Historic house close to Wells

PARSONAGE FARM

CROSCOMBE, NEAR WELLS, SOMERSET, BA5 3QN

Wells 3miles, Shepton Mallet 2.5miles

A fascinating Grade II listed medieval farmhouse in the heart of this popular Somerset village, with exceptional character, extensive outbuildings, gardens, orchard and paddocks. In all towards 2¼ acres.

The house provides very generous and flexible accommodation including a conservatory, reception hall, drawing room, sitting room, large kitchen/dining room, utility room, 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, together with a separate garden bedroom suite (with shower room).

Outside are extensive traditional stone outbuildings, including a substantial long barn, workshop, garage and stores, established gardens, a productive kitchen garden and paddocks.

The house itself extends to approximately 3,255 sq ft, with the garden suite, garage and outbuildings bringing the total floor area shown on the floor plan to approximately 5,500 sq ft.

Location

Parsonage Farm stands in the heart of Croscombe, an attractive and historic village between Wells and Shepton Mallet, surrounded by rolling Somerset countryside.

Croscombe is an old village with considerable architectural character, much of it dating from the prosperity created by the local wool trade in the 16th and 17th centuries. The village has a church, village hall, recreation facilities and an active community. The George Inn incorporates the village shop, selling everyday provisions, and Croscombe Church of England Primary School remains open in the village.

Wells, about 3 miles away, is the smallest cathedral city in England and provides a wide range of amenities including supermarkets, specialist shops, restaurants, pubs, a cinema, leisure facilities and twice-weekly markets. Shepton Mallet is approximately 2 miles away and provides further everyday facilities.

There are excellent schools in the area including The Blue School and Wells Cathedral School in Wells, together with Millfield, Downside and All Hallows.

Bath and Bristol are both within daily travelling distance and the A37, A361 and A303 provide good road communications as well as a bus service along A371 to Bath, Wells and Shepton Mallet. Castle Cary station provides a mainline service to London Paddington and Bristol Airport is also within easy reach.

Despite its convenient village position, the property has a surprisingly rural atmosphere. The land rises behind the house and there are wonderful views across Croscombe and the surrounding valley and countryside.

Description

Parsonage Farm is a particularly interesting Grade II listed house which is believed to have origins dating from the late 15th century.

It has evolved considerably over several centuries and this gives the house much of its individual character. Different parts reflect different periods of construction and former uses, and throughout the house there is a wealth of original and traditional detail including flagstone and timber floors, stone mullioned windows, deep window seats, substantial ceiling beams, old doors and impressive fireplaces.

For many years the property was a working farm, and the arrangement of the house and buildings still reflects this history. The former farm buildings now provide extensive storage and workshop space and offer considerable versatility.

The accommodation is substantial but remains comfortable rather than formal, with particularly good family living space on the ground floor and five bedrooms within the main house. In addition, there is a separate garden suite bedroom with its own shower room which has previously been used for guest accommodation and is equally suitable as a peaceful, private study.

Accommodation

The main entrance is through a glazed conservatory, an attractive informal entrance with a tiled floor and exposed stonework.

A door opens into the reception hall, which immediately introduces much of the character of the house with flagstone flooring and ceiling beams.

The sitting room is a particularly generous room with a flagstone floor, substantial cross-beamed ceiling, window seats and a large inglenook fireplace with a wood-burning stove. There is also the original bread oven, fitted cupboards and shelving. The staircase rises from this room to the first floor.

Adjoining the sitting room is the drawing room, another very attractive room with flagstones, a handsome cross-beamed ceiling and a large stone fireplace with wood-burning stove. Windows with deep seats give the room plenty of natural light.

The kitchen/dining room is a large and very practical farmhouse room with ample space for a substantial dining table. It has a wide range of painted fitted cupboards and drawers, timber worktops, a twin Belfast-style sink, tiled splashbacks and a gas-fired Aga and an adjacent gas cooker. Windows look towards both the front and rear and a door opens directly onto the garden terrace.

Beyond the hall is a useful utility/laundry room with sink, worktops, cupboards, shelving, plumbing for appliances and space for coats and boots. There is also a separate cloakroom.

Also on the ground floor is a good double bedroom, with exposed ceiling beams, fitted bookshelves and its own adjoining bathroom. French doors connect this room with the conservatory, making it particularly useful for guests or anyone wishing to have bedroom accommodation on the ground floor.

First Floor

The staircase rises to an unusually large galleried landing, itself a particularly attractive feature of the house, with wide timber floorboards, exposed beams and a mixture of old doors and joinery.

There are four double bedrooms on this floor.

The principal bedroom is a large dual-aspect room with fitted wardrobes and an en suite shower room, together with attractive views towards the hillside and countryside.

A second bedroom is also a particularly good-sized room and has an en suite shower room.

The remaining bedrooms have considerable individual character. One has an old fireplace and built-in storage, whilst another has a striking vaulted and heavily timbered ceiling.

There is also a family bathroom.

The first floor therefore provides four good bedrooms, two en suites and a family bathroom, in addition to the ground-floor bedroom and bathroom.

The Garden Suite

Approached independently from the entrance courtyard this comprises a bedroom with timber flooring and timbers together with its own shower room.

It has been used previously for guest accommodation but would work equally well as an office, studio, occasional bedroom or accommodation for a relative preferring ground floor access.

Adjacent is the boiler room (timber pellets) and a further store.

Outside

The outside space is an important part of Parsonage Farm.

A drive provides parking and access alongside the house and towards the outbuildings.

Immediately behind the house is a sheltered paved terrace, conveniently placed outside the kitchen and ideal for outside dining. From here the gardens extend away from the house and are remarkably private considering the central village position.

