Main house with entrance porch, kitchen/dining room, utility room, shower room, dining hall, office and sitting room.  Three first floor double bedrooms and family bath.  Self-contained annexe with sitting room, kitchen, boot room, bathroom and two first floor double bedrooms.  A range of outbuildings including stable block, two substantial barns and two garages.  7.3 acres of land with equestrian and caravan facilities. 

Location

The Forge is located in the popular and rural village of Blaxhall.  The village benefits from a public house, the Ship Inn, which is well respected and offers homemade food, real ales and bed & breakfast accommodation.  There is also large playing field with an assortment of children's play equipment.  For those who enjoy walking or riding, a myriad of footpaths lead across Blaxhall Heath and into Tunstall Forest — a map of the area is available.  The village is approximately 8 miles from the coast, with the closest town being Aldeburgh.  The internationally renowned Snape Maltings Concert Hall is just 1½ miles away.  

There are other unspoilt villages and towns in close proximity, such as Dunwich and Orford (with its magnificent castle).  Southwold is approximately 18 miles from Blaxhall and is home to the Adnams Brewery.  The primary school at Snape is just 2½ miles away, and Farlingaye High School in Woodbridge is 10 miles away.  There are also public schools in Woodbridge and Framlingham, both of which are about 9 miles from the property.  The county town of Ipswich lies about 18 miles to the south-west and has regular trains to London's Liverpool Street station, scheduled to take just over the hour.  There is also a railway station at Campsea Ashe, 3 miles, with trains to Ipswich that connect with London and Norwich.

Directions

Heading north on the A12, pass through the villages of Stratford St Andrew and Farnham.  Take the right hand turning onto the A1094 towards Snape and Aldeburgh.  Upon reaching Snape, turn right opposite the church onto Church Road and continue along this road, passing Snape Maltings on the left hand side.  Take the next right towards Blaxhall.  Continue along this road into Blaxhall and turn right before The Ship public house, towards the village hall.  Take the next right, passing the village hall on the left, and take the next left into Church Road.  The property is the second property on the right hand side.  For those using the What3Words app: ///dashes.servants.airfields

Description

The Forge is a Grade II listed detached period property that began its life as a seventeenth century forge.  It has organically evolved over time to provide comfortable accommodation over two storeys, and has been sympathetically remodelled over the years whilst retaining the original furnace and travis (the holding bay for where horses were shod).  

The property includes approximately 7.3 acres of fields for equestrian use, with the house itself sitting to the front of the plot.  The immediate surroundings of the house are well maintained gardens with areas of lawn, an orchard, and a woodland walk that discretely hides the facilities for the caravan site.  This has facilities for five mobile caravans, and over the years the current vendors have erected a full range of barns and outbuildings to cater for their needs.  

The accommodation is extensive and, in total, comprises five bedrooms, three reception rooms, two kitchens and a utility room.  This has been broken down as a three-bedroom house with a two-bedroom annexe that can be used in conjunction with the house or self-contained as a holiday let or for multi-generational living.    The main houses comprises kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, dining room, sitting room, study, shower room, three first floor double bedrooms and a family bathroom.  The forge and travis can both be accessed externally or from the main house.  To the side of the property is a two-bedroom annexe with sitting room, separate entrance, kitchen, boot room, ground floor bathroom and two first floor bedrooms.  The main house and the annexe have oil-fired central heating, each benefitting from their own boiler.  There are two garages that serve the property, and a driveway to the side of the main house that provides additional off-road parking for several vehicles. 

The Accommodation

The House 

Ground Floor

A painted front door opens to the 

Entrance Porch 

Windows to side and glazed panelled door to the 

Entrance Hall 

Yorkstone flooring and stairs that rise to first floor landing.  Door to 

Kitchen/Breakfast Room 17’8 x 14’0 (5.38m x 4.27m) 

A triple-aspect room with windows to front, side and rear.  Partially vaulted ceilings and skylight.  A matching range of hand-built wooden units with granite worktops incorporating a butler sink with mixer tap over and tiled splashback.  Recess with understairs storage and housing the microwave.  Two-oven oil-fired Aga with oil-fired boiler to side (discretely enclosed in a cupboard).  Space for further electric cooker and appliances.  Further built-in cupboard, wall-mounted radiator, recessed LED lighting, wood burning stove and pamment tiled flooring.  Stable door and step down to the 

