House For Sale £695,000
The most charming, three bedroomed cottage, framed by a majestic cedar tree, originally the head-gardener’s home on the Syston Park estate, stands in a beautiful setting of over two acres enclosed by high brick walling. It enjoys privacy, tranquility, and rural views of rolling hills with an abundance of wildlife, yet is within easy reach of Syston, Barkston, and Belton villages, and less than a ten minute drive from Grantham with excellent grammar schools and its fast train service to London.
“I came here almost thirty-five years ago when it had been empty for about sixteen years and was in a very sorry state. It hadn’t made the reserve at auction when I stumbled upon it by chance and I really needed the space for my two donkeys. I was very lucky to get it, and it proved ideal with me growing enough hay for the donkeys as well. They’ve been gone a while now, so we turned the paddock into a wildflower meadow. It really has attracted an incredible number of butterflies and moths”
“It was originally the head gardener’s house for the estate with the grounds used for growing fruit and vegetables, and next door was for cut flowers – it is very good soil here. The boundary wall still has occasional lead plaques denoting trees that were planted here with the dates”
“The cedar tree has been carefully looked after by a professional tree surgeon when necessary. Apparently, having a big tree close to a house is good in that it draws the moisture out of the property”
“I believe the steep-roofed side of the house is Georgian and older than the shallow, hipped roof part which is probably Victorian. You can tell by the size of the bricks. For some reason there are two staircases; I blocked off the way through at the top of the stairs, but it could easily be opened up again. It’s not a listed property”
“I replaced all Cedar Lodge’s timber windows with oak frames, as they were rotten, and redid the roof – thieves had stolen all the lead flashing - so it has an internal membrane, but I used all the same pantiles. I fitted the multi-fuel burning stoves which, up until now, have provided the hot water for the central heating. However, I have installed a boiler but won’t take that any further as a new owner may want to use a modern type of energy such as air or ground source heat pump. It won’t be a big job to finish”
“It would be a lovely family home with such a big garden and comes alive when children are here. There’s a new, young couple in The Bothy next door. There is a lot of wildlife here. We see so many different birds: Small garden ones, both types of woodpecker, owls, buzzards, kites and kestrels; as well as muntjac deer and foxes, even badgers sometimes”
“There’s a very reliable bus service to both Grantham and Lincoln; the bus stop is about a fifteen minute walk from the house. We’re also not far from a nice pub, The Stag, at Barkston, an easy walk, and if you want to walk to Grantham, I have done it in about an hour and a half in the snow!”
“We will be sad to move but want to be nearer to family in the west. It is so peaceful and quiet; you come off the main road, shut the gate, and it’s like being in your own little world stepping back in time”
Cedar Lodge is approached next to the entrance to Syston Park Farm Shop where you drive up the hill to a splendid pair of decorative, wrought iron gates within high brick walls, the drive continuing up to the house. Another estate cottage, The Bothy, is its neighbour, also enclosed by walling. This peaceful, rural setting is actually not far from the busy town of Grantham which is less than a ten minute drive south (about 3 miles), and three villages – Syston, Belton, and Barkston - are within five minutes. Grantham has fast trains to London with a journey time of approximately one hour.
The city of Lincoln with its castle and cathedral high on the hill, is around a 40 minute drive north (about 25 miles) and Newark-on-Trent with its castle on the river, is only around 20 minutes up the A1 (about 15 miles). Sleaford is even closer, around a 15 minute journey (about 10 miles) to the east.
Syston Park Hall was built in 1775, the seat of the Thorold baronets but was demolished in 1925. Sir John Thorold was a motorsports enthusiast and created a circuit within the park that became a Grand Prix motorcycle venue during the 1920s; however, all racing ceased here at the start of the second world war in 1939. Nearby Belton is renowned for its country house and park – and in the past created some rivalry with the Syston Park estate – the former now owned by the National Trust and open to the public with 1,300 acres of parkland that includes an adventure playground. Also in Belton village is Belton Woods 4-star Hotel and Spa, which has two golf courses, and a popular garden centre with café and restaurant, whilst nearby Ancaster Leisure provides outdoor activities such as go-karting, paintballing, shooting and archery. Syston itself has St. Mary’s Church, and the very handy Park Farm shop on the doorstep; larger Barkston has a pub and a good primary school.
Barkston & Syston C of E Primary School is just 1 mile north of Cedar Lodge and is rated Good by Ofsted. For secondary education, 3 miles away in Grantham there are extremely highly regarded state grammar schools rated Outstanding by Ofsted: The King’s School (for boys) and Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, so too The Priory Ruskin Academy. Other popular secondary schools are Walton Academy in Grantham and Carre’s Grammar School, and Kesteven & Sleaford High School (for Girls), as well as St. George’s Academy in Sleaford (10 miles away) all rated Good by Ofsted.
