Property Name: Highclere House

Details:

An Introduction Tucked away in the heart of a pretty Bath-stone village, only 10 minutes by car from Bath City Centre, is this modern and family-friendly house with stunning views and a fusion of Asian & contemporary styles. It has three double bedrooms (2 kingsize) with en-suite, a twin room (bunkbeds), and two singles and accommodates up to 10 people. This house offers guests the luxury of light, space, quiet and privacy together with a large heated swimming pool and five acres of woodland, orchards and landscaped terraced gardens. During the winter months it is a family home where animals live so would not be suitable for anyone wtih animal allergies The house is located along the beautiful Limpley Stoke valley which is part of the Cotswolds AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). It overlooks the River Avon and one of the most beautiful stretches of canal in the country. On-site the house offers a large heated swimming pool, volley ball, croquet and badminton and a games room with table tennis, pool and table football. The village play ground is opposite and includes a petanque (boules) pitch. Off-site the area offers a multitude of walks and cycling tracks, boating, punting, ballooning and an array of sightseeing opportunities. In addition to the attractions of Bath (10 mins), visitors can explore Longleat safari park (20 mins), Lacock abbey and Stourhead gardens (both 30 mins), Stonehenge, Wells and Salisbury cathedrals (all 40 mins) and the Cotswolds (60 mins).

Location Highclere House is located in Limpley Stoke, 6 miles south-east from Bath along the A36 and is approximately 10 minutes from Bath City Centre where there are frequent trains to and from London Paddington, approx 1.5 hours away. The nearest train station is at Freshford, 1 mile away, which connects to Bath, Bristol and Weymouth and private helecopters can be landed (by arrangement) at Coombe Grove Manor Country Club, approx 5 minutes away by car.

History Limpley Stoke is a friendly and attractive 1,000 year-old village (see www.limpleystoke.org), built from the locally quarried Bath stone. This is a 1980’s house which has been transformed into a luxury family home by the current owners who lived in Asia for many years. It has been designed to offer comfortable family-friendly space, both indoors and outdoors, with plenty of storage space and a full range of games and activities.

The Ground Floor The entrance opens into a mezzanine oak-floored hallway. On the left is the formal living room with two large sofas (2-seater and 3-seater), chairs and an open fire-place. On the right is the cosy “snug” with a large 5-seater sofa where you can curl up to read a book or watch a prerecorded programme on Sky + (with Sky Sports and Sky Movies) and DVD. You reach the kitchen through the small library where you are free to borrow and read (but please leave behind) an array of books. The spacious family kitchen combines a traditional Aga cooker (with 2 ovens and 2 hobs), a double sink and plenty of working space with modern amenities including 2 electric hobs, electric oven, dishwasher, lots of kitchen gadgetry and large American-style fridge (with ice-maker). The kitchen table can accommodate up to 10 people comfortably, although an extension trestle table (available upon request) can increase this to 16. Outside the kitchen are a herb garden and a sundeck with glass table and chairs and glorious views down the valley. Climbing a short flight of stairs from the kitchen leads back to the mezzanine hallway via a spacious storage room (useful for coats, shoes etc) where there is an additional drinks fridge and deep freeze. On the opposite side of the hallway is the downstairs toilet and utility room with microwave, washing machine and tumble drier. The games room can be reached via the living room and contains a large 6-seater white leather sofa and a flat screen TV (with Sky Sports and Movies) and DVD. It also has a pool table and table football table. Patio doors lead through to the conservatory with a table tennis table. The computer room is also accessed via the games room and contains 2 broadband-connected PCs. The house is computer wired with broadband access in many rooms. There is also wifi broadband which covers part of the house.

Bedrooms There is a bedroom on the mezzanine floor with a double bed, desk and large wardrobe. The bathroom includes a toilet, hand basin and power shower.

Upstairs the impressive master bedroom incorporates a dressing area and has a magnificent view across the gardens with a Japanese stone lantern framed by a row of ornamental cherry trees. The king-size bed looks across the valley and you will be woken by the sound of birds in the garden. This bedroom has an en-suite bathroom complete with bath, double-sized power shower, “his and hers” hand basins and toilet. A cosy bedroom, suitable for a cot or small child leads off the master bedroom. Down the other end of the upstairs corridor is another spacious bedroom with magnificent views down the valley. It has a king-size bed, desk, ample storage cupboards and drawers and large bean-bag sofa. The en-suite has a bath, with built-in power shower, hand basin and toilet. There are two other bedrooms, one twin with bunk beds and one single. These share a fourth bathroom with bath, built-in power shower, toilet, bidet and hand basin.