Utility Room 13’0 x 6’0 (3.96m x 1.83m) 

Bespoke hand-built units with shelving and granite worktop incorporating a sink with mixer tap over and tiled splashback.  Space and plumbing for washing machine.  Cupboard for fridge freezer.  Coat cupboards.  Pamment tiled flooring and recessed LED lighting.  Floor-mounted electric heater.  A partially glazed door opens to the garden, and a further door opens to the 

The Forge 16’5 x 14’4 (5.00m x 4.37m)

Window to side and double doors to front.  Original forge.  Stable doors open to

The Travis 12’8 x 9’0 (3.86m x 2.74m)   

Historically, this is where horses were held when they were shod.  This is now a workshop with work bench and shelving.  Power and light connected.  Original brick flooring.  Double opening doors to front.  

From the entrance hall, an opening leads into the 

Dining Hall 14’0 x 12’0 (4.27m x 3.66m) 

Sash windows to front with secondary glazed panels.  Wall-mounted radiator and original herringbone tiled floor.  Recess into chimney.  Wall-mounted lights.  Double French doors opening into the 

Office 10’0 x 8’8 (3.05m x 2.64m) 

Windows to side and rear.  French doors opening out to the garden.  Karndean tiled flooring, wall-mounted radiator and small loft access.  Door to

Shower Room

Windows to rear and side with obscured glazing.  Wall-mounted radiator.  Large walk-in shower tray with mains-fed shower over, recessed lighting and extractor fan.  Wall-hung basin in tiled surround with cupboard under and mixer tap over.  Close-coupled WC.  

A door and step from the dining hall lead to the 

Sitting Room 21’6 x 12’4 (6.55m x 3.76m) 

Windows to front.  Exposed ceiling timbers.  Wall-mounted radiator and lighting.  Glazed panelled door to garden.  Inglenook fireplace with recess to side and wood burning stove on a Yorkstone hearth. An interconnecting door opens to the annexe.  

Stairs in the entrance hall rise to the 

First Floor

Landing 

Doors lead off to the bedrooms and family bathroom.  Access to loft and wall-mounted lighting.  

Principal Bedroom 18’7 x 12’7 (5.66m x 3.84m)

With step down into the bedroom.  A large double bedroom with windows to front and walk-in cupboard containing interconnecting door to annexe bedroom one.    

Bedroom Two 12’0 x 10’0 (3.66m x 3.05m) 

A further double bedroom with window to front.  Ornate feature fireplace with tiled surround and cast hearth with cupboards to side and mantel over.  Airing cupboard with pre-lagged water cylinder, slated shelving, window to front and hanging rail.

Bedroom Three 12’0 x 7’0 (3.66m x 2.13m) 

A further smaller double bedroom with window to front, wall-mounted radiator and built-in cupboard with hanging rail and cupboard above.  Wall-mounted radiator and lighting. 

Family Bathroom

Window to rear.  Freestanding rolltop bath with ornate mixer tap over, pedestal hand wash basin and low-level WC.  Part panelled walls with shelf above.  Wall-mounted lighting and laminate flooring. Heated chrome towel radiator and further wall-mounted radiator.  

The Annexe

A door to the side of the property opens to the 

Entrance Hall 

Window to side and door to rear.  Floor-mounted oil-fired boiler.  A glazed door opens to the 

Lobby

Stairs that rise to first floor landing.  Quarry tiled flooring.  Built-in understairs cupboard and wall-mounted radiator.  Door to sitting room and opening to

Inner Hall

With quarry tiled flooring.  Built-in cupboard with water softener, hanging rail, and space and plumbing for washing machine. 

Kitchen 9’8 x 8’0 (2.95m x 2.44m) 

Window to side.  A matching range of fitted wall and base units with rolltop work surface incorporating a single-drainer sink unit with tiled splashback and water softener.  Space for electric cooker and fridge freezer.  Built-in larder cupboard.  Ceramic tiled flooring.  Door to

Boot Room

Window to rear and door to garden.  Ceramic tiled flooring.  

A door from the inner hall opens to the 

Bathroom

Window to rear with obscured glazing.  Built-in corner shower cubicle with drencher shower over, close-coupled WC, freestanding rolltop bath with ornate mixer tap over and shower attachment, part panelled walls, electric towel radiator, ceramic tiled flooring and recessed lighting.

