Woodman Cottage

A rare opportunity to purchase this delightful New Forest home which offers four bedrooms, two bathrooms and four reception rooms in addition to which there is an ancillary studio with shower room above the oak garage. Situated in a beautifully secluded and tranquil location, Woodman Cottage offers exquisite charm coupled with extremely flexible accommodation and further benefits from approximately 2.5 acres of gardens and paddock land. Energy Efficiency Rating: E

Minstead is one of the New Forest National Park's most sought after villages, with its vibrant community, a church, village hall, a pub (The Trusty Servant Inn) and a village shop and tea room. Lyndhurst is within 3 miles and is the largest village within the New Forest. It is a popular tourist location with many independent shops, art galleries, cafés, restaurants, pubs and hotels. For those with a keen eye on sailing Lymington is within 10 miles with its attractive local architecture and popular marina. Southampton is a vibrant, modern city which has the popular West Quay shopping centre and many attractions. The surrounding areas of Southampton and Winchester have a wide selection of well respected private schools. Communications are excellent with east and west access to the M27 and M3 within easy reach. This provides access to London and the south coast. The coastal resort town of Bournemouth is also a short drive away.

Believed to date back to around 1850 Woodman Cottage has been sympathetically extended and restored to provide a quite delightful retreat in the heart of the New Forest National Park. The ground floor has been cleverly configured in order to offer the utmost flexibility whilst maintaining the cosiness one would associate with a property of this type. Many character features have been retained and added including many exposed beams, stripped timber flooring and original fireplaces.

On the ground floor there is a lovely sitting room which extends to the full depth of the property and with half of the room being used as a dining room, enjoying views over the front and rear gardens. This room also enjoys a brick built fireplace housing a log burning stove. The adjacent kitchen has a full range of built-in handmade units with granite worktops over and an oil-fired Aga at its centre. A stable door gives access to the rear terrace and garden beyond. Adjacent is the snug, a lovely space to curl up in front of the log burning stove. From the kitchen a door leads through to the utility room, cloakroom and study, which has an extensive range of bespoke built-in office furniture. Completing the ground floor accommodation is the delightful oak garden room which affords wonderful views over the gardens and access via two sets of double doors and downstairs bedroom four which overlooks the front and side with open gabled ceiling and a modern en suite wet room.

The first floor accommodation is configured with three double bedrooms, two of which overlook the orchard to the front and the master bedroom the extensive gardens to the rear. All have wardrobe and storage space and are served by a charming family bathroom which has a full suite including a freestanding claw footed bath at its centre.

The property is approached along a private track with a turning and parking area opposite the house, adjacent to which is a delightful lawned orchard. The cottage can be accessed either via a pedestrian gate leading to the front door or an electrically operated five bar gate leading to the gravel driveway and in turn to the oak open fronted, double garage which has plumbing and space for further domestic appliances. To the side an access door leads to a staircase and the first floor ancillary studio which enjoys an en suite shower room.

The lawned gardens wrap around the entirety of the cottage and are interspersed by mature trees and plant and shrub borders. There is a large terrace to the rear of the property, providing the prefect place to dine alfresco and enjoy the tranquillity of the fountain to the side. The garden also benefits from a large stable style building to the rear of the garage, offering three loose boxes and machine store. To the left of the property lies an additional paddock of approximately 1 acre which has a separate access and stable.

Marketed by: Spencers Of The New Forest, Burley