House For Sale £610,000
The north end of the village, the small area north of the Yarn Market & Luttrell Arms was flattened in 1648 by Royalist naval cannon fire during the siege of Dunster Castle during the First English Civil War. The Luttrell family, who owned the castle since 1376, were rewarded financially after the Battle of Blenheim, which enables 2 The Ball to be rebuilt in 1705. 2 The Ball, which was built as a blacksmith's house with attached yard containing the forge and an outbuilding for shoeing. The house was then rebuilt and extended in 1869.
The original cob-walled front was retained with the rear rebuilt using local stone and brick and the thatch roof was replaced by clay tiles. The property was uninhabitable by 2002, when it was bought by the current owners, who then undertook a wholescale refurbishment.
Today it is well presented and has retained some delightful architectural features from the 19th century including an inglenook fireplace in the sitting room, now fitted with a wood-burning stove, a range fireplace and a central ceiling beam (recycled from an old ship of the line) in the kitchen, window seats, working shutters, bible cupboard and tea safe.
Several of the rooms also have views looking out over the village towards the castle just 400 yards away and also enjoy distant views of the Bristol Channel. The recent refurbishment included converting some of the outbuildings and incorporating them into the house. This included the former forge, shoeing stable and the glass-covered path between them, which now provide the office, playroom and rear hall. The roof space above the office serves as a large attic bedroom but is of sufficient size to provide two separate bedrooms if required.
Given the separate nature of the office and attic bedroom, this could serve as an ideal self-contained annexe. Upstairs in the main house are three bedrooms, all of which have distant sea views and the principal bedroom also has a wide view of the castle and surrounding countryside.
Outbuildings and garden
The house has a small area of walled garden at the front looking out across a narrow green and down to the central street in the village, with a flight of steps leading up to the front door. It is approached off a peaceful village lane via a gateway with tall, timber gates to a walled yard behind the house.
The yard provides a high level of privacy and encompasses all the house's outbuildings, a good-sized parking area and the lawned, southwest-facing garden at one end. The parking area can accommodate about four cars and facing it are two conjoined timber barns and a block-built, lean-to building, all of which can garage a car. Attached behind the house is a good-sized workshop and opposite it is a lean-to log store.
2 The Ball is located on the edge of the pretty, medieval village of Dunster, which is on the edge of the Exmoor National Park and within walking distance of the beaches of Blue Anchor, Dunster and Minehead. The village has excellent amenities including a parish church, primary school (ofsted rated 2 (Good), doctor's surgery, three pubs and several shops including a post office (see ).
The nearby town of Minehead provides most day-to-day requirements with a good selection of shops and local businesses including a nurse-led community hospital. The county town of Taunton is also within easy reach.
For transport links, the M5 is within a reasonable driving distance, Taunton has regular rail services to Bristol Temple Meads (52 minutes) and Paddington (1 hour 39 minutes) and both Exeter and Bristol airports are about an hour's drive away. There is also an excellent range of schooling available from both the state and independent sectors. This includes Blundells in Tiverton, Taunton School, King's and Queen's Colleges in Taunton and King's Hall Preparatory, which are all within a 20 mile radius.
The original cob-walled front was retained with the rear rebuilt using local stone and brick and the thatch roof was replaced by clay tiles. The property was uninhabitable by 2002, when it was bought by the current owners, who then undertook a wholescale refurbishment.
Today it is well presented and has retained some delightful architectural features from the 19th century including an inglenook fireplace in the sitting room, now fitted with a wood-burning stove, a range fireplace and a central ceiling beam (recycled from an old ship of the line) in the kitchen, window seats, working shutters, bible cupboard and tea safe.
Several of the rooms also have views looking out over the village towards the castle just 400 yards away and also enjoy distant views of the Bristol Channel. The recent refurbishment included converting some of the outbuildings and incorporating them into the house. This included the former forge, shoeing stable and the glass-covered path between them, which now provide the office, playroom and rear hall. The roof space above the office serves as a large attic bedroom but is of sufficient size to provide two separate bedrooms if required.
Given the separate nature of the office and attic bedroom, this could serve as an ideal self-contained annexe. Upstairs in the main house are three bedrooms, all of which have distant sea views and the principal bedroom also has a wide view of the castle and surrounding countryside.
Outbuildings and garden
The house has a small area of walled garden at the front looking out across a narrow green and down to the central street in the village, with a flight of steps leading up to the front door. It is approached off a peaceful village lane via a gateway with tall, timber gates to a walled yard behind the house.
The yard provides a high level of privacy and encompasses all the house's outbuildings, a good-sized parking area and the lawned, southwest-facing garden at one end. The parking area can accommodate about four cars and facing it are two conjoined timber barns and a block-built, lean-to building, all of which can garage a car. Attached behind the house is a good-sized workshop and opposite it is a lean-to log store.
2 The Ball is located on the edge of the pretty, medieval village of Dunster, which is on the edge of the Exmoor National Park and within walking distance of the beaches of Blue Anchor, Dunster and Minehead. The village has excellent amenities including a parish church, primary school (ofsted rated 2 (Good), doctor's surgery, three pubs and several shops including a post office (see ).
The nearby town of Minehead provides most day-to-day requirements with a good selection of shops and local businesses including a nurse-led community hospital. The county town of Taunton is also within easy reach.
For transport links, the M5 is within a reasonable driving distance, Taunton has regular rail services to Bristol Temple Meads (52 minutes) and Paddington (1 hour 39 minutes) and both Exeter and Bristol airports are about an hour's drive away. There is also an excellent range of schooling available from both the state and independent sectors. This includes Blundells in Tiverton, Taunton School, King's and Queen's Colleges in Taunton and King's Hall Preparatory, which are all within a 20 mile radius.
