4 bedroom house

DESCRIPTION A beautifully presented 4 bedroom barn conversion in an elevated position with magnificent views over Chew Valley Lake, a double garage, plenty of parking and 2/3 acre of garden. This stunning home was converted from a former dairy building approx. 25 years ago and has been upgraded by the present owners to create a characterful yet contemporary family home. The accommodation on the ground floor includes a hallway, sitting room, study, dining room, kitchen breakfast room, utility room, WC and garden workshop/studio room. Upstairs are 4 double bedrooms (the master bedroom with en suite shower room), a family bathroom, and landing, from which far-reaching views over countryside to Chew Valley Lake, Bristol and The Cotswolds can be enjoyed. The property's garden adjoins fields and occupies a peace and tranquil rural location, whilst the village of West Harptree is under a mile away.

Many beautiful period features are reflected in this conversion such as stone mullion windows, with deep sills and window seats, stable doors, latched solid oak doors and exposed beams and stonework. These features sit alongside the contemporary features such as a biomass heating boiler, solar panels on the house and garage roofs, which give electricity back to the grid and 3-phase power in the garage.

The welcoming bright hallway is accessed through the main solid wood door with glazed panels to either side. From here a staircase with painted wooden banister rises to the first floor.

On the ground floor are two reception rooms, currently used as a dining with French doors to the garden (which could be a 5th bedroom) and a study, both with south facing views over the rear garden as well as the dual aspect spacious sitting room, with wonderful inglenook fireplace, wood burner stove and exposed stone.

The well-appointed dual aspect kitchen has a range of white units with a granite worksurface, an eye level electric double oven with separate induction hob, sink with mixer tap and integrated appliances and tiled flooring. At the other end of the room is the seating area, with ample room for a family sized table and a multi-fuel stove.

Off this room is a generously sized utility with a second sink, more matching fitted units and is plumbed for washing machine and dryer. There is access to a large loft storage area and a useful WC off to the rear and a door to the rear courtyard.

Upstairs is a light and airy landing with floor to ceiling windows, affording magnificent views of the lake. Airing cupboard with radiator. Off the landing is the master bedroom with en suite shower room as well as three further double bedrooms, one with a feature high window, an interesting feature and remnant from the old dairy. A few steps lead down to the end bedroom, also a double with a ceiling skylight, views to the rear and with built-in storage.

The luxury family bathroom has a freestanding claw foot roll-top bath, walk-in shower, WC and basin with opaque glazed window to the rear.

Shortcombe Barn has been built to a high specification and decorated in mostly neutral tones with tiled flooring and carpeting in soft neutral shades.

The property is approached off Ridge Lane, sharing the access lane with the farmhouse and cottage next door, leading to the private gravelled driveway to the front of the property with ample parking space for several vehicles and the double garage.

Outside
The gardens are a delight for the green fingered. To the east side of the house at the rear is a cobbled courtyard which was formerly part of the milking area, with an old watering trough embedded in the wall and a room now storing the biomass boiler. To the west side of the house is a stone workshop, clad in wood. This is currently used as a workroom/store but could be converted into further accommodation with the necessary permissions.
To the rear of the house is a sloped southfacing garden, mainly laid to lawn, enjoying a high level of privacy and sunshine all day long. This leads up to a summerhouse with decked area, a perfect location for a home office or studio, soaking in the amazing views across the valley. A prolific orchard boasts several species of apple, plums, damsons and pears. Along the boundary is an area for compost.
To the immediate rear of the house is a rockery with steps leading down to the house and an old well as well as a variety of plants and shrubs including its own grapevine. A gravelled terrace leads along the rear of the barn with room for outside dining and entertaining.

Location
Shortcombe Barn is surrounded by the Mendip Hills, with dog walks in every direction and uninterrupted views of almost 360 degrees. It is just a short distance up the hill from the quintessential village of West Harptree This active Somerset village has facilities including a village hall, shop, Post Office, St Mary's Church and three pubs in easy walking distance, all of which are well-rated for food. There is an excellent choice of schools including at nearby East Harptree and Ubley at primary level and the well-regarded Chew Valley and Churchill Academy Schools for secondary level are within easy distance. There are also independent schools in Bath, Bristol, Wells and Sidcot.

