6 bedroom detached house for sale

A historic Grade II Listed former manor house and coaching inn with many interesting architectual features situated in the heart of a rural village and an ideal restoration project.                                                                                                                                        

Property A mid 17th Century property built of local stone and flint elevations with leaded lights and a fish scale tiled hipped roof. It has beautifully proportioned rooms with high ceilings and wonderful period detail. Features include deep relief moulding, heavy timbers, rich panelling and a broad oak staircase. The generous mullioned windows allow the light to flood in, but the real suprise is in the first floor drawing room where a spectacular stone fireplace is finely carved with intricate foliate designs and bearing the arms of the Willoughby family. The house has for a long time been at the centre of village life, at one stage believed to have been a Coaching Inn and in the early 1900’s the village stores. Local evidence indicates that a manor house stood in its place from the mid 1500’s and Pevsner suggests that the drawing room fireplace might also date from this period.

From the front door, the central hall is flanked by large reception rooms to either side with a good sized kitchen and beamed dining room to the rear. A cloakroom and utility area is beyond this and the large cellar is accessed via stone steps flanked by a gated bannister. On the first floor are three good bedrooms, a bathroom and an ensuite shower room opening also into the wonderful drawing room which could easily be utilised as the master suite. The second floor has three attic rooms with dormer windows and there is scope to convert one of these rooms into a bathroom (wc and plumbing already in place). The staircase and landings are very wide and complement the real sense of space.

Although some refurbishment has been carried out in recent years, further improvement works are required making this a rare opportunity to undertake a restoration project of a truly fascinating, historic house and to create a wonderful family home

Situation This fascinating home is situated in a most convenient position, next to the village shop and opposite the Somerset Arms Inn in the heart of Maiden Bradley. This is a very attractive village comprising mostly older properties, a large number of which are owned by the Duke of Somerset Estate. Much of the village is classified a Conservation Area, protecting its special architectural and historic character. Maiden Bradley is set in spectacular rolling countryside within the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Beauty. Both the Stourhead (National Trust) and Longleat Estates are close by, offering leisure activities as well as stunning parkland and gardens. The pretty Deverills lie to the east with the River Wylye meandering through them, the source of which is just to the south of the village, and there are miles of uninterrupted footpaths and bridleways from which to enjoy the surroundings.

Local shopping can be found in Frome (7 miles), while the Roman City and cultural centre of Bath is within easy striking distance (23 miles). The A303 (5 miles) provides access to the M3 and London as well as the west country and mainline railway stations can be found at Gillingham (10 miles, London Waterloo) and Westbury (12 miles, London Paddington). There is an excellent clutch of schools in the area, including Bruton, Port Regis, Hazelgrove, Millfield, Sherborne and St Mary’s Shaftesbury, while Maiden Bradley is also within the catchment for Gillingham School (Ofsted outstanding).

EPC Current Energy Efficiency Rating:G