6 bed detached house for sale

Alton Pancras, Piddle Valley, Dorset DT2

A perfectly proportioned former rectory, set on an elevated valley side with 11 acres, a separate coach house, and spectacular far-reaching views across the surrounding chalk hills

Why We Love The Old Rectory

A perfectly proportioned former rectory, set on an elevated valley side with 11 acres, a separate coach house, and spectacular far-reaching views across the surrounding chalk hills

The Old Rectory is set back from the rest of the village, on a peacefully secluded raised plot screened by trees and accessed by a driveway running up the valley side to a set of private wooden gates. Built in the early 19th century, the house is grade ii listed and has a quintessentially handsome regency feel with symmetrical stucco facade, sash windows, hipped slate roof and pretty over-hanging eaves.

The house faces due south with unobstructed views down the valley over its own land. It has recently been completely refurbished to a high standard and showcases perfect proportions with a layout designed with entertaining in mind. The interiors are beautifully presented with impressively high ceilings, bright rooms and lovely period detailing. The current owners bought the house five years ago and have undertaken several improvements including transforming the layout of the grounds.

Downstairs

The double front doors are set beneath a classical porch and open into a light and airy formal reception hall, with rooms fanning off to either side and ample space for a large circular hall table. Flanking the entrance, the drawing room and dining room both have stone and marble chimneypieces, together with soaring floor-to-ceiling sash windows with shutters and stunning views.
The hall continues from the main entertaining rooms, passing a downstairs cloakroom, to a quiet sitting room and a separate study. At the heart of the house lies the wonderfully generous kitchen, with its smart oak floor, providing superb family living and informal entertaining space. One end is fitted with pretty painted cabinetry topped with slate, a double butler sink, a large four-oven electric Everhot range, and a walk-in larder, while still leaving space for a large breakfast table. At the opposite end, there is ample room for a relaxed seating area, with French doors opening onto a west-facing stone dining terrace.

The kitchen connects directly to the back hall/boot room, with its stone-flagged floor and back door leading out to an enchanting stone-paved service courtyard. Encompassed by a covered loggia, the courtyard provides access to the laundry room, boiler room, and two useful store rooms. In summer, it also serves as a charming outdoor dining area and a sheltered spot for potted plants.

Upstairs

An attractive original staircase with a smart mahogany handrail rises to the first floor, which is arranged around five generous double bedrooms and three bathrooms. Most of the bedrooms enjoy magnificent southerly views stretching for miles down the valley, many with pretty window seats from which to take them in. The principal bedroom is particularly impressive with extensive fitted cupboards, an adjoining bathroom with shower and twin basins, and a separate dressing room (which could, if desired, be used as a sixth bedroom).
The remaining five bedrooms are all of excellent proportions and are looked after by two well-appointed family bathrooms: One with a bath and separate shower, the other with a bath/shower and a large airing cupboard.

Coach House, Stable Block and Garaging

Behind the service courtyard is a walled stable yard with two garages and an attractive period brick and flint coach house with detailed planning consent to convert into a two bedroom ancillary accommodation (Planning Application Ref No: P/hou/2023/05637). Behind the coach house is a modern timber-built stable block containing three loose boxes.

Glorious Gardens and Grazing

The Old Rectory is surrounded by about an acre of beautifully landscaped gardens, recently enhanced by clever improvements by the current owners. Designed for ease of maintenance and carefully arranged to make the most of the setting and views, the gardens and formal lawn blend seamlessly into the surrounding paddocks and landscape.

To the front of the house, a new south-facing stone terrace provides the perfect spot for lunch or evening drinks, framed by flowerbeds planted with lavender, roses and verbena. On the west side, enclosed by neatly clipped yew hedges, lies a level lawn and an additional dining terrace with French doors leading directly from the kitchen. Here too is a productive kitchen and cutting garden, with greenhouse and raised beds.

Beyond the formal gardens lie about ten acres of established pasture, divided into two paddocks and enclosed with post-and-rail fencing. Both mature and newly planted trees are thoughtfully dispersed throughout the grounds.

Living In The Piddle Valley

Tucked away at the Northern head of the sleepy Piddle Valley surrounded by green and pleasant chalk hills

The small rural village of Alton Pancras sits at the source of the river Piddle within the rolling Dorset National Landscape. The village has a pretty medieval church and the larger neighbouring villages of Piddletrenthide (1.5 miles) and Buckland Newton (1.6 miles) offer several pubs, a post office/village shop and primary school. There is also an active cricket club in the next-door village of Plush.

Further amenities, including a Waitrose supermarket, can be found a short drive away in the nearby county town of Dorchester. The lovely historic town of Sherborne with its medieval hamstone streets and smart array of restaurants and independent shops is a similarly short drive away, and provides a regular train service to Waterloo taking 2 hours 10 minutes.
The Piddle Valley is highly regarded for its excellent walking and riding, accessible right from the Old Rectory’s doorstep. There is an extensive local network of footpaths and bridleways along the Wessex Ridgeway and down the Piddle Valley taking in local sites such as the Cerne Giant, Hardy’s Walking Trail and Puddletown Forest. The stunning Jurassic coastline is just 14 miles away with a large choice of beaches including Ringstead Beach, Lulworth Cove, Eype Beach, Hive Beach, and Chesil Beach.

Sporting facilities in the area include hunting with the Cattistock, South Dorset and Portman, and golf at Sherborne, Yeovil and Dorchester (Came Down). West Dorset is also renowned for country sports with chalk stream fishing, many superb shoots and sea fishing opportunities.

Fantastic Schools

There is a selection of fantastic independent schools in the area including Sherborne, Leweston, Milton Abbey, Bryanston, Hanford, Canford and Clayesmore. For state education there are three well-regarded primary schools within a three-mile radius in neighbouring Piddle Valley villages, and Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester for secondary education is ofsted rated 1 (Outstanding).

Cerne Abbas 5 miles, Dorchester 10 miles, Sherborne 12.5 miles,
Bournemouth Airport 33 miles
(Distances and times approximate).

Chapters Past

Alton Pancras lies at the northern end of the Piddle Valley, where four natural springs rise to form the source of the River Piddle. Surrounded by gently rolling countryside, the village sits within the historic Wessex Ridgeway region - an area rich in archaeological interest, with traces of Iron Age settlements, medieval structures, and ancient burial mounds still found in the surrounding hills.

The village appears in early records as Awultune, with Pancras added later in reference to the parish medieval church. Alton Pancras is mentioned in the Domesday Book and was likely settled during the Saxon period, around the same time as the founding of nearby Cerne Abbey in the late 10th century. Historical links between the two suggest the village was once part of the Abbey’s wider landholdings, with the monks playing a role in shaping the early agricultural landscape.

Just a short distance away, the figure of the Cerne Abbas Giant etched into hillside continues to capture the imagination. Recent archaeological investigations suggest this famous chalk figure may date to the early medieval period - this unexpected dating brings it close in age to the founding of both the Abbey and Alton Pancras itself.

The Old Rectory was built by the incumbent reverend in 1846, to a design reminiscent of the slightly earlier Regency style. It served as the vicarage until 1941 when it was sold into private hands and later lived in by Sir Michael Gillett, who served as a prominent diplomat in the far east. It has since been owned by only two families over the past 50 years.