5 bedroom house

Originally a modest cottage thought to date back to the mid-19th century and then substantially extended over the following period, Meriden today is an unlisted and immaculately presented two storey house built of local stone, which has been rendered and painted under a tiled roof. It has great character and charm and has been the much-loved family home of the current owners for the past 40 years. This is reflected in the care and attention that has been lavished on it. Over recent years a woodburning stove has been fitted to the inglenook fireplace in the sitting room, the bathrooms have all been updated, a charming kitchen with stone work surfaces and an electric Rangemaster range cooker has been fitted and a good-sized, south-facing conservatory with
ample room for seating and dining areas has been built on. In addition to the reception space within the conservatory, the house also has a well-proportioned sitting room with windows on two sides, a beamed ceiling and brick and stone inglenook, together with the west-facing dining room with sliding French windows that open onto the terrace. Also on the ground floor are the large laundry and boot room, entrance hall, storage room and cloakroom.

On the first floor is a part-galleried landing leading to the principal bedroom with en suite bathroom and separate shower, two further double bedrooms, two single bedrooms (one is currently used as a study) and the family bathroom. All the bedrooms are fitted with built-in wardrobes and look out
across the pretty garden towards the surrounding unspoilt countryside.

Meriden is approached via a tarmac drive flanked by lawns with borders to a parking area at the front of the cottage. An evergreen hedge extends along
the roadside boundary and provides complete privacy from passing traffic. A gravelled spur leads off the drive to a timber stable block incorporating three looseboxes. Adjacent is the kitchen garden comprising raised vegetable beds, soft fruit bed, asparagus bed, compost area and greenhouse. The main area of “formal” garden extends around the south and west-facing sides of the house and consists of lawn decorated with several fruit trees and borders, richly planted with a variety of climbing and shrub roses alongside flowering shrubs and bulbs to give a year round picture of form and colour.
Fringing the house on its west-facing side is a paved terrace with ample space for outside entertaining. The garden and house have a lovely outlook across a series of inter-connected paddocks towards pretty woodland with open countryside on either side. The paddocks are bound by post and
rail fencing and in one corner is a 3-bay machinery/hay store built of corrugated iron. One paddock also has separate road access. In all about 4 acres (1.62 hectares).

Sherborne 2.7 miles (Waterloo 2.25 hours), Yeovil 8.2 miles, Dorchester 17.1 miles, Wincanton/A303 10.5 miles, Castle Cary station 18.3 miles (Paddington 90 minutes), Bournemouth Airport 37.3 miles. (Distances & times approximate).

Meriden is situated just outside the small village of Longburton which has a church, pub and farm shop. Although technically part of the village, the property is about 0.25 mile south of the main village with only one near neighbour and with unspoilt countryside all around. It is conveniently close
to the attractive abbey town of Sherborne (2.7 miles), which has a wide range of shops, local businesses and facilities including both Waitrose & Sainsburys supermarkets. For wider needs other larger towns within a reasonable driving distance include the regional centre of Yeovil (8.2 miles)
and the county town of Dorchester (17.1 miles). The area is well-renowned for the quality and variety of its schooling in both the independent and state sectors including Leweston, the Sherborne schools, Bryanston, Millfield, Milton Abbey, Hazlegrove and Port Regis. Sherborne also has a direct service to Waterloo (2.25 hours) and there is a fast service from Castle Cary (18

Marketed by: Knight Frank, Sherborne