Mill Farm

MILL FARM, HEMBRIDGE, EAST PENNARD, SOMERSET. BA4 6TZ

Wells 11 miles, Castle Cary station 5 miles, Glastonbury 7 miles, Street 9 miles, Bristol 26 miles, Bath 23 miles, Yeovil 16 miles, A303 9 miles (all approx.)

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A romantic period property of enormous charm enjoying a quiet, peaceful setting between Wells, Glastonbury and Castle Cary.

Mill Farm includes a former farmhouse and watermill with extensive accommodation and tremendous character and appeal. Within the grounds are a cottage, studio (with adjoining facilities) and various outbuildings.

The house includes 3 reception rooms, the milling room, kitchen & breakfast room, utility room, 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and a lower cellar level with the mill room and stores.

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The cottage includes a sitting room, kitchen with dining area, bedroom and bathroom.

The studio has adjacent facilities including a store, wet room and kitchen.

Mill Farm totals 4.7 acres with delightful gardens, an orchard and meadow

Location

Hembridge is in the little-known parish of East Pennard which lies tucked away in beautiful countryside well away from busy roads and with little if any through traffic other than local residents. A gate from a quiet country lane opens to a gravelled drive leading into the property.

Description

The farmhouse dates from the 17th century and the water mill is thought to have been added in the 18th or early 19th century.

Grade ll listed, the property has great style and enormous appeal with original architectural details including beautiful stonework, flagstone floors, a mixture of triple roman, pantiles and plain roof tiles, coped verges, stone mullioned and sash windows.
In addition, and perhaps the strongest characteristic, is the extensive timberwork which creates a warm, peaceful and quite exceptional atmosphere. The majority of the original timber in both the older wing and mill is elm which includes a fully exposed roof structure over the mill, plank and muntin screens, beams, plank and panelled doors, floorboards and partitions. There are also some later pine doors and panelling in the farmhouse and replacement oak floorboards in the mill.

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These period details are complemented by the addition of wood pellet Biomass central heating (underfloor in part), an Aga, wood burning stoves, an attractive kitchen and several bathrooms.
The building also still retains a considerable amount of the 19th century milling machinery including the stones, hoppers and gear wheels and which are incorporated within the building.

Accommodation

This is generous and nonconventional and as such has great flexibility and interest. It includes a hall, sitting room, kitchen & breakfast room, utility room, inner halls, milling room, 5 bedrooms, 3 bath/shower rooms, study and a large library.

The front door opens into the ground floor with flagstones, sash and mullioned windows, partly panelled walls and ceilings and which includes a hall and sitting room, both with window seats, fireplaces and wood burning multi-fuel stoves. Also, the sitting room has 2 attractive alcove cupboards.

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Steps lead into the David Craigie fitted kitchen and breakfast room which has ash units, granite work surfaces, tiled splash backs and an electric aga cooker with a module with a gas hob. There's also a dishwasher and a water softener. The breakfast area is at one end of the kitchen and at the other is a is a utility room with a tiled floor, Belfast sink, units, granite worksurfaces, stable garden door, storage cupboard and a door into a mainly tiled shower room.
Returning to the front of the house there is an inner hall with bookshelves, a fitted display cabinet and stone steps down to a lower ground floor cellar with a mill room with original workings and a storeroom beyond with a bread oven.

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Stone steps also lead up from the inner hall to the milling room, (often used as a dining room) which has an oak floor and where there are the original millstones and hoppers.
The dining room opens through into a library which has oak flooring, bookshelves, a stove and a door to external granary stone steps.
An oak staircase rises to a private sitting room and master bedroom with an oak floor and an en suite shower room. Also leading off the bedroom area is a study or 5th bedroom.

Returning to the original front hall a staircase rises to the first floor in the farmhouse section. Here there are 3 further bedrooms and a large bathroom – all with individual charm and characteristics.

The Cottage and studio

Close by but entirely independent and with a great deal of privacy is a converted stone barn which enjoys very comfortable accommodation. This has pitched ceilings, exposed beams, full width and full wall height windows and includes a large sitting room, well fitted and equipped kitchen, bedroom (with walk in wardrobe) and bathroom. The cottage looks out into its own garden area.

Close by is another converted barn which includes a large studio with cobbled flooring and a staircase to a mezzanine area. A verandah links the studio to a kitchen and wet room.

Other outbuildings

Again, in the immediate vicinity of the house are various outbuildings including a large stone barn, garaging, a workshop, stores and a greenhouse.

Outside

There are absolutely delightful gardens which complement the house and indeed mirror it with a variety of areas all with great character and appeal. There are well sheltered lawns screened by mature shrubs and high hedges, a stone folly clad with climbing plants and roses, various water features, a wildlife pond with timber decking and a several benches and sitting areas from which the gardens can be enjoyed. The productive kitchen garden has raised beds and a polytunnel.

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Strategically positioned to ease hard working gardeners is a timber hot tub with a wood stove.
Beyond the gardens is an orchard paddock with a cattle shed now used for storage.
The main part of the property is surrounded on three sides by streams with a country road at the front. The old mill leat runs along the northern boundary, whilst the stream runs through the property separating off a meadow of about an acre.
Standing with the orchard is a shepherds hut (mains water and electricity connected) which is available by separate negotiation and is not included with the property. Adjacent is a compost loo.

Other details

Freehold. Mains water and electricity connected. ETA Biomass central heating system with auger fed pellets. Underfloor heating in studio.
Private drainage with two septic tanks – one serving the main house and one serving the cottage.
PV panels on the Dutch barn that are registered for the FiT (feed-in tariff) and are owned outright.
Council tax band G
Glastonbury Festival tickets. The property benefits from being within the catchment area to receive complementary tickets.

Adjoining property

To the north of Mill Farm is Yew Tree Farm which until recently has been an active farm.
Planning consent has been granted to convert the homestead to 5 residential dwellings
2021/0990/PAA | Prior Approval for change of use of agricultural building to 5no dwellinghouse (Use Class C3 comprising 3 number smaller dwellings and 2 number larger dwellings). | Yew Tree Farm Hembridge Road East Pennard Shepton Mallet Somerset BA4 6TZ

About the area

Hembridge is a very small, quiet hamlet between Wells, Glastonbury and Castle Cary.
Wells is the smallest city in England (population 10,000) lying in beautiful countryside between the Somerset Levels and the Mendip Hills. There is a central marketplace (local markets twice a week), many medieval buildings including the Cathedral and moated Bishops Palace, a small but busy local shopping centre and a broad range of societies and activities.
Glastonbury's past and its present are linked with its dominant landmark, the Tor. It's been a religious centre from the times of legends. A Celtic monastery evolved into one of England's wealthiest and most influential abbeys. The town grew up alongside the Abbey and is now a thriving market town and a major tourist venue. Medieval Glastonbury - designated a conservation area - clusters around the evocative ruins of the Abbey.

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Castle Cary is another delightful and historic town which lies to the east, and which has a main line train station to London.
There are facilities and amenities in the surrounding towns to suit most needs and excellent state and independent schools including local primary schools, Strode College, Millfield, Wells, Cathedral, Hazelgrove, All Hallows, Downside, Sherborne and the Bruton school

Important Notice

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. 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.