5 bedroom detached house for sale

Most attractive country house with useful outbuilding and charming mature gardens with glorious views over the Frome and water meadows beyond. Description Whilst not listed, Bockhampton House probably has 17th century origins and is a spacious detached property with attractive brick and stone elevations under a slate roof. The house faces due South and has well laid out accommodation over two floors and from virtually all the rooms, there are lovely views over the garden, countryside or the river and water meadows. A front porch opens into a good size kitchen with a nice range of units being complemented by a separate larder across the hall. The rear hall with pitch pine floor is accessed from the outside to the rear of the house and leads to a boot room, also with separate access to the outside, a laundry room, a utility room and the main reception rooms which are at the front of the property, to the south. These include a dining room with flagstone floor, exposed brick fireplace and wood burning stove and a particularly large sitting room with pitch pine floor and open fireplace with marble surround. On the first floor there are five bedrooms (three en suite), a family bathroom and a study. Outside Bockhampton House is situated in a glorious, elevated spot, with stunning views South over the water meadows of the River Frome and a pretty old stone bridge. The gardens at the property are a major feature and have been thoughtfully landscaped over many years, now offering the perfect accompaniment of formal areas of lawn, a productive kitchen garden as well as a paddock running down towards the river. The property is approached from the lane via a private drive where there is a spacious parking area and access to a garage and an attractive two storey outbuilding or coach house. This building has stone and brick elevations and whilst currently used as a workshop and storage, could be suitable for other uses (subject to the necessary consents). From the driveway, stone steps lead up to a stone path to the front door which dissects two terraced areas of lawn and culminates at the south elevation of the house, where there is a large terrace, across the full width of the property. A mature border provides colour to the east of the garden and a stone wall and mature hedging provide the boundary with the lane. A fine mature Sycamore tree sits on the west lawn. The rear garden is mostly laid to lawn, also with a good size kitchen garden and sheds. To the south west of the house is the paddock bordering a tributary of the River Frome and with some further, fine mature trees. AGENTS NOTE Further information regarding Fishing Rights is available on request. Location The small hamlet of Lower Bockhampton is in the heart of ‘Thomas Hardy’ country, the author having been born in the neighbouring village and first educated in Lower Bockhampton itself in the 1840s. Lower Bockhampton is a delightful backwater made up of mainly period houses and cottages in the glorious Frome Valley, with its delightful water meadows through which the River Frome meanders from its source near Evershot to the sea in Poole Harbour. Though surrounded by green fields and woodland, the village is close to the County Town of Dorchester which provides a full range of shopping, leisure and commercial facilities, including a good range of shops and supermarkets and the fairly recently developed Brewery Square, a mixed use development with additional shops, a cinema and various restaurants. Other local centres such as Poole, Bournemouth and Weymouth offer a broader range of facilities. The Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is only a few miles away to the south. Sport in the area includes numerous golf courses, sailing in the Olympic waters of Portland and Weymouth, walking and riding in the surrounding countryside. Communications are excellent with a mainline railway station from Dorchester to London Waterloo and Bristol. Cross channel services are available at Poole and there are airports at Exeter, Southampton and Bournemouth. Despite the rural nature of the surrounding area, there is easy access to the A35. There are excellent schools in nearby Dorchester and the surrounding area including Sunninghill Nursery and Prep School, Kingston Maurward College, Thomas Hardye and St Osmunds, the Sherborne schools, Leweston, Bryanston, Milton Abbey and Canford, all are within easy driving distance. Square Footage: 3,563 sq ft Acreage: 3.31 Acres Directions What 3 Words Ocean.Shortage.Regulator From Bere Regis follow the A35 towards Dorchester. Take the turning to Higher Bockhampton and Lower Bockhampton. Follow the road approximately 1.5 miles to Lower Bockhampton. Bockhampton House is on the right hand side just before the stone bridge. Additional Info Mains water and electricity. Private drainage. Oil fired central heating. Solar array. Please note that the working condition of any of the services or kitchen appliances have not been checked by the agents but at the time of taking particulars we were informed they were all in working order. AGENTS NOTE Further information regarding Fishing Rights is available on request.