Description
In a peaceful and private countryside setting, a handsome, non-listed former Duke of Bedford farmhouse amongst beautiful mature gardens, 0.79 acres in all, with a further 11.83 acres available by separate negotiation. 5 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, 3 Receptions; South-facing Gardens; Domestic Outbuildings, Triple Garage; Nearby Access to Tavistock and Dartmoor; No Onward Chain; Freehold; Council Tax Band: G.
Situation - This wonderful country residence is located in the peaceful hamlet of Ottery, close to the desirable town of Tavistock, enjoying considerable privacy and picturesque surroundings, including an open southerly outlook and far-reaching countryside views, with Dartmoor in the distance. There are numerous walks and trails on the doorstep, presenting many opportunities to explore the region's tremendous heritage; in particular, the Devon Great Consuls woods are only 2 miles away. There is a welcoming pub, the Copper Penny, and a superb small farm shop less than half a mile away, and a convenient local general store and fuel station within 2 miles, whilst the nearby village of Lamerton boasts the popular Blacksmith's Arms public house.
Tavistock itself is a thriving market town in West Devon, at the foothills of Dartmoor National Park, rich in history and tradition dating back to the 10th century. Today, the town offers a superb range of shopping, recreational and educational facilities, including the sought-after private and independent school, Mount Kelly, whilst the largely 19th-century town centre is focused around the Pannier Market and Bedford Square, in which regular farmers' markets are held. Plymouth is 14 miles to the south, and Exeter lies 41 miles to the northeast, providing air, rail and motorway connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Description - This imposing and characterful countryside home was constructed, we understand, in the mid-19th Century, originally as a Duke of Bedford model farmhouse, and, having been in our client's family ownership for almost 30 years, is now offered to the market with no onward chain. Of traditional stone and masonry construction with brick and slate finishing, the house has a traditional four-square plan, including three spacious reception rooms in addition to the kitchen/breakfast room, with a matching layout on the first floor and a 2-storey rear projection, providing five bedrooms and three bathrooms in all. Full of original period detailing, including several fireplaces, picture and dado rails, timber sash windows and French doors, coving, ceiling roses, timber and flagstone slate flooring, the house is in need of modernisation and refurbishment but offers considerable potential within its classical proportions. Externally, the house is complemented by some pretty, well-established but not complicated gardens, plus some domestic outbuildings and a triple garage, all amounting to 0.79 acres.
Additionally, there are two good-sized fields to the south of the house, amounting to circa 11.83 acres, which are available individually or as a pair by separate negotiation.
Accommodation - The house is accessed via a tiled porch, of brick and stone construction, which in turn leads into a central entrance hallway. The ground floor accommodation can be summarised as follows: a front-facing, dual-aspect drawing room with shuttered windows and French doors to the garden, centred around a sizable marble fireplace; a matching, front-facing dining room, also with shuttered sash windows, the focal point of which is a large open stone fireplace housing a log burning stove; a morning room, featuring a cast iron open fireplace with marble surround; a useful WC; the farmhouse-style kitchen/breakfast room which is equipped with bespoke sweet chestnut units with granite worktops, including a matching central island, a double ceramic sink, 2-ring gas hob, oil-fired Aga with two hotplates and double oven beneath; a utility/pantry with slate flooring and spaces for the laundry appliances, and; a rear porch leading out to the garage and outbuildings.
Off the galleried first floor landing are the four principal double bedrooms, the family bathroom and a further ancillary room and shower room. Of the bedrooms, there are two large, front-facing, dual-aspect rooms, a third generous, south-facing double, and a fourth double, all enjoying an attractive outlook over the property's gardens and/or the neighbouring fields, and some with distant views of Dartmoor. To the rear of the house, also accessible via a butler's staircase, is a fifth bedroom, which is a smaller, dual-aspect double served by its own en-suite shower room.
Gardens And Outbuildings - The house is approached over a sweeping, granite-pillared driveway into a large parking area. The drive is flanked by the very pretty and well-established principal gardens, which are mainly laid to lawn, interspersed and bordered by a variety of mature trees and shrubs, including a large eucalyptus, several mature apple trees and a glorious maroon acer. At the far end of the garden is an area once dedicated to soft fruits and produce. To the side of the house is a private, south-facing veranda, adjacent to a patio terrace framed by a large Wisteria. To the rear of the house, there is a boiler room, log store, implement shed, and access to the cellar, which is comprised of two large principal rooms providing excellent storage or workshop space with power, lighting and water. On the house's northern side is a part-walled former kitchen garden, now featuring an array of colourful shrubbery. Finally, there is a detached, stone-built triple garage with remote-control doors, power and lighting.
Additional Land - To the south and southeast of the house are two pasture fields amounting to 11.83 acres, available either individually or as a pair, by separate negotiation (see our accompanying Lotting Plan). The western field has separate gated access to the public highway, and the easterly field has an overgrown accessway which could be reinstated with some clearance. A stream runs along the field's southern boundaries.
Services - Mains water and electricity. Drainage via a shared septic tank (installed 2014). Oil-fired central heating (boiler 2019). 10x PV solar panels on the garage roof (owned, not leased), benefiting from a feed-in tariff. Standard broadband is available (our clients have used Airband). Variable mobile voice/data services are available via the four major providers. (source: Ofcom's online service checker). Please note that the agents have neither inspected nor tested these services.
Agent's Notes - 1. We understand that the septic tank is situated in the western field (Lot 2) and shared with three neighbouring properties. We also understand that there is a third-party sewage treatment plant located in the eastern field (Lot 3).
2. There is a right-of-way along the rear driveway for the benefit of two neighbouring properties, for pedestrian access or to unload a vehicle, but not to park.
3. We understand that our clients are in possession of a bat survey and that, whilst no endangered species have been found, bat mitigation measures have been undertaken in the loft.
Viewings And Directions - Viewings are strictly by prior appointment with the vendors' sole agents, Stags. The What3word reference is ///flinch.unlucky.carpentry.
