An elegant rectory set within about 11 acres.

Description

The Old Rectory is a wonderful Grade II listed family home, with fantastic presence and elegance set on the edge of the popular South Norfolk village of Bergh Apton. The house remained in the ownership of the church until the 1960s from when Keith Freeman, one of the most successful bloodstock agents of the post-war era, established a stud on the surrounding land. Freeman not only purchased the dual Derby winner, Grundy, he also bred successful racehorses at Bergh Apton.

From the imposing entrance to the fine reception rooms, to the open plan kitchen area to the self-contained holiday cottage, The Old Rectory offers style and functionality over about 9,300 sq ft of living space. The house is best understood as three areas, with the principal formal wing, the service wing and the holiday cottage/annexe wing. An attractive leaded arch portico on square Tuscan columns provides a fitting entrance to the main hall. This leads on to the exceptional drawing room and sitting room, south facing, with bow windows with full height sashes, open fireplaces and views over the gardens and meadow. These are rooms that truly befit the calibre of the house. A dining room completes this area of the house.

A central hall runs the length of the house, linking the informal and formal areas. At the heart of the house is the hugely impressive open plan kitchen/breakfast/garden room, a brilliant focal point for family life. This later addition to the house measures about 40ft x 25ft, with substantial roof lantern providing plenty of natural light. The kitchen itself is entirely bespoke, with large island unit, four oven Aga with electric companion, and the room is complete with under floor heating and French doors out to a south facing terrace. The ground floor is complete with a further two spacious reception rooms, utility, cellar and rear entrance.

There are eight bedrooms over the first and second floors, with two staircases at either end of the house. The principal bedroom has fine proportions, with en suite shower room, with a further five bedrooms on the first floor and four bathrooms, including an impressive family bath/shower room. All rooms have tall ceilings and great views over the gardens and meadow. There are two further spacious bedrooms on the top floor.

The house has had some restoration during the current ownership. The house is now at a stage where final touches are required to personalise the house, including carpeting, choice of flooring in the main entrance hall and light fittings. The result of these final crucial touches will complete the creation of a completely authentic and significant country home.

Self-Contained Holiday Cottage/Annexe
On the eastern side of the house is a productive Airbnb, that could be utilised as an annexe or simply further accommodation to the main house, via an existing first floor connecting door. The accommodation is of a similarly grand scale to that of the house, with open plan kitchen/dining area, a living room and sitting room on the ground floor, and an en suite bedroom, a second bedroom and a bathroom on the first floor. The wing currently provides a useful income, and is allocated its own outdoor space for the enjoyment of guests whilst not impacting on the privacy of the main house.

Outside
An in and out gravelled carriage driveway, with both an open entrance and a wrought iron gated entrance, draws up to the striking western façade of the house, providing a grand entrance to the house and grounds. The drive continues to the east, where there is a modern triple garage of traditional construction.

The grounds of The Old Rectory amount to about 11 acres of gardens, meadow and woodland. Surrounding the house on all sides are expansive lawns, a simple backdrop that perfectly frames the splendour of the house. There are paved terraces around the house, ideal for outside dining and entertaining. To the south-west of the house is a former sunken garden, in need of restoring.

To the south is a delightful meadow, stretching away from the house, providing an annual crop of hay, with mature broadleaf woodland on the south and west boundaries, and copse with pond.

The gardens are predominantly a blank canvas to landscape, with plenty of space to add a tennis court, swimming pool, walled garden, parterres, croquet lawn or other features.

Location

The village of Bergh Apton has a well-regarded farm shop and the nearby village of Alpington (about a mile) has a village primary school which was last rated as Outstanding. The village is also served by a local bus service which runs into Norwich from outside the house in 20 minutes.

There are good primary schools in the adjacent villages of Thurton, Seething and Brooke. Good everyday shopping facilities including a doctors’ surgery are available in the nearby village of Poringland, about three miles, whilst the larger village of Loddon (four miles) also has good everyday shopping facilities as well as a doctors’ surgery and dentists, and a secondary school with a Good OFSTED rating.

Norwich, the cathedral city and regional centre of East Anglia, is about eight miles to the north with a mainline railway station to London, Cambridge, Liverpool and Great Yarmouth. The Waveney Valley market town of Bungay is about 10 miles to the south.

Square Footage: 7,814 sq ft


Acreage: 11.15 Acres

Additional Info

Local Authority
South Norfolk District Council
Council Tax Band H

Services
Mains water and electricity. Private drainage. Oil
fired central heating.

Agent's Note
To the north of the house are The Old Stables, with residential planning consent for conversion. This building and garden are available by separate negotiation.

Fixtures and Fittings
All fixtures and fittings including fitted carpets and curtains are specifically excluded from the sale, but may be available in addition, subject to separate negotiation.

Viewings
Strictly by appointment with Savills. If there is any point which is of particular importance to you, we invite you to discuss this with us, especially before you travel to view the property.

NB Floor plans prepared by ehouse are for guidance only. Savills do not accept any responsibility for their accuracy.