A stunning detached Cotswold stone Arts and Crafts home situated in an elevated position with outstanding panoramic views and gardens & grounds extending to 2.92 acres






Situation

Cleeve Prior is an attractive and sought after Worcestershire village close to the Warwickshire border and lies approximately 2½ miles from Bidford-on-Avon which offers good local amenities whilst Alcester, Stratford-Upon-Avon and Evesham offer a wider range of shopping, leisure and sporting facilities. The village has a parish church, village hall, The Kings Arms public house and a popular primary school and Farm Shop.

There is a wide range of private, state and grammar schools in the area to suit most requirements including Stratford and Alcester Grammar schools. There are golf courses at Bidford on Avon, Welford on Avon and Stratford upon Avon and racing is at Warwick, Stratford and Cheltenham. The main line station at Evesham which is 4 miles distant, gives access to London/Paddington.

Description
This one off family home is a fine example of Arts and Crafts design having been constructed in 1933 in Cotswold stone with a Cotswold slate roof. Most of the windows are leaded light with oak mullions and metal casements and throughout the internal doors are boarded ledged and braced with drop latches with much of the commissioned inbuilt oak furniture being made by Gordon Russell of Broadway.

The current owners have owned the house since 1978 and it is documented that Cleeve House, formerly known as Brades House, was commissioned for the philanthropist William Heaton who was the wealthy owner of the Birmingham based tool engineering business, Brades. The plans and design were drawn up by the much celebrated Arts and Crafts architect, C.E.Bateman who was an early pioneer of the Arts and Crafts style renowned for his sensitive design of country houses. It is understood that the house took some five years to build and that a railway line was especially built to bring in the stone from a quarry near Broadway.

A solid wood entrance door leads through to the hallway which has exposed Cotswold stone walling, a flagstone floor, oak cornicing and a feature domed ceiling. A flight of wooden steps leads down to the triple aspect drawing room which has a feature stone fireplace with a wooden over mantle, a slate hearth and an open fire together with a Scottish red pine timber floor, exposed wall and ceiling timbers and a door to the garden. The adjacent dining room also has a Scottish red pine floor, exposed wall and ceiling beams, windows to the front and rear elevations, a superb Cotswold stone fireplace with a wood burning stove and fitted oak Gordon Russell cupboards to either side. Steps lead down to a fabulous garden room which enjoys fantastic panoramic views over open countryside towards the Lenches and Salford Priors. It is understood that this room was originally open fronted but has now been incorporated into the main accommodation and provides a stunning versatile room with a flagstone floor, exposed Cotswold stone walling with and arched double doors with specially commissioned wrought iron outer gates by the current owners which lead out onto the terrace.

An inner hallway from the dining room with a quarry tiled floor leads to a fitted cloakroom with further door to separate WC with high level Fordham cistern WC and a Farrer ceramic wash hand basin. The breakfast room has a tiled fireplace, quarry tiled floor and a window overlooking the garden having a useful under stairs storage cupboard and fitted dresser and access to the secondary staircase. The adjoining kitchen also has a quarry tiled floor, a stable door to the garden and a range of fitted units and a separate walk-in larder with cold slab shelving and window to the front. From the main hallway a multi-paned door leads to the main staircase with a feature leaded light porthole window and stairs to the first floor landing which is lovely and light. There are five good sized double bedrooms each with lovely views and each having an original wash hand basin. Most also have the original fireplaces and one has a fitted wardrobe. The main family bathroom provides a Jack and Jill en-suite facility to two bedrooms and is decoratively tiled to dado level and has a white suite with a panelled bath, pedestal wash hand basin, bidet, low level wc and a fully tiled Supamix shower cubicle. An inner landing with a comprehensive range of fitted cupboards has a separate cloakroom and a tiled second family bathroom which enjoys stunning far reaching views, a panelled bath with a Trumix shower over and a large linen/airing cupboard. A flight of stairs also leads from the inner landing up to bedroom 6 which is also a double room and has a wooden floor and access to a large loft space.

Outside
Cleeve House stands in 2.92 acres and was built into the side of the hill taking in the contours of the land with open views down to the River Avon and panoramic far reaching views over the surrounding Worcestershire/Warwickshire countryside.

The property is approached over a private lime tree lined driveway which sweeps into a tarmacadam parking area to the front providing ample parking and access to the garage. The garage has an electric up and over door, light, power and a sink with a cold water feed. The gardens were designed in 1934 by Cowell and to the south west facing aspect benefit from the original flagstone patio and Cotswold stone pathways which lead to the lawned area with adjacent Cotswold stone walled flower borders. The adjacent woodland area is a mixture of broadleaf specimens and wild white cherry trees.

There is access from the garden to the boiler room/cellar which has a feature porthole window and provides excellent storage as well as housing the Worcester Bosch oil fired boiler.

From the side garden there is access to a dual aspect laundry room which has a stone floor and plumbing for a washing machine and a separate decorative tiled floor gardener's wc. There are also a flight of steps and a door that access the drawing room.