House For Sale £600,000
A rare opportunity to purchase a former estate cottage developed into a 3 bedroom home, situated in a heavenly, private spot within grounds of 1.35 acres enclosed by high brick walls. The tranquil location is about 3 miles north of Grantham with its fast train services to London taking around an hour, and in an area offering excellent schools.
A light and airy home, almost all the rooms are dual aspect and there is a lovely connection with the outside both from rooms downstairs and the spacious balcony off one of the bedrooms with open field views. Although some work is yet to be done, the house itself is almost finished.
“It is an amazing place here – we feel honoured to have owned a piece of British history. There were two kitchen gardens here, enclosed by the walls; one, the neighbour’s property which was the head gardener’s cottage with the grounds for growing fruit and vegetables, and ours, which housed workers at The Bothy and was filled with fruit trees. Cut flowers were also grown as well as new seedlings for both gardens within the seed-houses. These are fascinating buildings, one of them is the old wash room and another is the old boiler room. We found an old Victorian copper kettle in one and there is a stunning brick archway in the old boiler room.”
“It is very quiet and tranquil and we see so much wildlife. The clearing outside the kitchen brings all kinds of creatures – muntjac, full families of deer, rabbits, squirrels and foxes. Syston Park Estate was a deer park for centuries and these are the descendants from those days; it is quite something to see, through the window, a full-size stag with its huge antlers standing right there, so close!”
“We have spent our time working on the property and the grounds, but there is still work to be done. Inside the house, we have installed a brand new kitchen with oak worktops and the flagstone floor has been professionally restored. The stones came from two huge Victorian outhouses that flanked the property but have been long gone; they are incredibly thick and there are still a few spare. We laid one in the hearth when we put in the log-burner last summer. The utility has a concrete floor and contains our fridge freezer and washing machine but the walls are awaiting plastering and needs finishing. There is plumbing already in place for a downstairs loo.”
“The balcony is a lovely spot where you get a view of the whole garden and over the fields between the trees when you can watch the cows grazing on the hill. It’s also brilliant for stargazing as there is no light pollution at all, even though Grantham isn’t far away.”
“There are various archways in the garden walls, with a blocked up arch in the wall adjoining the neighbour, and a couple leading up the drive, one into the seed-houses, one into the garden. We’ve spent hours of our time cleaning up bricks by hand to mend some of the walls, as we have tried to reclaim as much as we could. All of the bricks were once handmade in Syston village at the old kiln, so it was important to us to make sure we saved every brick possible. They are all ready to be re-laid by the new owner.”
“We planted an orchard with a selection of fruit trees such as apples, pears, plums, cherries as well as an espaliered fig and peach which has a fantastic crop last year during the summer. I also created a herb garden in the circular raised bed around the pear tree, and planted lots of different coloured David Austen roses to climb up all the south and west facing walls. There are two magnificent oak trees and two walnut trees in the opposite corner which were new when we came here but have already produced walnuts! We’ve cleared a huge area behind the house which you couldn’t even walk around when we moved here. Along the north facing wall we have planted a selection of low maintenance shrubs such as hydrangeas, rhododendrons and fern – all low maintenance and shade loving, a mix of evergreen and flowering giving both structure and colour.”
“It’s a very special place to live and we will really miss it but our needs have changed. I’m sure the next people will love and appreciate it as much as we have; it’s not often there is a chance to live somewhere like this.”
Location
The Bothy is approached next to the entrance to Syston Park Farm Shop where you drive up a private lane to a gate within high brick walls, the drive continuing up to the house. Another estate cottage, Cedar Lodge stands a little distance away on the other side of the boundary walls. 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 Kings Cross 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.
Schools
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; oil-fired central heating; private septic tank
Local Authority: South Kesteven District Council
Council Tax Band: E
Epc Rating: E<br /><br />
A light and airy home, almost all the rooms are dual aspect and there is a lovely connection with the outside both from rooms downstairs and the spacious balcony off one of the bedrooms with open field views. Although some work is yet to be done, the house itself is almost finished.
“It is an amazing place here – we feel honoured to have owned a piece of British history. There were two kitchen gardens here, enclosed by the walls; one, the neighbour’s property which was the head gardener’s cottage with the grounds for growing fruit and vegetables, and ours, which housed workers at The Bothy and was filled with fruit trees. Cut flowers were also grown as well as new seedlings for both gardens within the seed-houses. These are fascinating buildings, one of them is the old wash room and another is the old boiler room. We found an old Victorian copper kettle in one and there is a stunning brick archway in the old boiler room.”
“It is very quiet and tranquil and we see so much wildlife. The clearing outside the kitchen brings all kinds of creatures – muntjac, full families of deer, rabbits, squirrels and foxes. Syston Park Estate was a deer park for centuries and these are the descendants from those days; it is quite something to see, through the window, a full-size stag with its huge antlers standing right there, so close!”
“We have spent our time working on the property and the grounds, but there is still work to be done. Inside the house, we have installed a brand new kitchen with oak worktops and the flagstone floor has been professionally restored. The stones came from two huge Victorian outhouses that flanked the property but have been long gone; they are incredibly thick and there are still a few spare. We laid one in the hearth when we put in the log-burner last summer. The utility has a concrete floor and contains our fridge freezer and washing machine but the walls are awaiting plastering and needs finishing. There is plumbing already in place for a downstairs loo.”
“The balcony is a lovely spot where you get a view of the whole garden and over the fields between the trees when you can watch the cows grazing on the hill. It’s also brilliant for stargazing as there is no light pollution at all, even though Grantham isn’t far away.”
“There are various archways in the garden walls, with a blocked up arch in the wall adjoining the neighbour, and a couple leading up the drive, one into the seed-houses, one into the garden. We’ve spent hours of our time cleaning up bricks by hand to mend some of the walls, as we have tried to reclaim as much as we could. All of the bricks were once handmade in Syston village at the old kiln, so it was important to us to make sure we saved every brick possible. They are all ready to be re-laid by the new owner.”
“We planted an orchard with a selection of fruit trees such as apples, pears, plums, cherries as well as an espaliered fig and peach which has a fantastic crop last year during the summer. I also created a herb garden in the circular raised bed around the pear tree, and planted lots of different coloured David Austen roses to climb up all the south and west facing walls. There are two magnificent oak trees and two walnut trees in the opposite corner which were new when we came here but have already produced walnuts! We’ve cleared a huge area behind the house which you couldn’t even walk around when we moved here. Along the north facing wall we have planted a selection of low maintenance shrubs such as hydrangeas, rhododendrons and fern – all low maintenance and shade loving, a mix of evergreen and flowering giving both structure and colour.”
“It’s a very special place to live and we will really miss it but our needs have changed. I’m sure the next people will love and appreciate it as much as we have; it’s not often there is a chance to live somewhere like this.”
Location
The Bothy is approached next to the entrance to Syston Park Farm Shop where you drive up a private lane to a gate within high brick walls, the drive continuing up to the house. Another estate cottage, Cedar Lodge stands a little distance away on the other side of the boundary walls. 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 Kings Cross 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.
Schools
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; oil-fired central heating; private septic tank
Local Authority: South Kesteven District Council
Council Tax Band: E
Epc Rating: E<br /><br />
