Hill Farm House

An outstanding, superbly proportioned country house well positioned in grounds extending to around 14.7 acres with tennis court, pool and paddocks.

Reception Hall, Drawing Room, Sitting/Family Room, Dining Room, Kitchen/Breakfast Room, Study/Snug, Utility/Boot Room, Cloakroom, Rear Hall, Pantry and Cellars.

Stepped Gallery Landing, Master Bedroom Suite with En-Suite Bathroom and Dressing Area, Guest Bedroom with En-Suite Bathroom, Four Further Bedrooms, Family Bathroom and a Further En-Suite Bathroom.

Gated In/Out Coach Drive, Rear Gated Drive, Double Garage and Workshop/Outbuilding, Enclosed Landscaped Gardens, All Weather Tennis Court, Outdoor Heated Swimming Pool with Pool House, Astroturf Pitch and Putting Green and Fence Enclosed Meadow/Paddock.

In All About 14.7 Acres (sts).

THE PROPERTY
Hill Farm House is a stunning, comfortably presented period country house, which the current owners have significantly improved throughout their tenure of the property. Presenting a pleasing mix of colour washed and redbrick elevations, under slate and clay pantile roofs, the property, which is not restricted by an English Heritage listing, benefits from double glazing to most of the windows and oil-fired central heating throughout. Two originally separate buildings were joined and extended to create this family home with accommodation of over 6000 sq ft. Much of the original character has been retained and enhanced with superb sash windows, internal shutters, open fireplaces with log burning stoves, exposed pamment tiled and brick flooring and charming exposed timbers in parts. The property is believed to date back to around the 17th century and with the Georgian style frontage, sits superbly within its grounds behind an in/out coach drive.

The Greco Roman pillared porch gives access through part glazed double doors into the glorious reception hall, with gracious Georgian style sweeping staircase leading up to a galleried landing with vaulted ceiling and roof light above and steps lead down to the three chambered cellar below. The drawing room benefits from two sash windows to the front and French doors opening to the garden at the side. The dining room also benefits from an open fireplace, an original sash window to the front with a rising shutter, two sash windows to the side and a ½ glazed door through to the kitchen. Glazed doors and internal windows open from the reception hall into the rear hall, which has a characterful former bread oven inglenook fire, exposed timbers and floor, a stable door opening to the rear garden and a rear staircase leading up to the lower galleried landing. Access is also gained to service rooms such as the coat store, pantry, large utility/boot room and cloakroom. There is also a superb snug/study, which has an original open fireplace, a wall of bookshelves and low-level cupboards and French doors and window to the garden. The farmhouse style kitchen/breakfast room is well proportioned with a stable door and windows out to the patio terrace and side garden with spacious breakfast table area with high mantle shelved open inglenook fireplace and a fitted kitchen with oil fired Aga range cooker, four ring electric hob Neff cooker with oven below, integrated dishwasher and larder fridge and a mix of timber and granite work surfaces. A door opens into the large vaulted family/sitting room, which features stairs up to the first floor, a charming log burning stove set into the fireplace and makes a superb entertaining area as it also opens via French doors to the garden.

There are five principal family bedrooms off the main galleried landing to the front of the house with both the master and guest bedrooms benefitting from en-suite bathrooms. The three further bedrooms enjoy fitted wardrobe cupboards. There is also a family bathroom. The sixth bedroom with en-suite bathroom is accessed from the sitting room staircase.

OUTSIDE
The gardens and grounds are particularly noteworthy with a superb in and out gated coach drive to the front with parking area and gated access to the gardens. A separate gated drive leads in from the side to a parking area and detached four bay outbuilding, currently used as garaging and store/workshop area with an optional kennel opening to a dog run to the rear.

The gardens are wonderfully landscaped and arranged with a mix of brick wall and hedge divisions, pleached tree lined avenue, lawns, shrub and flower borders, rose beds and orchard leading down to a well maintained and presented all weather tennis court, a hedge screened pool area with pool measuring approximately 10 x 5 meters, terraced area ideal for entertaining and a pool house with kitchenette and reception room, wet room/shower room and pool plant room, also housing the oil fired boiler for the pool. In addition to the gardens, the paddocks extend the grounds to about 14.7 acres in all.

LOCATION
Hill Farm House is idyllically located in the rolling Suffolk countryside and as the name suggests in an elevated setting, enjoying beautiful views over abutting countryside, yet it is conveniently situated on the outskirts of the village of Hitcham, which itself is served by a post office/store and lies just 8 miles from the town of Stowmarket, which offers a mainline rail service to London Liverpool Street taking approximately 80 minutes.

The picturesque village of Bildeston lies only about 1 mile to the south and is well served by a good range of everyday facilities including general stores, post office, health centre, St Mary’s parish church and of particular note is the restaurant and hotel, The Bildeston Crown, which has an enviable reputation for its fine cuisine.

There is good access to the county town of Ipswich (15 miles) and Bury St Edmunds lies about 13 miles to the west and offers a comprehensive range of shopping and amenity facilities, including the Arc shopping centre, a diverse range of restaurants and the acclaimed Georgian Theatre Royal. There is also a range of swimming pools, health clubs and golf clubs.

Schooling: There are excellent local schools in both the public and private sectors including Old Buckenham Hall in Brettenham (just 2 miles away), Culford, Ipswich School, Framlingham College and St Joseph’s College.



Marketed by: Jackson-Stops, Bury St Edmunds