6 bedroom detached house for sale

A substantial country residence with flexible accommodation in excess of 5,400 sq. ft. in grounds approaching 4.5 acres peacefully located a short distance to the west of the Avonside town of Fordingbridge.

Sandle Grange is believed to date back to 1900 when it served as the head gardener’s lodge to neighbouring Sandle Manor (now Forres Sandle Manor School). The house has been the subject of later extensions, notably on the principal east-facing elevation that was sympathetically enlarged to mirror the part-brick and rendered elevation of the original house and now offers extensive accommodation that extends to in excess of 5,400 sq. ft. The current owners have carefully modernised and updated the house throughout, crafting a home of elegant scale and proportion where many of the principal living rooms benefit from a high degree of natural light and enjoy a lovely outlook to the parkland style grounds. A sense of character has also been retained, with many rooms featuring painted ceiling beams or decorative flourishes such as ornate plaster ceiling roses and cornicing, coloured glass door furniture and internal stained glass doors. With an array of reception rooms complemented by seven bedrooms served by two staircases, the accommodation is extremely flexible, capacious enough to meet the needs of an extended family unit, multi-generational living or those seeking work from home space.

Sandle Grange occupies a secluded and attractive semi-rural setting almost at the far end of Marl Lane, an unmade bridle way that runs in a westerly direction from the fringes of the Avonside town of Fordingbridge towards the village of Sandleheath. The position offers the convenience of proximity to the town's amenities coupled with immediate access to local footpaths and countryside in an extremely peaceful setting. Fordingbridge has a range of services for most everyday needs, including shops, a building society, an excellent medical centre, state and private sector schooling (Forres Sandle Manor is virtually on the doorstep), and sports facilities.
Communications in the area are excellent, with access to the main regional centres of Salisbury, Bournemouth and Southampton, all of which provide mainline rail links to London Waterloo. There are international airports at Bournemouth and Southampton. The outdoor enthusiast has the choice between the open heath and woodland of the New Forest National Park to the east and the rolling Downland countryside of the Cranborne Chase AONB to the west, both of which provide ideal walking, cycling and riding country. The area also hosts a number of thriving cultural events, including The Chalke Valley History Festival, the Larmer Tree Festival and Salisbury International Arts Festival.

From Marl Lane a pair of wrought iron gates open to a long gravelled driveway that approaches the southerly elevation of the house where the principal entrance is. The driveway widens to form a sizable courtyard for parking and turning and leads to a DOUBLE GARAGE with up-and-over doors and double doors to the rear and boarded storage over. Behind the garage is a detached WORKSHOP/GARDEN STORE.

The open, parkland style grounds lie predominantly to the north, east and south of the house and many of the principal rooms enjoy a lovely outlook. A large terrace runs from the east to north elevation providing an ideal spot for al fresco dining and entertaining, bound in places by a low level brick wall with steps leading down to well manicured lawns interspersed by well stocked flower and shrub beds and mature trees including an impressive willow. There is a small orchard area populated by a variety of apple, plum and quince as well as a series of 3 wildlife ponds and about 1 acre of fenced paddocks.

New Forest District Council. Tax Band H.

Mains water (metered supply via Forres Sandle Manor School), gas and electricity. Private drainage. Gas fired central heating boiler located in Kitchen. Supplementary hot water provided by the gas fired Aga.

Leave Fordingbridge High Street travelling in the signposted direction of Sandleheath and Damerham. Pass the fire station and immediately turn right onto the Marl Lane bridleway track. Follow the track for approximately 1 mile and the house will be located almost at the far end on the right hand side.