The Pool

The tiled and heated pool measures 8m x 4m has an automatic cover and is located between the conservatory and the main gardens. It is surrounded by a paved sundeck with teak sun loungers and a parasol and has an outside shower (cold!) and a small changing room. There is a large teak table and chairs adjacent to the pool (accommodating 10-12 people) with a large 4-burner gas barbeque. Please note, for those with young children, the pool does not have a fence surround.

The Old Stables Above the kitchen sundeck is located an old stone barn which has been recently converted into an office/ accommodation building using Bath stone and green oak. This building is under floor heated and contains large windows, a desk, two sofas and several beanbags and has an en-suite bathroom with power shower, toilet and hand basin. Futons could be provided for this building to be used for additional accommodation upon request.



The Grounds

The house is accessed down a steep and narrow lane and you enter through some fine metal gates into a sweeping drive. The drive can accommodate up to 10 vehicles for parking. By the entrance you will see the woodshed, croquet lawn and small gazebo.

Outside the kitchen can be found the vegetable garden with raised beds, greenhouse and compost bins. Please feel free to pick and enjoy any of the ripening vegetables. Beyond the pool is the main lawn with a volleyball/ badminton net. This leads, by crossing the ornate stream, into the orchard where there are apple, pear, plum, gage, mulberry, quince and cherry trees (please also feel free to enjoy the ripening fruit). Beyond the orchard is the woodland which is full of wild garlic and indigenous British woodland trees. Above the main lawns are terraced paths and lawns with ornamental cherries, small ponds and magnificent views. At the top of the garden is a natural amphitheatre glade where campfires can be lit. The gardens contain considerable wildlife including deer, badgers and lots of wild birds. House martins and blue tits nest in the eaves of the house. Whilst these five acres are situated in the heart of the village they are not overlooked and are quite private.

There are many beautiful country walks from your doorstep and you will find plenty of OS maps and guides in the house.



Pubs and Restaurants

The Hop Pole (01225 723134), a traditional local pub with excellent beer, is located 100m down the hill. The von Essen Homewood Park hotel (01225 723731) along the A36 (5 mins) offers award winning fine dining in a chic country house setting. For gastro pub cuisine, you could try the Wheelwright Arms (01225 722259) in Monkton Combe (5 mins) or the Seven Stars (01225 722204) in Winsley (5 mins).

Other recommended eating places 10-15 mins away include the White Hart in Widcombe, Bath (01225 338053) and the Wheatsheaf in Combe Hay (01225 833504). Fish lovers should try the award-winning FishWorks restaurant (01225 448707) and you can’t beat the New York-style steaks at Hudson’s Bar (01225 332323). 15-20 mins away can be found the 2-star Michelin rated chef at the Bath Priory (01225 331922).



Places of Interest

Coombe Grove Manor Hotel and Country Club (01225 834644) open from 9am - 10pm or 8pm at weekends, is 5 mins by car and has a driving range and restaurant. Day passes costing £20.00 will enable you to use the heated indoor pool, gym, spa facilities and tennis courts. Beauty treatments need to be booked in advance and pamper packages are available starting from £85.00. Homewood Park’s (see above) new spa opens in the Summer of 2010. Opera buffs will love the Glynebourne-style magical and intimate opera which takes place in Iford Manor (10 mins) over the summer months. For more details see their website http://www.ifordarts.co.uk. Bath is only 10 mins by car and a world heritage site with many architectural treasures. There are excellent restaurants and bars, great shopping and entertainment, and fascinating museums and galleries.

20 mins takes you to Longleat safari park, 30 mins drive takes you to Lacock Abbey and Stourhead, 40 mins drive to Stonehenge, Wells and Salisbury Cathedrals and 60 minutes will take you to the Cotswolds and Welsh countrysidex. There are many pretty villages, towns and National Trust Properties to visit nearby. (Call Tourist Information Center 0906 711 2000).

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