5 bedroom detached house

Originally built in 1969 in a style very similar to local, much older period properties, Orchard House has a lovely setting tucked away into the landscape off a narrow country lane and hidden behind a belt of mature trees with unobstructed views towards the steep and unspoilt side of Holway Hill. It sits within a large, gently sloping garden on the outer edge of the village and is built with walls of dark honey-coloured local stone under a Roman clay tile roof. It is built into the side of the valley with two storeys to provide lower and upper ground floors. Most of the accommodation is in the upper level making it is suitable for multi-generational living. It also faces south-east and south-west ensuring that the interior is filled with natural light from early morning until late evening.

The current owner purchased the property in 2016 and completely transformed it by re-modelling the upper ground floor to combine the kitchen with an open plan seating and dining area creating a wonderful, L-shaped family hub with a wood-burning stove. The kitchen is fitted with painted units under granite work surfaces, a range of built-in electric appliances and a dresser fitted with built-in larder cupboard and fridge-freezer. Adjacent to the kitchen/living room is a more formal sitting room with windows on three sides and an attractive fireplace fitted with a wood-burning stove. Also next to the kitchen are the pantry and laundry room and three of the property's four bedrooms. These comprise the main bedroom, which has a walk-through dressing room leading to ensuite bath and shower room, two further bedrooms and the family bath and shower room. The lower ground floor is accessed via a staircase from the living room descending to a hallway that has French windows to the garden and leads to the snug/playroom and the guest bedroom, which has its own ensuite shower room.

Orchard House is approached down a gravel driveway to a parking area beside the house with space for several cars. The house is surrounded by colourful, mature and private grounds amounting to about 0.83 acre. The house itself is draped in climbing roses and wisteria and the garden is characterised by gently sloping lawns, richly planted borders filled with shrubs and herbaceous perennials and a scattering of trees including Mock-orange, Sweetgum and Smoke tree, all providing colour throughout the growing season. Below the house is an open-sided gravelled courtyard bound by the house, a tall stone wall and the large studio/home office. The courtyard is a suntrap in the summer and when covered by a removeable pavilion provides a large, shaded and sheltered outside dining and entertainment area. Beside the house is a paved terrace leading to gravelled seating area with lovely views of the garden and Holway Hill. Immediately below the house is a paved dining area with direct access to the kitchen. The garden is shielded from view from the village by tall, evergreen hedging with an archway leading through to an area of wild garden, compost area and a timber garden and machinery store.

Sherborne 3.2 miles (Waterloo 2.25 hours), Yeovil 6.5 miles, Wincanton/A303 8.5 miles, Castle Cary station 11 miles (Paddington 90 minutes, Dorchester 22 miles, Bristol Airport 38.3 miles, Bournemouth Airport 43.7 miles. (Distances & times approximate).

Orchard House is situated off a little-used lane the leads down to the small village of Sandford Orcas, which is surrounded by unspoilt hilly countryside and has a pub, village hall and parish church. The village is only a conveniently short, 8-minute drive from the abbey town of Sherborne, which can meet most day to day via an excellent selection of shops and local businesses including Waitrose and a large Sainsbury's plus GP, dental and veterinary surgeries. The town also has a railway station with regular and direct services to Waterloo (2 hours 15 minutes). Other transport links are good too with rail services from Castle Cary to Paddington (90 minutes) and Bristol, Bournemouth and Exeter airports are all just over an hour away. The local area also has a fantastic choice of schools from both the state and independent sectors. This includes the highly the regarded Gryphon School (state secondary) plus three excellent independent schools within the town itself, along with plus Hazelgrove, Leweston, the Bruton schools, Perrot Hill and Millfield, which are all within a 13-mile radius.