Sandy Down, Stockbridge SO20, SO20 6BY

Named after a nearby Iron Age fort, Woolbury is a striking contemporary country home that blends architectural ambition with easy family living. Designed by the Haddow Partnership and completed in 2004, it offers nearly 6,100 square feet of light-filled accommodation across three floors — a home as suited to everyday life as it is to entertaining on a grand scale. A further 3,450 square feet of outbuildings includes a self-contained studio flat and stabling for six horses.

Set within professionally landscaped gardens and fenced paddocks, Woolbury delivers a genuine indoor-outdoor lifestyle. A gravelled drive sweeps up to parking for several cars and a detached double garage, above which sits a self-contained studio — ideal for guests, staff, or those working from home. The formal gardens unfold across two lawned levels, bordered by mature hedging and richly planted beds. A raised water feature and a two-tier terrace, pre-wired for lighting and sound, create distinct spaces for relaxing or entertaining outdoors. Beyond the garden, views stretch across the paddocks and the surrounding 1,400-acre Heath Estate in the Test Valley, with a footpath leading directly onto Stockbridge Downs.

Step through the front door and the house announces itself immediately: an oval reception hall rises overhead, anchored by a timber-tread staircase with glass side panels and a stainless steel handrail. From here, the ground floor unfolds with a study wired for high-speed internet and opening onto the front garden via French doors, a guest cloakroom, a dining room that comfortably seats ten, and a triple-aspect games room warmed by a corner fireplace. The kitchen/breakfast room, fitted by Formwork Architects, centres on a large island and curved breakfast bar alongside an AGA, integrated appliances, and a walk-in pantry — flowing seamlessly into a striking conservatory beneath a mono-pitched glass roof, complete with a first-floor internal balcony and French doors onto the terrace. A utility room, boot room, and rear garden access complete the ground floor, with underfloor heating running throughout every level of the house.

Upstairs, a generous landing leads to a triple-aspect sitting room with sweeping views over the Test Valley and its own corner fireplace. The principal suite offers a private balcony overlooking the stables, a fitted dressing room, and an en suite with both a shower and separate spa bath. Two further bedrooms — one with its own balcony, the other with extensive wardrobe space — share a well-appointed family bathroom.

A spiral stone staircase climbs to the vaulted top floor, where two more large double bedrooms with built-in storage sit alongside a family shower room and a bright, galleried gym or quiet retreat above the sitting room. Linking it all is a glass-panelled bridge in a stainless steel frame — a genuine architectural centrepiece that floods the upper floors with light.

The equestrian facilities stand apart from the main house, featuring an American-style barn with six Loddon loose boxes, a tack room, and a secure internal area for grooming and tacking up. An all-weather, flood-lit manège and post-and-rail paddocks complete a serious riding setup, while a separate outbuilding — with kitchenette, WC, a store which also houses a full-size generator with automatic mains changeover, keeping the property running through any power outage, and an open-fronted barn — offers flexibility for private or livery use, with scope for future commercial potential.

Set in the heart of the Test Valley and bordered by the sweeping 1,400-acre Heath Estate, Woolbury enjoys the best of both worlds — genuine rural peace on its doorstep, with excellent connectivity close at hand. Stockbridge Down is within easy reach, while the cities of Winchester and Salisbury, along with air, road, and rail links to London and beyond, are all comfortably accessible.

Nearby Stockbridge has long been known as the centre of trout fishing on the internationally renowned River Test, and today offers a charming mix of independent shops, cafés, restaurants, and pubs, alongside a well-regarded butcher and local hotel. Schooling options in the area are excellent, ranging from Stockbridge Primary and Danebury Secondary School (formerly Test Valley Secondary) to a wealth of independent choices including Farleigh, Embley, Godolphin, Pilgrims', St Swithun's, and Winchester College.

For those commuting, the A30 provides swift access to the A303 and M3, while direct rail services from Winchester or Micheldever reach London Waterloo in as little as 57 minutes. Beyond the property itself, the surrounding countryside offers wonderful opportunities for walking, riding, and cycling, as well as world-class trout fishing on the River Test.

Agents Note:

1. There is planning permission dated 21st January 2025 for the installation of a domestic 42 panel solar array in the corner of the paddock behind the house. Details on request.
2. There is scope to create a swimming pool on the upper lawn subject to all the necessary consents.

Location:
Stockbridge - 2.2 miles
Winchester - 7.8 miles
Micheldever Station - 10 miles
Andover - 11 miles
Salisbury - 20.3 miles
Southampton Airport - 18.9 miles
M3 J11 - 10 miles

Prep Schools:
Pilgrims, Winchester
Farleigh School, Andover

Public Schools:
Winchester College
St Swithun's, Winchester
Godolphin, Salisbury
Embley, Romsey
King Edward VI, Southampton

Primary Schools:
Stockbridge Primary School

Secondary Schools:
Danebury Secondary School Stockbridge