4 bedroom detached house

A CHARMING LISTED OLD RECTORY IN A LOVELY SETTING OPPOSITE THE CHURCH IN THE CENTRE OF THE VILLAGE.

The attractive white rendered elevations and pitched slate roof give the appearance of a 19th Century house but inside, the wealth of original features and wonderful character are a good indication of a much earlier 16th or 17th Century period house. Listed Grade II and home to our client’s family for nearly 40 years, The Old Rectory was subject to a very comprehensive refurbishment in the mid 1980s including the construction of a complete new roof and addition of the garage block. At the same time central heating was installed and the house was re-wired and re-plumbed, and although the house has been well cared for since then it is clear The Old Rectory is now ready for another phase of updating and refurbishment.

Extending to 3,500 sq ft the accommodation is simply and neatly presented with formal entrances at the back and front, connected by a long hall with a flagstone floor and a staircase at either end. To the left a comfortable drawing room with a fine stone fireplace and wood burner stove has French doors to a garden room. The dining room and study are in the centre of the house and at the other end there is a large well appointed country kitchen/breakfast room with an oil fired Aga. A cloakroom, utility room, workshop and separate lobby with an entrance out to the drive complete the ground floor. Upstairs there are four double bedrooms and three bath/shower rooms including an impressive master suite with a large bedroom, dressing room and access to a “Jack and Jill” bathroom. The fine old Elizabethan staircase continues up to the large un-converted attic. All this space and unique character will certainly provide the next owners with a fabulous opportunity to create a comfortable home in their own style and in a perfect village setting.

The Old Rectory enjoys a lovely setting on the quiet side of the village, over the river and just up from the church, and although it is quite a prominent house, a large garden on three sides provides plenty of privacy and seclusion. Away from the lane, the extensive lawns are surrounded by tall hedges and numerous beds and borders well stocked with old fashioned roses, colourful flowers and shrubs, all waiting to be brought back in hand.

The house has two drives, in the front corner a gravel drive rises from the lane up to a small parking area by the back door, which is the main day to day entrance to the house. At the other end of the garden there is another access onto a wider drive and parking area in front of a substantial detached double garage with a workshop, potting shed and large attic storage space.

Winterborne Zelston is the southern most of the seven Winterborne villages to the south and west of Blandford Forum. It is a lovely location surrounded by the type of picturesque rolling countryside that this part of Dorset is renowned for, and although rural it is by no means isolated. There are no amenities in Zelston, but it is only 5 minutes drive to Winterborne Kingston where the Greyhound village pub incorporates a small shop, and only 5 minutes to Bere Regis for a post office, doctors surgery, pharmacy and dentist. Beyond that it is about 20 minutes to Blandford Forum which has an historic Georgian market square and excellent amenities including a M&S food hall, Tesco, Lidl superstore and a similar distance to Wimborne Minster where there is a Waitrose, a bustling town centre with Cafes and Restaurants, and the excellent Tivoli theatre.

Easy access to the A31 makes commuting to the business centres in and around Poole, Bournemouth and Ferndown extremely easy, and from there a quick link on to the M27 takes you to Southampton and Portsmouth, and via the M3 up to London. Wareham is the nearest station (London Waterloo about 2 hours). The surrounding countryside provides lots of good opportunities for sport and recreation, the walking, riding and cycling is excellent, there are numerous golf courses and plenty of other sports clubs in and around Blandford and Poole. There are also great opportunities for sailing and water sports in Poole harbour, Studland Bay and along Dorset’s renowned Jurassic coastline, which are all less than half an hour away. There is a popular primary school in Bere Regis, state secondary schools nearby in Lytchett Matravers and Blandford, grammar schools in Poole and Parkstone, and local independent schools include Bryanston, Canford, Clayesmore and Milton Abbey, as well as Castle Court, Dumpton, Hanford and Knighton House prep schools.

Mains water and electricity are available at the property. Private drainage (septic tank). Oil fired central heating and oil fired Aga.