The Chew Valley is a popular destination for outdoor pursuits, with a wide variety on offer including the outstanding sailing and birdwatching facilities at Chew Valley Lake which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, as well as many walking and horse-riding opportunities. The Chew Valley is famous for its world class Trout fishing on Chew Valley and Blagdon Lakes.
The property is conveniently located for travel. There is easy access to M5 via Junction 21 for the motorway network and Bristol Airport is just under 10 miles away.

- Oil central heating
- Private drainage - septic tank
- Truespeed broadband
- Metal casement double glazed windows with ornate catches
- Intruder alarm
- EPC rating C
 

SELLER INSIGHT The owners always knew that Shortcombe Barn was for them, having rented the property next door. "We put in an offer without even seeing it. We knew it was perfect - the right location and size." This stunning barn conversion was previously a dairy creamery and part of the old Shortcombe Farm situated about 30 yards away. In the late 1990s, the various buildings sold off and converted, creating a small community submerged in a beautiful rural setting yet within easy distance of everything one might need.

The large gravel driveway leads to the barn's striking façade. Inside, the home has glorious character features including stone mullion windows and original wooden beams. The living room is blessed with a wood burner, which is glorious in the colder months when you're snuggled up on the sofa watching a movie with the flames dancing in the background.

The kitchen is triple aspect and flooded with light; there's another stove, this one multi-fuel, in the dining area which adds even more warmth throughout the house. The house has three sources of power: a biomass boiler, oil boiler and solar panels, which covers almost all of the home's electricity making it incredibly energy efficient. The house also comes with a double garage with a store above - there is potential for this to be converted into a dwelling (subject to planning), which would be ideal for multigenerational living, or even an Airbnb.

The garden is one of the main features of the property, mainly because of the almost 360-degree spectacular views. Situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the house is surrounding by the most incredible landscape. Farmland is situated on two sides of the garden and the fields are often filled with grazing cows who are clover-fed as part of organic farming. The views sweep over the Mendips towards the Malverns and even the Cotswolds.

The sun terrace is directly outside the patio doors and is extremely private; the owners often enjoy a meal on the decked terrace with summer house. Here you will also find the hot tub: "We enjoy sitting in the hot hub with a glass of wine watching the sun go down and the balloons go up and over towards Bristol. We love satellite spotting from the decked terrace too; it is perfect if you love astronomy as there is no ambient light, so we have the most unbelievable night skies and sunsets.

You don't have to be green-fingered to maintain this garden. We've a decent sized orchard full of apples, pears and damsons, and we see lots of wildlife such as rabbits, squirrels, sparrowhawks and owls who can often be heard calling in the evenings."

Chew Valley is known for its lakes and world-class fishing as well as its wealth of walks, of which there are a plethora in every direction. It is also a popular location for cyclists. The local rugby club is a bit of a hub for the community and has close links to the local school. Cheddar Gorge is just a couple of miles away and the well-loved and historic city of Wells can be reached in around a 15-minute drive - this is one of the owners' favourite places to visit.

You can walk to three local pubs, with the Ring O' Bells in Crompton Martin coming highly recommended by the owners. "Every year we join the Wassail (welcoming in the apple crop) at the start of cider-making season. The farmer puts on a big BBQ and bonfire and there's a whole lot of cider for us all to enjoy. Our neighbours are wonderful and always there if we need anything, so even with the rural setting you never feel isolated."

But it is the peace and quiet of the locality this property enjoys, whilst only being a mile from the village, that makes it such a special place to live. The owners are certainly going to miss the magic of this incredible home and we are certain someone else will fall in love with it as quickly as they did.



Marketed by: Fine & Country Wells and Chew Valley, Wells