There is a broad expanse of lawn, bordered by mature trees, shrubs and herbaceous planting. The house, garden and old stone buildings combine to create a very traditional Somerset setting.

Beyond and to one side is an extensive and highly productive kitchen garden, with numerous raised beds, soft fruit, greenhouse, composting areas and paved paths. It is clearly capable of producing a substantial quantity of fruit and vegetables.

There are mature fruit trees and an established orchard area, together with plenty of space for chickens and other livestock.

The land rises (fairly steeply) behind the formal gardens to paddocks/meadows, which have been used for grazing. From the higher ground there are superb views back across Croscombe and over the surrounding Somerset countryside.

A gate at the upper end gives separate access onto Duncart Lane.

Outbuildings

Parsonage Farm has an unusually extensive range of outbuildings.

Close to the house are a garage, workshop, potting shed, garden stores and former ancillary farm buildings, providing very considerable storage and working space.

The principal building is the substantial long barn, measuring towards 60 ft x 20 ft internally with an adjoining shorter barn.

Constructed principally of stone, the buildings have enormous character and are an important visual part of the property.

They currently provide storage and workshop accommodation but clearly offer considerable possibilities for alternative uses, subject in every case to the necessary planning and listed building consents.

For a purchaser wanting substantial workshop space, a home business, studios, garaging, storage or simply the enjoyment of traditional farm buildings, they are a considerable asset.

Gardens and Land

The gardens, orchard, productive garden and paddocks together amount to towards 2¼ acres.

The combination is unusual: Parsonage Farm is very much within the village, yet once behind the house the gardens and land have a distinctly rural feel.

The higher paddock enjoys especially attractive views across the village and valley, whilst the mature boundaries and established trees provide considerable privacy.

History

Croscombe has ancient origins and is recorded from at least the early medieval period. Its prosperity grew substantially with the Somerset wool trade and many of the village's best buildings date from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Parsonage Farm itself is believed to have much earlier origins, dating from around the late 15th century.

The property subsequently evolved as a working farm and was used as a dairy farm until the mid-20th century. Various parts of today's house and outbuildings retain evidence of those earlier uses; the former milking parlour, barns and agricultural buildings all contribute to the character of the property.

It is this mixture of medieval house, later additions, old farm buildings and productive land which gives Parsonage Farm its particularly individual character.

Other points

Tenure: Freehold.

Services: Mains water, electricity, gas and drainage. Heating is provided by a wood-pellet biomass boiler.

Council Tax: Band G.

Grade II listed property.

Local Authority: Somerset Council.

Directions

From Wells follow the A371 towards Shepton Mallet. At the primary school turn right into the quite lane and Parsonage Farm can be found on the right hand side. What3Words: ///comment.endearing.mediate

About the Area

Croscombe is a well served village with general stores/public house, village hall, church and a primary school. The village is c.3 miles from Wells and c.2 miles from Shepton Mallet.

Shepton Mallet is a pleasant small historic market town set in the heart of the Mendips offering a range of amenities and a choice of shopping facilities including a retail park. There is a particularly good range of schools (both state and private) within easy striking distance.

Wells is the smallest city in England (population about 11,000) lying in beautiful countryside between the Somerset Levels and the Mendip Hills – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Wells medieval centre has local markets twice a week, good restaurants, a thriving high street and many important ancient buildings, including the Cathedral and moated Bishops Palace and gardens. There are four major supermarkets on the edge of the city. Wells Leisure Centre has the usual facilities of gym and swimming pool to add to Wells Rugby Club, Tennis club, Bowling club and Golf course. Throughout the year Wells hosts festivals for Music, Literature, Art and Food, and has twinned links with Burgundy, the Rhineland and Northern Italy. There are many societies and clubs for those who would like to join a diverse social community.

The major towns of the area, Bristol, Bath, Taunton and Yeovil are all within commuting distance. There are excellent state & independent schools in the area which include several good primary schools, Wells Blue School, Strode College, Wells Cathedral School, Downside, All Hallows and Millfield .

Wells is a transport hub for bus services, including daily services to London. Main line trains run from Castle Cary and Bristol International Airport is 35 minutes drive away.

Important Notes

Please see all the notes below – particularly the section referring to identity and AML requirements

Identity verification & Anti Money Laundering (AML) Requirements.

As Estate Agents we are require by law to undertake Anti Money Laundering (AML) Regulation checks on any purchaser who has an offer accepted on a property.

We are required to use a specialist third party service to verify the purchaser(s) identity.

The cost of these checks is £60 (inc. VAT) per person. This is payable at the point an offer is accepted and our purchaser information forms completed, prior to issuing Memorandum of Sales to both sellers and buyers and their respective conveyancing solicitors. This is a legal requirement and the charge is non-refundable.

P.S.

A few extra comments.

Mortgages – we can help.

Bridging loans – We can help.

Moving house is complicated and stressful when a sale and purchase needs to be tied together in terms of finance and timing.

Sometimes we can negotiate an agreement to suit both sellers and buyers.

Sometimes a bridging loan can solve problems and remove stress.

Call us for information on any of these points

Property Details

Roderick Thomas, their clients and any joint agents state that these details are for general guidance only and accuracy cannot be guaranteed. They do not constitute any part of any contract. All measurements are approximate and floor plans are to give a general indication only and are not measured accurate drawings. No guarantees are given with regard to planning permission or fitness for purpose. No apparatus, equipment, fixture or fitting has been tested. Items shown in photographs are not necessarily included. Buyers must rely on information passed between the solicitors with regard to items included in the sale. Purchasers must satisfy themselves on all matters by inspection or otherwise.

VIEWINGS

Interested parties are advised to check availability and current situation prior to travelling to see any property.

All viewings are by appointment with the Agents.

Roderick Thomas, 1 Priory Road, Wells, BA5 1SR.