Services: Mains water and electricity, solid fuel heating (partly fitted oil-fired CH), private cesspit
Local Authority: South Kesteven District Council
Council Tax Band: C
Epc Rating: F<br /><br />
“I came here almost thirty-five years ago when it had been empty for about sixteen years and was in a very sorry state. It hadn’t made the reserve at auction when I stumbled upon it by chance and I really needed the space for my two donkeys. I was very lucky to get it, and it proved ideal with me growing enough hay for the donkeys as well. They’ve been gone a while now, so we turned the paddock into a wildflower meadow. It really has attracted an incredible number of butterflies and moths”
“It was originally the head gardener’s house for the estate with the grounds used for growing fruit and vegetables, and next door was for cut flowers – it is very good soil here. The boundary wall still has occasional lead plaques denoting trees that were planted here with the dates”
“The cedar tree has been carefully looked after by a professional tree surgeon when necessary. Apparently, having a big tree close to a house is good in that it draws the moisture out of the property”
“I believe the steep-roofed side of the house is Georgian and older than the shallow, hipped roof part which is probably Victorian. You can tell by the size of the bricks. For some reason there are two staircases; I blocked off the way through at the top of the stairs, but it could easily be opened up again. It’s not a listed property”
“I replaced all Cedar Lodge’s timber windows with oak frames, as they were rotten, and redid the roof – thieves had stolen all the lead flashing - so it has an internal membrane, but I used all the same pantiles. I fitted the multi-fuel burning stoves which, up until now, have provided the hot water for the central heating. However, I have installed a boiler but won’t take that any further as a new owner may want to use a modern type of energy such as air or ground source heat pump. It won’t be a big job to finish”
“It would be a lovely family home with such a big garden and comes alive when children are here. There’s a new, young couple in The Bothy next door. There is a lot of wildlife here. We see so many different birds: Small garden ones, both types of woodpecker, owls, buzzards, kites and kestrels; as well as muntjac deer and foxes, even badgers sometimes”
“There’s a very reliable bus service to both Grantham and Lincoln; the bus stop is about a fifteen minute walk from the house. We’re also not far from a nice pub, The Stag, at Barkston, an easy walk, and if you want to walk to Grantham, I have done it in about an hour and a half in the snow!”
“We will be sad to move but want to be nearer to family in the west. It is so peaceful and quiet; you come off the main road, shut the gate, and it’s like being in your own little world stepping back in time”
Cedar Lodge is approached next to the entrance to Syston Park Farm Shop where you drive up the hill to a splendid pair of decorative, wrought iron gates within high brick walls, the drive continuing up to the house. Another estate cottage, The Bothy, is its neighbour, also enclosed by walling. This peaceful, rural setting is actually not far from the busy town of Grantham which is less than a ten minute drive south (about 3 miles), and three villages – Syston, Belton, and Barkston - are within five minutes. Grantham has fast trains to London with a journey time of approximately one hour.
The city of Lincoln with its castle and cathedral high on the hill, is around a 40 minute drive north (about 25 miles) and Newark-on-Trent with its castle on the river, is only around 20 minutes up the A1 (about 15 miles). Sleaford is even closer, around a 15 minute journey (about 10 miles) to the east.
Syston Park Hall was built in 1775, the seat of the Thorold baronets but was demolished in 1925. Sir John Thorold was a motorsports enthusiast and created a circuit within the park that became a Grand Prix motorcycle venue during the 1920s; however, all racing ceased here at the start of the second world war in 1939. Nearby Belton is renowned for its country house and park – and in the past created some rivalry with the Syston Park estate – the former now owned by the National Trust and open to the public with 1,300 acres of parkland that includes an adventure playground. Also in Belton village is Belton Woods 4-star Hotel and Spa, which has two golf courses, and a popular garden centre with café and restaurant, whilst nearby Ancaster Leisure provides outdoor activities such as go-karting, paintballing, shooting and archery. Syston itself has St. Mary’s Church, and the very handy Park Farm shop on the doorstep; larger Barkston has a pub and a good primary school.
Barkston & Syston C of E Primary School is just 1 mile north of Cedar Lodge and is rated Good by Ofsted. For secondary education, 3 miles away in Grantham there are extremely highly regarded state grammar schools rated Outstanding by Ofsted: The King’s School (for boys) and Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, so too The Priory Ruskin Academy. Other popular secondary schools are Walton Academy in Grantham and Carre’s Grammar School, and Kesteven & Sleaford High School (for Girls), as well as St. George’s Academy in Sleaford (10 miles away) all rated Good by Ofsted.
Services: Mains water and electricity, solid fuel heating (partly fitted oil-fired CH), private cesspit
Local Authority: South Kesteven District Council
Council Tax Band: C
Epc Rating: F<br /><br />
