5 bedroom detached house

A beautiful farmhouse with a delightful garden and a range of traditional outbuildings with scope for conversion, set within a popular village, close to Oundle.

Messuage Farmhouse dates from mid-1600s and is built of local limestone, beneath a very tidy, thatched roof. It is Listed Grade II. The house stands at the front of its third acre plot, with the some of the former farmyard to the rear, including some of the original barns, which offer tremendous scope for conversion to annex type accommodation or offices, subject to the necessary consents.

The property has served as a superb family home for several decades and has been carefully maintained and modernised in this time, but retains many period features, such as window seats, an inglenook and beautiful spined beamed ceilings, with good head height. The Victorian, former butcher’s shop at the end has been converted and integrated into the house, to provide additional accommodation, adding a degree of versatility.

As with most traditional village homes, the main door into the house is at the rear. The hall has a proper shelved, pantry / utility room to the side. A door leads through to the kitchen, which is the hub of the home. It is fitted with a range of units with Corian worksurfaces and inset Belfast sink. The electric Aga stands within the original inglenook. Integrated appliances include an electric oven and hob, dishwasher and a microwave. There is ample space for family mealtimes or suppers around the table. The dining room is adjacent and enjoys a dual aspect. A door opens to the garden. The cloakroom is off to one side and stairs rise to the main bedroom. This end of the house could be made into an independent annex with its own outside door.

An inner hall, with 16th century panelling, leads from the kitchen to the two other reception rooms. The snug is an atmospheric room with wood flooring and a window with seat beneath, overlooking the garden. The inglenook has a woodburning stove as a cosy focal point. The sitting room is a great size and has windows to the front and the rear. Again, it has wooden flooring, a handsome stone fireplace and a woodburning stove.

There are two sets of stairs to the first floor. One flight leads from the dining room to the main bedroom, which enjoys windows to the front and rear. It has a range of fitted wardrobes and an ensuite shower room / WC. The second set of stairs leads from the hall, to the main landing, where there is access to the three double bedrooms and the single bedroom. The family bathroom offers a shower as well as a bath. The WC is separate.

Outside, the gated drive leads into a gravelled yard where there is plenty of parking. The sunken courtyard garden spans the back of the house and has a neat lawn with raised borders. A path leads down to a paved garden with rockeries and shrub beds, set beside the pond. This is a perfectly sheltered spot from which to enjoy the afternoon and evening sunshine. The main garden area wraps around the yard and barns. An extensive lawn, with fencing and mature hedging runs down to a beautifully kept vegetable garden, where there are productive, raised beds, fruit trees and a greenhouse.

The barns are either superb storage and garaging, or a great development opportunity for those seeking to create an annex, home office, or games room. Power, light and water are connected. The oil tank is set within a workshop. Two sets of double doors allow vehicle and machinery access. A further door leads through to the vegetable garden.

Services Mains electricity, water & drainage Oil-fired central heating. Fibre broadband available. Council Tax Band G. EPC - Exempt Listed Grade II. Tenure Freehold, with vacant possession. Viewings - A pleasure, but strictly by appointment. Please contact Woodford & Co on[use Contact Agent Button] [use Contact Agent Button]