English Heritage register.
• Ref to (stp) is subject to planning permission.
• The new extension will have a building regulation final certificate prior to the exchange of contracts. *Please note at time of inspection the additional landing in the former main bedroom was yet to be created. 
• Our client has completed a Propertymark questionnaire providing additional useful information for those looking to make an offer on the property. Please request these details from the selling agent.
• Maplestead has a gun club (clay shooting) in the neighbouring valley (adjoining land) which operates on the 28-day rule per annum. Typically this includes every other Sunday (about 3 hours), per month and/or a Thursday evening during the summer.
• Braintree Council Tax Band G

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