An instantly Attractive and Largely Extended 1950s-style Character Family Home Set in 2.25 Acres of Mature South Facing Grounds.

What We Say at The Zoe Napier Group

If you are looking for an amazing-sized kitchen/family room with an equally generous principal bedroom suite and superb south-facing outdoor spaces, then this superb home needs to be viewed to capture the essence of its extensive offerings. For those who love wine and the idea of winemaking, then you also have your very own private vineyard with a paddock area and rolling countryside to both the front and rear.

What The Owners Say

We have enjoyed 16 years living here, benefitting from the largely extended accommodation that the previous owners created, together with adding our own comforts. The outdoors has just been such great fun for entertaining, al fresco dining and just enjoying the full sun and beautiful sunsets from various seating areas in the grounds. We are in the stages of moving on to a new chapter but will be leaving this house with many happy memories.

History & Background

A most attractive and largely extended four double bedroom family home, set in 2.25 acres of mature south-facing grounds with rolling countryside to both the front and rear.

The property was built in the 1950’s offering attractive elevations with the later rear extensions which offer superb family living with the traditional kitchen, open plan to the garden room forming the main family hub with the benefit of a roaring log (multifuel) burner, seating and dining areas and elevated views across the gently sloping south facing acreage. There are three further reception rooms and upstairs are four double bedrooms, each with views, together with two en-suite bedrooms as well as a dressing room in the principal bedroom suite and a family bathroom which features an antique style freestanding bath.

The outdoor spaces are amazing with sheltered Mediterranean al-fresco seating areas, an outdoor, (naturally heated), swimming pool with surrounding Porcelain terraces, a ‘Crooked House’ bar, double garaging, and a further hobby room/winery where Willow Valley wine is produced on a small self-efficient scale from the fun established vineyard of around 80 vines.

Setting & Location

The property is situated in a slightly elevated, semi-rural setting on the edge of the Sible Hedingham village and within walking distance of the church and a local pub on Church Street with the village amenities, including both primary and senior schools being within 1.2 miles. The immediate area is largely rolling countryside with an excellent network of footpaths for country walks. The property is also well placed on the Essex/Suffolk Border for Great Dunmow/M11 and Stansted Airport (26 miles) Haverhill/Cambridge and Braintree/A120 & A12 for Chelmsford or Colchester. There are also many picturesque local villages, including Castle Hedingham, famous for its historic Norman Castle and Finchingfield.

The house stands back from the road with gravelled parking and garaging, set in 2.25 acres of mature, secluded south-facing grounds which include a vehicle access track to the useful rear pony paddock and grounds. Views from the elevated terraces can be enjoyed over its own gently sloping grounds which include mature trees and a neighbouring Willow plantation; all of which attract British Bird and Wildlife species such as Woodpeckers, Owls, Cuckoos, and Chinese Water Deer (Muntjac) to name but a few.

Nearest Market Towns: Halstead 5.3 miles, Sudbury (Suffolk) 8.5 miles, Braintree (Freeport & Station) 9 miles. The cities of Chelmsford & Colchester are approximately 20 miles.

Ground Floor Accommodation

An open porch and front door lead into an impressive reception hall which has attractive 1950’s style wood flooring that further features in the original reception rooms. The stairs lead to an attractive part galleried and equally spacious landing. There is also a ground floor cloakroom/w.c. The three separate reception rooms, each offer their own character including the music room/study, The winter dining room which can seat up to 8 people comfortably with French doors onto the terraces and the family room is dual aspect with a multifuel burner set into a fireplace recess with a Sandstone surround and further French doors lead out onto the rear terraces. The Kitchen is a magnificent size, largely extended to provide space for a farmhouse table & family dining, an excellent cook’s kitchen with a range oven and a granite island bar for seating, and an open plan through to the beautiful garden room from which to enjoy elevated views and south facing decking over the grounds. The entire room is also heated from its traditional multifuel burner, set within a brick fireplace feature. The house is noted for its immense natural light and the many access doors for the outdoor spaces including a side door from the utility room for the detached double garages.

First Floor Accommodation

The spacious landing offers space for a desk bureau (or similar) with a large walk-in airing cupboard and the family bathroom which features a traditional antique-style Ball & Claw freestanding bathtub. Access leads to four generous double bedrooms, each having a view of the surrounding rolling countryside. The principal suite is located at the back of the house above the kitchen/dining areas providing an excellent Queen size bedroom with a separate dressing room and a stylish en-suite shower room with twin basins. The guest bedroom features an en-suite shower room and a walk-in dressing room cupboard.

Outside

The property benefits from a good, well-screened frontage with two five-bar gated accesses into a carriage-style driveway up to the detached double garage building. The left-hand grass vehicle access continues from the front to the rear of the property which offers an easement to the neighbouring property (see agents notes). The expanse of the front lawn with a high Laurel front hedge features a Pillared Yew Tree and a False Acacia Tree. Gated accesses for both pedestrian and side access for vehicle leads to the rear south-facing grounds.

The grounds have a natural slope down to a brook at the rear boundary and the neighbouring grounds beyond have a Willow plantation in the wetland next to a beautiful lake; glimpses of which can be seen when the foliage has dropped from the trees. The upper grounds near the house have been landscaped for fun and entertaining with Bradstone terraces, a raised decked terrace behind the garden room to enjoy the sunsets, Poolside areas for loungers and there are also some quirky, fun features that include the ‘crooked House’ gazebo bar, The Beach Hut (Summerhouse) adjacent to the Al-Fresco Mediterranean style seating area which has an open fire for roasting marshmallows and warmth with a Honeysuckle and Clematis covered pergola. A further tiled roof gazebo is nestled in the Japanese garden area where there a pond and Japanese Maples. A further glass-fronted Bothy provides a small seating area and there is also a large workshop/hobby room, currently, the winery for the current owner's winemaking hobby. This includes over 80 grape vine trees with 2023 being their record ‘bumper’ crop producing just over 200 bottles of wine. Other years yield anything from 70 to 150 bottles depending upon maintenance & climate conditions. Behind this outbuilding the current owners have created natural heating for the swimming pool with a rubber tube water system, heated only from the sun. This system is entirely dependent upon the sunshine and therefore temperatures of the water will vary naturally. Beyond the gardens and small vineyard is an area suitable for a pony paddock.

Agents Notes

• The property is registered on one title deed EX646414. Reference to the septic tank is now an historic reference as the properties in this part of Wethersfield Road have since been connected to mains drainage.
• The Easement relating to the side vehicle access allows for the neighbouring landowner a right of access to the rear of their grounds. This is a grass-access and is within the title register above.

Services

Mains Electricity

Mains Water

Mains Drainage

Oil Fired Heating

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