4 bedroom detached house for sale

Positioned almost opposite the beautiful, Grade I listed parish church and overlooking a wide rectangle known as The Bury, Abbotsford has the quintessential village setting and is believed to be the oldest building in the village after the church. The Dean and Chapter of Exeter Cathedral were the lords of the manor since the days of Edward I and indeed still own parts of it. Abbotsford was once one of the many houses owned by the church and the massive fireplace in the sitting room is thought to have been used for baking bread for pilgrims as they passed through the village on their way to the cathedral. Abbotsford itself is believed to be about 650 years old and is built of local stone covered in colour-washed render. It shelters under a traditional thatched roof of wheat straw embellished with a fox chasing a rabbit along the ridgeline.

The house is Grade II listed and has recently undergone complete, sympathetic refurbishment to an extremely high standard. With great attention to detail, the good-sized sitting room and dining room/snug both have inglenook fireplaces fitted with wood-burning stoves, the interior is finished with lime plaster and oak joinery alongside flagstone/oak floors, beams and exposed wall timbers and a lovely cast iron bath has been installed in one of the upstairs bathrooms. The house has a southwest/northeast axis with the kitchen and the two principal downstairs reception rooms plus three of the property's four double bedrooms looking southwest across The Bury. This layout not only ensures a charming outlook but also provides high levels of natural light throughout much of the day until the sun sets. The kitchen/breakfast room is centrally positioned and is fully fitted with a two-oven AGA, Belfast sink and a range of built-in electric appliances under oak work surfaces. The adjacent scullery doubles as a garden room overlooking the rear garden with French windows opening out onto extensive, raised decking.

Garden

Abbotsford is set back a short distance from The Bury, with an open porch flanked on one side by a border beneath the sitting room window. In front of the flowerbed is a wide cobbled path stretching along the full width of the house. Beyond the cobbled path is a public car parking area for up to four cars. Between the southeast/southwest corner of the house and the neighbouring property is an unregistered, gravelled piece of land, which the owner of Abbotsford currently uses without hindrance as a parking area. Abbotsford's garden lies entirely behind the house. Access to the garden from The Bury is via a paved path running along one side of the house across a neighbour's land, over which Abbotsford has a pedestrian right of access. The rear garden is enclosed by chest-high stone walling with a shrub border along its base. The rest of the garden is lawn, which is partly shaded by a few mature fruit trees. The garden is overlooked by a large, raised deck enclosed by balustrading. This is accessible from the house via a flight of timber steps from the scullery/garden room, with a further flight dropping down from the deck to the lawn.

Abbotsford is situated in the pretty village of Thorverton, which is surrounded by unspoilt countryside of the Exe Valley. The village is a thriving community with two churches, two highly rated pubs (The Thorverton Arms & Exeter Inn), GP surgery and a village hall hosting a monthly Saturday Market for local produce. The nearby town of Tiverton has an excellent choice of shops and local businesses that can meet most day to day needs including dental and veterinary practices and a Tesco Superstore. Exeter is easily accessible too and has the retail, sporting and cultural attractions of a cathedral/university city. Local transport links include the north/south running A396 just 1,5 miles away links directly with Exeter, the M5 and Exeter Airport are both within easy reach and Tiverton Parkway station offers regular train services to Paddington, Bristol Temple Meads and Southampton. The local area also offers a wide choice of schools both from the independent and state sectors, including The Maynard, Exeter Cathedral School and Blundell's School, which are all within an eight mile radius.