Delightful period house and gardens.

Description

Keepers Cottage in an enchanting and exceptionally handsome Victorian property set in almost three-quarters of an acre, with beautiful, south-facing gardens, summer house and wine cellar.

The attractive, red-brick building is believed to date from the 1890s and retains many delightful period features. It was formerly two properties that were later united into one spacious, family home, with a subsequent extension by David Marris RIBA.

The accommodation flows superbly well and comprises wonderfully proportioned, light-filled rooms. The front door opens on to a generous reception hall, with French windows out to the terrace and floor to ceiling windows flooding the room with natural light; to the left is the original house and to the right, an extension consisting of two bedrooms, utility room and shower room.

This west-wing offers very useful additional - ground floor - accommodation and could easily be converted into a self-contained annexe, for multi-generational living or as an AirBnB. Within the triple-aspect, garden-facing bedroom is access to a modern spiral wine cellar.

The reception hall flows through to the original cottage and the kitchen/breakfast room and dining room, which our clients use as a versatile reception space and which leads through to the sitting room.

The double aspect kitchen/breakfast room has attractive, hand built cupboards, providing ample storage, oak worksurfaces, an AGA and integrated Neff oven, and a large double, butler-style sink. A partially glazed door leads out to the garden.

The commodious dining room most clearly shows - and benefits from - the union of the two former cottages. This bright space offers an excellent area for entertaining and relaxing, with four sets of casement windows and a handsome chimneypiece with an inset wood-burning stove.

Beyond the dining room is the splendid, triple-aspect sitting room, which enjoys superb views over the garden and has a delightful wood-burning stove.

The first floor accommodation consists of a further three double bedrooms and a family bathroom. The principal bedroom suite is especially fine and comprises a generous, double-aspect bedroom, dressing room and bathroom, with a separate shower.

OUTSIDE
Keepers Cottage is set within about 0.72 of an acre of spectacular grounds. Immediately to the rear of the building is a terrace and pergola, ideal for al fresco dining, overlooking the attractive lawns and impressive eucalyptus tree with a geometrically designed tree house.

The south-facing garden has been sequentially planned so the year starts with the spicy scent of witch hazel before the magnificent magnolia tree blossoms; throughout the garden are various mature and specimen trees, including a copse of Himalayan Birch.

At the end of the garden, by a small orchard and clipped yew hedges is a fully insulated summer house with power and telephone connection, perfect as an office or studio, for anyone wishing to work from home.

Completing the garden is an attractive greenhouse, organic kitchen garden and photovoltaic solar panels. Keepers Cottage has a double cart lodge, with a charging point, a double garage cum workshop and a log store. There is ample parking to the of the house.

Location

Keepers Cottage occupies a superb, tranquil position on a designated 'quiet lane’ on the edge of the villages of Theberton and East Bridge, which together offers a popular public house, The Eel’s Foot, and a number of scenic walks, on the edge of Suffolk Coasts & Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

RSPB Minsmere (2.4 miles) is a world-class nature reserve. Classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, its 2,500 acres are habitat to exceptional wildlife.

Thorpeness (4.7 miles), Snape (7.3 miles), Aldeburgh (6 miles) and Orford (12.6 miles) lie to the south. Among these, there is a great array of restaurants, shops and galleries. Aldebugh is known for its close association with Benjamin Britten. Snape Maltings is home to an internationally famous concert hall and Thorpeness has an amazing boating lake.

Historic market towns, including Saxmundham (5.3 miles), Framlingham (12.9 miles) and Woodbridge (18.2 miles) offer a comprehensive selection of amenities including well-regarded schools, supermarkets and railway stations - trains to London Liverpool Street, via Ipswich are from 115 minutes (Saxmundham) and 92 minutes (Woodbridge).

Sporting facilities are fantastic: Leiston has a brilliant, recently reopened following a multimillion pound revamp, leisure centre and gym. Aldeburgh, Thorpness and Woodbridge have well-regarded golf, tennis and sailing clubs; Woodbridge also offers rowing and rugby clubs.

All times and distances are approximate.

Square Footage: 3,216 sq ft


Acreage: 0.72 Acres

Additional Info

Services: mains water and electricity; private drainage; oil fired central heating; photovoltaic solar panels.

Local Authority: East Suffolk District Council

Agent Note: Please be aware that there are various infrastructure projects proposed for east Suffolk including plans for a new nuclear power station at Sizewell. Wind farm expansion in the North Sea is also taking place and bringing power ashore along with associated cabling and substation works are also being proposed.