Medcote

Medcote, Rake Lane

A hidden gem home, surrounded by fields grazed by cattle, sheep and horses, in a hamlet most passersby don't know exists … just part of the timeless appeal of Medcote, a spacious and surprising family home, wrapped up in approximately 3.5 acres of grounds and garden, in the beautiful Cheshire countryside.

Poised only a mile from Chester Zoo and less than two miles from the Countess of Chester Hospital, Chorlton-by-Backford is reassuringly rural yet conveniently close to so many attractions and amenities.

Timeless, hidden gem
Pull off Rake Lane and make your way through the pillared entrance and onto the driveway, which wends along for 100 yards leading to a newly extended, graveled parking area beside a large, detached triple garage.

Perfectly private, mature shrubs and trees to the front provide plenty of green screen to the quiet lane beyond, with a lush expanse of lawn separating the Cheshire redbrick home of Medcote further from the wider world.

Festooned in rambling roses, make your way to the portico covered arched entrance, where a handsome solid oak door opens to an inner porch.

Hang your coats and dog leads, doff your boots and continue through the glazed door into the bright and inviting entrance hall of this 1930s, Cheshire redbrick home.

Amtico flooring adds a contemporary accent underfoot, whilst the decorative motif for the home - a soothing palette of Farrow & Ball's 'Pointing', 'Smoked Trout' and 'Stony Ground' - is established to the walls.

Feast your eyes
Directly ahead, make your way through onto the York stone floor of the impressively sized open-plan kitchen-dining-living room. Warmed by zoned underfloor heating this sociable hub of the home is a welcoming space in all seasons. Bifolding doors open to the extensive gardens, providing an easy indoor-outdoor flow in summertime, whilst the warmth emanating from the four-oven Aga provides toasty cheer in the winter months.

Appliances also include a separate combination oven/microwave, coffee maker, dishwasher, fridge and freezer, whilst the classic oak cabinetry houses a profusion of storage. Dine casually at the granite breakfast bar or gather around the large farmhouse table for Sunday dinner and big weekend breakfasts. The heart of the home, this is a kitchen for dancing and merriment. Just off the kitchen, the utility room keeps the clutter separate, with a large Belfast sink and another dishwasher and fridge-freezer, whilst doors pull back to reveal a laundry room with American style washer and dryer.

Light-filled living
Returning to the entrance hall, across the way discover a versatile room with woodblock flooring. Brimming with light from a large bay window overlooking the rear garden, this formal dining room has evolved over the years, serving in a number of capacities such as snug, playroom, and TV room. Behind the bookshelves, an original fireplace, now plastered over, could be reopened to install a log burning stove. Open the door and step outside onto the decking for alfresco dining in the summer.

Freshen up in the cloakroom, with wash basin and WC, before continuing along the hallway to arrive at the music room, next door on the right. Amtico flooring continues underfoot whilst views extend towards the tennis courts.

Warmth and welcome
At the end of the hallway, make your way through into the spacious sitting room, where light pours in through windows to three sides. French doors open to a circular dining terrace with impressive views out over the gardens. A room that comes into its own at Christmas, light the log burner and snuggle up on the sofa with family and friends to watch a movie or sports event. An endless supply of logs can be foraged from the woodland in the grounds, seasoned and chopped and stashed in the log store outside ready for winter.

Returning to the entrance hall, take the staircase, with its gracefully carved newel posts and banister, up to the first-floor landing.

Soak & sleep
Turning left, discover the first of four sumptuous double bedrooms, bathed in light with a quartet of windows overlooking the leafy countryside beyond. A wall of fitted wardrobes offers ample storage, with a secret door opening to a refreshing ensuite, featuring bath with overhead shower, wash basin and WC.

Directly across the landing from this bedroom, a second bright and bountiful double bedroom is furnished with fitted wardrobes and doors, with fantastic views out over the garden and countryside.

Convenient and plentiful storage is a factor at the heart of this embracing family home, as you turn right out of this bedroom and into the principal suite, where a large walk-in wardrobe with shelving and hanging space opens up to the right.

Continue along to arrive at the luxurious ensuite bathroom on the right, fully tiled in luxury spa hotel style and furnished with a wet-room steam-room double shower with built in music speakers and mood lighting, heated towel rail, heated mirror, vanity unit wash basin and WC. Warmth embraces each step from the underfloor heating.

