6 bedroom house

Ford House is a distinctive family home of considerable character, originally a four bedroom c.1860 house which was substantially enlarged in 1911, extended again with a semi-integrated Garden House annexe in 1984, and again in 1987 with a kitchen extension, utility room and garage. The property is in a fine location on the Hampshire / Berkshire borders and benefits from grounds extending to around 4.6 acres with stables and paddocks.

Set in a pleasant and sought after area in Eversley, within easy reach of major towns such as Reading, Basingstoke and Windsor. The house lies within the 200m boundary of Bramshill Forest SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest).

The House - Ford House provides beautiful interior space, ideally suited to 21st century living, with generous light and airy spaces, yet retaining the intrinsic character of this period building. The house has six bedrooms, five in the main house and one in the Garden House annexe. The annexe offers the opportunity to be used as a separate two-storey house (eg for letting or as a ‘granny flat’) with its own separate entrance. By opening insulated hotel-style double doors, the Garden House can be an integrated part of the main house. The present owners have used the accommodation as part of the main house, as a granny flat for ageing parents, and as a rental property.

Ground Floor - The spacious rooms on the ground floor are accessed by an impressive front door leading to the reception. A substantial kitchen / family / breakfast room functions as the heart of the living space and overlooks the grounds to the rear. Located near the kitchen there is the second reception hall, a utility and cloakroom. In addition on the ground floor there is a fine dining room, a living room, a snug or games room and a study.

First Floor - There is an impressive master bedroom on a vast scale. There are five bedrooms in total on the first floor plus a family bathroom and a shower room.

The Annexe / Garden House - This is an outstanding feature, providing excellent accommodation on the ground and first floors. This annexe also benefits from its own entrance door and hall. The Double Garage Approached at the front over a gravel driveway.

The Land / Equestrian Facilities - The grounds extend to about 4.6 acres and lies at the northern end of New Mill Lane in Eversley, about 80m from the Blackwater River. The land includes about 3/4 acre of gardens, with the remaining 4 acres as connected paddocks with stabling, hay barns and outbuildings. The whole of the western edge of the plot borders on Bramshill Forest and there is a gated access into the forest for walking, cycling and riding. Bramshill Forest and Plantation covers 1300 hectares (3,200 acres) of ancient woodlands, forestry plantations and lakes, with 70 miles of tracks, bridleways and footpaths.

The Location - There is excellent schooling in the area including Wellington College which is about 10 minutes drive. There are many other private schools in and around the area including Holme Grange, Reddam House, Eton, Eagle House, Ludgrove, Luckley House School and St Neots, The property is ideally placed for the commuter with easy access to the M3 and M4 motorways and the Thames Valley corridor. Railway stations at Reading, Wokingham Basingstoke, Hook and Fleet provide fast and regular rail services to London Paddington and Waterloo respectively. Eversley has an ancient and thriving church, where Charles Kingsley (social reformer, Chaplain to Queen Victoria and author of The Water Babies) was Rector for 40 years. Services are held regularly throughout the week, including family and children’s services.

Heathrow Airport is 32 miles and Farnborough Airport is 13 miles distant. Private aircraft facilities are also available at Blackbushe Airport (about 6 miles). Wokingham 5 miles, Bracknell 10 miles, Ascot 12 miles, Basingstoke 17 miles, Reading 13 miles and Windsor 17 miles. All distances and times are approximate.