House For Sale £1,450,000
This amazing property has a most wonderful panoramic view over the Blackmore Vale. Vale Cottage is an unlisted period property with great charm and character in a truly enviable setting. There is ample scope to further enhance the many attributes of the house and garden. It is built of local stone under a plain, clay tiled roof and is thought to have originally been two smaller cottages. There is little evidence of the earlier layout and today it is laid out in an L-shape that is positioned so that all its reception rooms and bedrooms face south or west, looking out across
its large garden against a backdrop of unspoilt countryside.
The cottage has remained in the same ownership for the past 36 years and now although a little tired, has retained some lovely architectural features including fireplaces, polished brick flooring in the hall, beams, several window seats, parquet flooring in the drawing and music rooms and local Blue Lias flagstones in the dining room. To add to its almost perfect setting the cottage only has one close neighbour, who is set back on the other side of the country lane that runs between the two properties.
The accommodation layout follows the line of the building with five inter-connected reception rooms, which are also linked by the reception hall. Off one end of the hall is the galley kitchen which has a north-facing, walk-in larder and is fitted with bespoke painted timber units under pale green granite work surfaces, electric oven and gas hob. Adjacent to it is the breakfast room which leads on through to the south-facing conservatory that overlooks an enclosed part of the garden and opens onto a paved terrace.
On the first floor is a broad gallery landing that is well-lit by natural light and links all the bedrooms. This comprises the principal bedroom which has a large, en suite bathroom with separate shower, three further double bedrooms and the family bathroom.
Vale Cottage is set back off a seldom-used country lane and has off-road parking for about four cars. If required, scope exists to extend the parking area by sacrificing some of the upper lawn to the north. The garden is extremely private extending out on three sides and amounting to about one acre (0.4 hectare). It has become somewhat overgrown over the past two years but was quite special and contains many varied and beautiful flowering shrubs, roses and specimen trees including a handsome beech at the far end. It has three distinct areas, two partially enclosed lawns lie to the north and south of the cottage with a deep herbaceous border beside the latter protected by tall yew hedging.
The main lawn extends out on the cottage's western side merging into a delightful “woodland walk” passing a rich variety of shrubs including rhododendron, camelia, bitter cherry, Japanese quince, viburnum and acer. On its southern side is a steep slope planted with rhododendron and magnolia. To the north are the kitchen garden, a timber-built stable block and adjacent double tandem garage, both with their own vehicle access to the lane. About 150 yards from the cottage is an additional 1.77 acre ( 0.72 ha) paddock/field ( only for the use of grazing) enclosed by mature field hedging and containing a stone and brick-built, period cattle byre.
A303 1.3 miles, Bourton 1.8 miles, Zeals 3 miles, Wincanton 4 miles, Gillingham
station 6.1 miles (Waterloo 2 hours), Bruton 7.6 miles, Castle Cary station 11.9 miles
(Paddington 90 minutes), Bristol Airport 35.5 miles.
(Distances and times approximate).
Pen Selwood is a small but thriving hilltop village with a church and village hall and
is surrounded by lovely countryside bisected by a network of footpaths. Moldrams
Nature Reserve is adjacent to the property. A short drive away are the villages of
Zeals and Bourton which between them have two pubs, two post offices and a petrol
station (see and ). For day to day
needs nearby Gillingham and Wincanton both offer a good range of shops and local
businesses including a Waitrose supermarket in Gillingham together with doctor, dental and veterinary surgeries. The larger centres of Salisbury, Bath and Yeovil
are also easily accessible. For local travel links the A303 is close by with direct rail
services from Gillingham to Waterloo (2 hours) and from Castle Cary to Paddington
(90 minutes). Bristol and Exeter Airports are both just over an hour's drive away.
There is also a wide choice of local schools from both the state and independent
sectors. The Bruton schools, Port Regis, All Hallows, Hazlegrove, the Sherborne
schools and Clayesmore are all within reasonable proximity.
its large garden against a backdrop of unspoilt countryside.
The cottage has remained in the same ownership for the past 36 years and now although a little tired, has retained some lovely architectural features including fireplaces, polished brick flooring in the hall, beams, several window seats, parquet flooring in the drawing and music rooms and local Blue Lias flagstones in the dining room. To add to its almost perfect setting the cottage only has one close neighbour, who is set back on the other side of the country lane that runs between the two properties.
The accommodation layout follows the line of the building with five inter-connected reception rooms, which are also linked by the reception hall. Off one end of the hall is the galley kitchen which has a north-facing, walk-in larder and is fitted with bespoke painted timber units under pale green granite work surfaces, electric oven and gas hob. Adjacent to it is the breakfast room which leads on through to the south-facing conservatory that overlooks an enclosed part of the garden and opens onto a paved terrace.
On the first floor is a broad gallery landing that is well-lit by natural light and links all the bedrooms. This comprises the principal bedroom which has a large, en suite bathroom with separate shower, three further double bedrooms and the family bathroom.
Vale Cottage is set back off a seldom-used country lane and has off-road parking for about four cars. If required, scope exists to extend the parking area by sacrificing some of the upper lawn to the north. The garden is extremely private extending out on three sides and amounting to about one acre (0.4 hectare). It has become somewhat overgrown over the past two years but was quite special and contains many varied and beautiful flowering shrubs, roses and specimen trees including a handsome beech at the far end. It has three distinct areas, two partially enclosed lawns lie to the north and south of the cottage with a deep herbaceous border beside the latter protected by tall yew hedging.
The main lawn extends out on the cottage's western side merging into a delightful “woodland walk” passing a rich variety of shrubs including rhododendron, camelia, bitter cherry, Japanese quince, viburnum and acer. On its southern side is a steep slope planted with rhododendron and magnolia. To the north are the kitchen garden, a timber-built stable block and adjacent double tandem garage, both with their own vehicle access to the lane. About 150 yards from the cottage is an additional 1.77 acre ( 0.72 ha) paddock/field ( only for the use of grazing) enclosed by mature field hedging and containing a stone and brick-built, period cattle byre.
A303 1.3 miles, Bourton 1.8 miles, Zeals 3 miles, Wincanton 4 miles, Gillingham
station 6.1 miles (Waterloo 2 hours), Bruton 7.6 miles, Castle Cary station 11.9 miles
(Paddington 90 minutes), Bristol Airport 35.5 miles.
(Distances and times approximate).
Pen Selwood is a small but thriving hilltop village with a church and village hall and
is surrounded by lovely countryside bisected by a network of footpaths. Moldrams
Nature Reserve is adjacent to the property. A short drive away are the villages of
Zeals and Bourton which between them have two pubs, two post offices and a petrol
station (see and ). For day to day
needs nearby Gillingham and Wincanton both offer a good range of shops and local
businesses including a Waitrose supermarket in Gillingham together with doctor, dental and veterinary surgeries. The larger centres of Salisbury, Bath and Yeovil
are also easily accessible. For local travel links the A303 is close by with direct rail
services from Gillingham to Waterloo (2 hours) and from Castle Cary to Paddington
(90 minutes). Bristol and Exeter Airports are both just over an hour's drive away.
There is also a wide choice of local schools from both the state and independent
sectors. The Bruton schools, Port Regis, All Hallows, Hazlegrove, the Sherborne
schools and Clayesmore are all within reasonable proximity.
