THE WAREHAM FOREST AND PIDDLE VALLEY PROVIDE A PERFECT SETTING FOR THIS IMMACULATELY RESTORED C17th COUNTRY COTTAGE.

Enjoying the tranquil surroundings of the Wareham Forest and Piddle Valley, this picture perfect listed C17th cottage was first restored by the previous owner in the 1990’s and as well as making improvements to the structure, the roof was taken off and completely rebuilt. In 2017 our clients acquired the cottage and set about refurbishing the interior and using their design flair and eye for detail they have created a very comfortable and stylish home surrounded by a beautiful garden. Stepping into the main reception area there is an exquisitely presented drawing room on one side and a dining room on the other, both with open fireplaces, with a wood burner installed in one and a gas ‘look alike’ wood burner in the other, and at the other end of the cottage there is a fabulous country style kitchen and family living space. The sitting area has an old inglenook fireplace and a woodburning stove and steps down the bespoke hand built kitchen with a large central island and quartz work surfaces, a travertine limestone floor and French doors out to the garden. Stairs in the family room take you up to a comfortable arrangement of three double bedrooms and two luxuriously appointed bathrooms. The main bedroom is particularly impressive with a walk-in wardrobe/dressing room and large ensuite shower room. As part of the refurbishment the services were all upgraded or replaced and a complete new oil fired heating system was installed. The Ridings also has the advantage of an excellent outbuilding with a twin garage and workshop, and a beautifully kept garden of over three quarters of an acre which all contribute to making this truly impressive cottage a wonderful country home or a perfect rural retreat in a peaceful and beautiful location.

The Ridings is surrounded by ¾ of an acre of well laid out and beautifully kept gardens, overlooking the Piddle Valley to the front and backing onto open fields. Coming off the lane there is a wide gravel forecourt with plenty of parking. A gate in a cleft fence takes you onto a path round a rose garden and up to the wisteria clad front of the cottage.

The largest part of the garden is to one side and behind the cottage and is very private being screened from the lane by a high hedge. Two large well maintained lawns are surrounded by mature boarders and planted with a wide variety of native and exotic trees and shrubs. Between the two lawns, with access from the kitchen, there is a large, paved terrace and alfresco dining area with neatly clipped box hedges and borders. The far side of the garden is kept more naturally and is private from the rest of the garden and the cottage, it is a perfect spot for a shepherd’s hut or yurt, or maybe even a holiday let. To one side of the parking area there is a very impressive brick and tiled roof outbuilding which currently comprises a twin garage, a separate workshop or office and a large attic storage space with a retractable ladder.

The Ridings is situated off the quiet no through lane which leads down to the tiny village of Turnerspuddle. Apart from the pretty parish church there are no services in the village, but it is only a short drive (2 miles) back in to Bere Regis where there is a local shop and post office, doctors’ surgery, a couple of pubs and a petrol station. There are more extensive shops and amenities nearby in Wareham and in under half an hour you can be in historic Blandford Forum, the county town of Dorchester or the retail parks around Poole. The beautiful countryside around Turnerspuddle forms part of the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). There are lovely walks and bike rides straight from the front door and a great many other opportunities for sport and recreation with attractions nearby, ranging from Athelhampton House to Monkey World and Bovington Tank Museum, to some excellent golf courses and water sports around Poole Harbour, and as well walking in the forest and over the Purbecks, the renowned beaches of Studland Bay, Weymouth and Dorset’s renowned Jurassic Coastline are only a short drive away. Despite being well off the beaten track communication links are very good. Easy access onto the A31 and A35 at Bere Regis make it an easy commute to Dorchester or across to Poole and Bournemouth, and a quick link on to the M27 takes you further afield to Southampton and Portsmouth and on up to London via M3 (avoiding the traffic, about 2 ½ hours). There are south coast mainline railway stations nearby in Wool and Poole (London Waterloo about 2 hours).

Mains water (sub supply) and electricity are available at the property. Oil fired central heating. Private drainage (package treatment plant, installed 2022). Excellent ‘fibre optic’ broadband.