Room with a view
Finally, emerge into the breathtaking main bedroom, where the high vaulted ceiling showers light down through an array of electric, remote-operated, automatic sensor-close Velux windows. Windows to three sides bring the outdoors in, whilst a balcony sits beyond French doors, offering uninterrupted views out over the garden and countryside beyond.

OWNER QUOTE: "I love the mornings, with a cup of coffee in bed looking out at the garden - that's your TV screen."

Brimming with sunshine, from dawn 'til dusk, invite the sultry summer breeze in on balmy midsummer evenings.

Returning to the main landing, across from the stairs sneak a peek at the main bathroom. Warmed by underfloor heating, and tiled once more in smooth, buff toned tiles, enjoy a soak in the Jacuzzi bath, whilst watching a show on the fitted television. This bathroom is also furnished with a separate shower, heated towel radiator and WC.

Next door on the right, emerge into a fourth bedroom, brimming in light, with ample fitted wardrobes. Wake up to the bleating of sheep or the sight of newly baled hay in the surrounding fields.

From the landing, there is access up into the loft, where ample storage for Christmas decorations and suitcases is available alongside the hardware for the security cameras.

Annex potential
The ideal home for a multigenerational family, Medcote also benefits from its own, brand-new annex, offering independent one-level living. With its own private patio, accessed via bifolding doors from the main living room-kitchen, Medcote's annex is a versatile, contemporary space ideal for business, guests, older teenagers or parents. With a fully equipped kitchen, separate bedroom and bathroom with wash basin and vanity unit storage, stylish, walk-in, rainfall shower and WC, the annex operates on a separate central heating system, making it entirely independent of the main home.

Also nestled off the annex is a substantial home office -the ideal place to work from home in peace and away from the main house.

Tranquil oasis
Escape the worries of the world in your own private Eden. An extensive patio extends between home and annex with an attractive pond at the center. Raised decking around the home offers ample opportunities for dining alfresco. Pergolas covered in roses and walkways intersect the lawns where there are many hidden garden rooms in which to sit and soak up the sunshine and shade. Meander through the crab apples and cherry trees in the hay meadow leading to the golf green to while away an hour perfecting your putting. There is plenty of lawn space at Medcote for a football pitch, cricket pitch or croquet lawn, whilst impressive tennis courts invite you to practice your serve.

To the side of the tennis courts a woodland area adds a natural feel, home to hedgehogs, woodpeckers, owls and nesting birds. Offer children a magical childhood with safari campouts listening for the twit-twoo of owls and occasional trumpet sound from an elephant; Chester Zoo is merely a field away with the animal sounds often heard from Medcote.

Stroll through the orchard of damson, apple, plum and pear trees. A potting shed and greenhouse are perfect for the green fingered, and there are several vegetable beds.

Pause for a moment's peace and serenity by the small lake and watch for the wildlife amongst the reeds. Ducks, geese and moorhens are regular visitors. Rurality has never been so appealing.

OWNER QUOTE: "You definitely see the seasons here."

On your doorstep
Secluded yet not remote, Medcote is set within a friendly, yet respectful community, one of the famous 'five villages' on the outskirts of Chester. A Lottery-funded boost to the village hall has helped it become a focal point of the community, with events and activities regularly held.

Only one mile from Chester Zoo and within two miles of the local Countess of Chester Hospital, so much is available close by. With both a Costco and the second largest Marks & Spencer in Britain on your doorstep, alongside Cheshire Oaks - shopping trips are a convenient and expedited experience.

The restaurants, boutiques, bars, parks, museums and theatres of Chester are only ten minutes away, with a bus stop only 5-7 minutes' walk away on the A41.

Commuters are well served by the local motorway network, only five minutes' drive from the door.

Dine out at nearby gastropub Rake Hall - welcoming to both families and their pet dogs, with a fantastic outdoor seating area for the summer months.

Also within easy reach is the Blue Planet Aquarium and David Lloyd fitness center.

Families are well served by the local primary school, St Oswald's in the nearby village of Mollington, whilst for independent schooling, Chester's Kings and Queens schools are close by.

Embrace the sense of traditional village life, with distant church bells sounding on Sundays and Tuesdays and acres of fields and countryside to roam.

A sanctuary for children to grow up in and to return home to no matter how old they are, Medcote is a fantastic family home for all generations.


Marketed by: Currans Unique Homes, Chester