5 bedroom detached house for sale

A substantial detached Grade II listed family home with extensive scope to improve and extend, set within about 0.8 of an acre, in this highly regarded Suffolk village.

Entrance & rear hallways, sitting room, dining room, drawing room, kitchen/breakfast room, study & boiler room/potential utility room, cloakroom & shower room. First floor with master bedroom with en-suite shower room and connected bedroom/dressing room, 4 further bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

Spacious driveway & parking, wall enclosed yard, front garden with pond and rear garden. In all about 0.79 of an acre (sts).

THE PROPERTY
The Lodge, formerly known as Old Rectory Lodge, is a spacious Grade II listed family home of substance and character, extending to around 3,400 sq ft and is understood to date back to the 16th century in two stages being an old farmhouse, with the main three-cell lobby-entrance plan facing front, with the connected service range of a similar size (possibly the original building with superb exposed heavy timber exposed frame and beams), set forward to left. The property is mainly timber framed and rendered, under pantile roofs and boasts superb original character such as a bressummer beamed inglenook fireplace with a settle bench, Georgian character features in the drawing room and the bedroom above, the 18th century casement windows with transoms and some charming sloping floors to the first floor.

The property was until recently split into two separate, connected cottages (1 & 2 The Lodge) and now, with consent, has been returned to use as a single dwelling with the removal of the second kitchen. Whilst the property has been maintained, it will require further investment throughout in order to bring it up to the standard and style appropriate for a property of its quality. Several of the internal dividing walls are of modern construction and hence, subject to the relevant consent, there looks to be good scope to slightly remodel the accommodation and with permissions granted to extend the house to the rear with a sunroom/garden room and re-locate the two oil tanks to a better single position, to further enhance the property for modern family living.

OUTSIDE
The house is set back from this village lane with a gravelled driveway leading to a spacious parking area in front of the house, to the side of which there is planning and listed buildings consent granted for a triple bay cartlodge garage. To the front, there is an area of lawn, a mainly fenced natural pond, part of which extends over the boundary and is shared with the neighbours, five bar gated access to the rear and a superb York stone paved terrace which leads to the 20th century gabled open porch with access to the front door. A wide stable style door, in the wall to the left of the front drive, gives access to a wall enclosed yard which could be improved significantly and provides access to the rear hall, boiler room, study and via another door in the wall to the south garden. This area has a temporary modern corrugated clear roof and also houses the oil tank, that currently serves the left hand side of the property and for which there is consent to relocate. In all about 0.79 of an acre (sts).

The rear garden is mainly laid to lawn with a selection of mature shrubs and trees, a garden shed and a paved terrace that opens from the dining hall and which has permission granted for a sunroom/ garden room extension. There is also a fenced area that conceals the oil tank for the right-hand side of the property (again for which there is consent to relocate) and there is gated access through to the fence enclosed south garden, that until recently has been utilised as a dog run with low level board fencing inside the hedge line.

LOCATION
The Lodge is well positioned at the top of Norton Road, close to the centre of this highly regarded village, which is served by the popular ‘Gardeners Arms’ pub and restaurant and has a fine parish church. There are good schools available nearby in the villages of Norton, Beyton and Thurston and the historic cathedral town of Bury St Edmunds, has first class shopping facilities with excellent cultural and educational facilities both in the public and private sectors. The town of Stowmarket with its mainline rail link to London Liverpool Street (80 minutes) is just a 15-minute drive.

DIRECTIONS
From Bury St Edmunds take the A14 east and then take the Thurston/Beyton exit. Continue following the signs for Beyton, proceeding through the village and bearing left at the junction into Tostock Road. Continue on this road, over the A14 and into the village of Tostock. Stay on Norton Road passing the common (The Leys) on your right, on past the left turning to Thurston and the driveway for The Lodge will be found on the left, just past the entrance for The Old Rectory.

PROPERTY INFORMATION
Services Mains water, electricity and drainage.
Oil fired central heating.
Local Authority Mid Suffolk District Council
Council Tax Band TBC
Tenure Freehold
Broadband Ofcom states speeds available of up to 80Mbps
Mobile Signal/Coverage Yes - Varies depending on network provider. Please visit to check availability
Viewing By prior appointment with Jackson-Stops. Tel.[use Contact Agent Button]