Sitting Room 12’4 x 9’8 (3.76m x 2.95m) 

A dual-aspect room with windows to front and side, with secondary glazed panels.  Wall-mounted radiator and lighting.  A door opens to the main house.

Stairs from the inner hall rise to the 

First Floor

Landing

Built-in airing cupboard with pre-lagged water cylinder and slatted shelving.  A door and step lead down to 

Annexe Bedroom One 13’0 x 9’9 (3.96m x 2.97m) 

Window to front, wall-mounted radiator and interconnecting door to the main house.  Access to loft.  

A further door from the annexe landing leads to 

Annexe Bedroom Two 10’6 x 9’8 (3.20m x 2.95m)

A further double bedroom with window to rear, wall-mounted radiator, and built-in wardrobe with hanging rail and shelving.  

Outside

The property is approached via Church Road, which is a single track country road, with a gravelled terrace area and pretty cottage-style gardens to the front containing a variety of flowers and an area of lawn bordered by box hedging and lavender.  There is a unique sundial on the front of the house.  

To one side of the property is a driveway with a five-bar gate and a timber barn/garage with a pantile roof.  This building has an electric roller door, and power and light connected.  It has shelving and a window to the rear.  The oil tank is located behind the barn/garage.  Beyond the five-bar gate is a cobbled courtyard garden with well-stocked wildflower beds and a further shed.  Steps and a path lead to the independent front door of the annexe.  There is trellis fencing to one side with access to the rear garden for the annexe.  This is an established garden that is predominantly laid to lawn with mature and well stocked flower beds.  

At the opposite end of the house is the brick-fronted forge with travis to side.  Adjacent to this is a further private driveway with a five-bar gate that leads to parking for the main house.  There are brick-built stores to the side, a further shed housing the oil tank, and a timber-framed garage with up-and-over door.  There is also a well.  

To the rear of the property is a garden with a paved terrace providing a seating area with steps down to a brick-laid pathway that leads to the driveway.  There is a large area of lawn with well-stocked and established borders, as well as a superb horse chestnut tree and various seating areas.  The bottom of the garden is bordered by box hedging where a pathway leads to the orchard and fields beyond.  The path meanders through the orchard, which has a variety of fruit trees, including apple, cherry and plum.  Between the orchard and the field behind is a composting area. 

To the side of the rear garden, is a woodland path that leads from the driveway and gives access to a further shed which houses the washing facilities for the campsite.  The campsite (marked A on the site plan within these particulars) is located to the right of the property and has a licence for five caravans.  It has a field shelter and double opening gates that lead directly to the road.  

A pathway circumnavigates the immediate garden and provides access to the orchard.  To the left of the orchard is a pathway that leads through to the former vegetable garden, where there is a greenhouse and raised beds.  An arbour leads through to the paddocks to the side (B and C).  The first range of outbuildings is a block of loose boxes with power and light connected (B).  Behind this is a storage barn (B) with double opening doors to the front and personnel doors to the rear.  A further barn (B) was erected by the current vendors to house machinery.  There is another double garage to the rear with two up-and-over doors to the front and double opening doors to the side.  Power and light are connected.  Beyond this is a further meadow (D).    

Viewing  

Strictly by appointment with the agent.  Please adhere to current Covid guidelines.

Services  

Mains water, drainage and electricity.  Oil-fired central heating, with the main house and the annexe each having their own independent boiler.

EPC Rating  

Not applicable as the property is Grade II listed.   

Council Tax  

Band F; £2,874.57 payable per annum 2023/2024.

Local Authority  

East Suffolk Council; East Suffolk House, Station Road, Melton, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1RT; [use Contact Agent Button]. 

NOTES

1.  Every care has been taken with the preparation of these particulars, but complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed.  If there is any point, which  is of particular importance to you, please obtain professional confirmation. Alternatively, we will be pleased to check the information for you.  These Particulars do not constitute a contract or part of a contract.  All measurements quoted are approximate.  The Fixtures, Fittings & Appliances have not been tested and therefore no guarantee can be given that they are in working order.  Photographs are reproduced for general information and it cannot be inferred that any item shown is included.  No guarantee can be given that any planning permission or listed building consent or building regulations have been applied for or approved. The agents have not been made aware of any covenants or restrictions that may impact the property, unless stated otherwise.  Any site plans used in the particulars are indicative only and buyers should rely on the Land Registry/transfer plan. 

2. The Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 require all Estate Agents to obtain sellers’ and buyers’ identity.

July 2023