The Old Chapel

The most appealing of packages, perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity to call a charming historical chapel home. It has been renovated with huge attention to detail and benefits from a secondary garden, including vegetable area and orchard, but the jewel in the crown is undoubtedly the 7.4 acres of private woodland running down through a coombe with a stream running through. EPC rating F.

The Old Chapel was built sometime around the end of the 18th/beginning of the 19th Century as a pair of west facing cottages. By the mid-19th Century, the front cottage had been converted into a Non-Conformist Chapel and then, in 1964, the previous owners of the rear cottage bought the chapel and converted the whole building into one house, naming it The Old Chapel. The property has been redeveloped since 1988 with a new, beautifully in-keeping, entrance hall with solid oak floor and staircase, exposing the old former stone archways that once formed part of the cottage windows, giving a welcoming area into the home. This hall leads to the sitting room, which has a cosy feel, enhanced during the winter months by the fireplace and fitted wood-burning stove. The front windows are completed with mullion-style frames, bespoke oak joinery and a window seat. To the rear of the hall is a downstairs WC and a useful study, which also doubles as an occasional fourth bedroom. The farmhouse style kitchen is at the rear, with a lovely warm feel due to the Aga set in a characterful inglenook, well fitted bespoke units with a granite top, ample space for a large table in the centre and flagstone floor. A useful large pantry cupboard sits down off the kitchen along with a utility room. The garden room heads off the eastern side of the property, again with oak joinery and mostly glazed, offering a lovely space to work or relax and leads out into the garden, enjoying the wonderful views on offer. To the first floor the landing gives access to 3 double bedrooms, a shower room and a family bathroom. The front bedroom benefits from far reaching views and again has oak windows matching with the sitting room below. Huge attention to detail has been given to making the property a very special and sympathetically renovated character home. It has the additional amenity of the immediate garden, a second garden and orchard plus the woodland on offer, which has been enjoyed by the current owners for nearly 25 years. This is undoubtedly a must see property and perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity for buyers looking for an idyllic rural retreat.

The highly sought after village of West Horrington lies only a few minutes’ drive to the north east of Wells and boasts one of the area’s most popular primary schools (within walking distance), plus a charming country café and takeaway. Wells itself is England’s smallest Cathedral City, well known for its beautiful architecture and of course the stunning Cathedral. The High Street is well represented by both national and independent retailers and there is a twice-weekly produce market in the Market Square. There is secondary schooling at The Blue School as well as Wells Cathedral School, and Millfield School in Street is within easy striking distance. Wells, and in particular West Horrington, are also accessible to both Bath and Bristol. The nearest train station is at Castle Cary which has a direct service to London Paddington, as does Bath.

Off road parking is provided to the front, with timber steps leading to a terrace wrapping around the garden room, with tiered well stocked beds heading up the garden with a path alongside, plus lawned section with well-kept box hedging. This leads to a terrace seating area with a timber pergola and seasonal climbers providing shade and colour. A further elevated terrace sits over the garden room offering a wonderful vista over the surrounding countryside extending to Glastonbury Tor and the Blackdown Hills, offering a glorious place to entertain guests or enjoy a quiet retreat during sunnier months. The terrace is edged by bespoke carpentry and individually commissioned ironmongery modelled on typical chapel railings.

VEGETABLE GARDEN AND ORCHARD
The property benefits from a further section of land approximately 140m away. Following the village lane to the gate at the end, take the footpath to the left (which borders the eastern side of the woodland) and the garden area will be seen. This has stock proof fencing and provides a peaceful haven, offering huge appeal in the modern world for those looking to have a substantial vegetable garden and orchard, or with the desire to keep chickens and have space to enjoy. This borders the 7.4 acres of woodland, set alongside the garden, and follows the hill down to the south. Up until the mid 1960s, the coombe was grazing land but, as fences and dry stone walls fell down, it stopped being used for animals and nature took over (rewilding before anyone had made up the word). Apart from some mature trees (mainly at the southern end of the property), most of the trees are self-seeded since then, predominantly hazel and ash, plus some holly, common alder (near the stream) and sycamore. More recently a few beech and wych elm have appeared. It now provides a wonderful retreat and amenity area with a stream meandering through it. The woodland is home to a lot of wildlife, especially pheasants (that stray from the shoot across the coombe), badgers, rabbits and roe deer.

Marketed by: Greenslade Taylor Hunt, Wells