4 bedroom detached house

Old Henley Farmhouse is set in just over two and a half acres in a truly private and charming setting on the edge of a peaceful hamlet, where the only sounds are normally wind and birdsong. The property is Grade II listed and is a fully refurbished traditional farmhouse dating from the 17th century, which has been imaginatively joined to an adjacent threshing barn to create a lovely, L-shaped home with just under 6,500 ft² of living space. As an integral part of the refurbishment the focus of the house has been turned around so that it now looks out from the south-east through to the south-west towards a handful of period outbuildings including an 18th century granary, the garden and the unspoilt countryside beyond. The original farmhouse was built of banded stone and flint and was then extended in the early 20th century in brick. The farmhouse and barn are set at right angles and connected by a superb, curved link extension that perfectly combines period and contemporary styles. The design succeeds in optimising the natural light inside the
house, whilst simultaneously enabling a wonderful sense of space to be created. This is especially apparent in the garden room where the picture window looks out onto the garden and the former yard, in the large kitchen and adjacent family dining area which has a vaulted ceiling and is overlooked by the first floor galleried landing and the on ground floor of the barn, which is now a single reception room that is perfect for entertaining, with ample space for separate seating and dining areas and an open fireplace. The older part of the house has retained many of it original architectural features
including wall and ceiling timbers and two impressive inglenook fireplaces fitted with wood-burning stoves. Upstairs contains four generous double bedrooms, two of which have their own dressing rooms and four bathrooms, three of which are ensuite.

Old Henley Farmhouse is set back off a quiet country lane in grounds of about 2.57 acres (1.04 hectares) that are split between the garden and paddock. The house is approached via a concrete drive passing the adjacent parking area. Electrically operated gates open to a generous, gravelled turning circle, beside which are a stone-built former stable block that now serves as a garden and log store, a three bay cart store that can garage three cars and a charming Grade II listed granary that would make an ideal home office (subject to obtaining consent). Between the turning circle and the house is an area of raised garden that leads onto an extensive, paved terrace. part of which is sheltered under a glazed-roof veranda and a prolific vine that provides a shaded dining area in the summer months. The garden extends up one side of the house and behind it incorporating a lawn, a vegetable garden and a hard tennis court, which is sheltered by mature beech hedging and overlooked by a summerhouse and adjacent greenhouse. The gently sloping paddock extends the full depth of the grounds and has a small spinney of broad leafed trees at its upper end, backing onto open farmland.

Buckland Newton 0.4 mile, Alton Pancras 1 mile, Cerne Abbas 5.4 miles, Dorchester 10 miles, Sherborne 11.5 miles (Waterloo 2 hours 15 minutes), Yeovil 16 miles, Bournemouth Airport 33 miles. (Distances and time approximate).

Old Henley Farmhouse is situated on the edge of the tiny, rural hamlet of Henley at the top of the Piddle Valley, which has some of the most, unspoilt countryside in Dorset, criss-crossed by a network of foot[paths and bridleways and within easy driving distance of the world-renowned Jurassic Coast. Buckland Newton village is less than half a mile away and has a parish church, village hall, pub, shop and primary school. The nearby county town of Dorchester can meet most day-to-day needs with an excellent variety of shops and local businesses including GP, dental and veterinary surgeries and there are railway stations in both Dorchester and Sherborne (Waterloo 2 hours and 15 minutes). The local area is blessed with a wide choice of schools from both the independent and state sectors. Independent schools within a 10 mile radius include Sunninghill, Milton Abbey, Leweston, the Sherborne schools, Hanford and Knighton House . For state education There are five popular primary schools within a five mile radius including the village school and Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester for secondary education is OFSTED rated 1 (Outstanding).