Location
A handsome country house set within about 4 acres, to include three cottages, a separate log cabin and a tennis court, offering a fabulous opportunity for potential business use.
The Forest includes the stunning main house, three cottages and a log cabin. Also, four acres of land with a nature pool and a paddock.
The Forest dates back to before 1709, when it was originally built as two separate cottages. They were then merged together with extensive additions in 1822, to create this fabulous Georgian house. The property is currently used as a Bed & Breakfast, using five of the ten bedrooms for guests.
Located down a quiet, secluded drive with a tennis court on the left, situated in the beautiful countryside with rural views all around. Entering through two broad oak doors leading you into the spacious entrance hall, to the left is a wood burning stove and a cloakroom with skylights allowing plenty of natural light in.
On the right are three, separate wide oak panelled doors, the first leading to a triple aspect drawing room, with an open fireplace, oak flooring and an arch feature into an alcove. The second room being a dining room currently used for guests, and the third being a spacious sitting room with another original open fire feature, featuring a beautiful bay window looking out onto the garden. As well as having beautiful, tall sash windows, all three rooms having high ceilings creating a spacious feel throughout the ground floor.
Situated down the hall towards the back of the house, down a few steps, is the gorgeous newly refurbished kitchen, modern units have been fitted with a range of Loch Anna cabinets along with porcelain tiled flooring. A beautiful dual sided open log burner central of the kitchen, along side a Belfast sink, range oven, integrated dishwasher and fabulous exposed beams displayed all around. Leading towards the back door is a laundry room, with a pantry opposite as well as a cloakroom and study.
The main staircase rises to the first floor of the house, where five double bedrooms with en suites, which is known as the 'Guest Wing'. Three bedrooms have built in wardrobes, including the principal bedroom as well as having double aspect windows, and all bedrooms having stunning views of the countryside and gardens beyond.
Across the landing are a further two bedrooms, en suite bathroom, kitchenette, storage cupboards and a separate access door with steps leading outside. There is is a secondary staircase in this wing leading down to the kitchen. This wing has the potential to be self contained into a flat. Stairs follow up the secondary staircase, formerly the servants stairway, where a further four rooms are, with a bathroom and a spacious attic area which is currently used for storage.
Cottages & Log Cabin
There are three cottages and one log cabin. The cosy log cabin is twelve years old with an open plan kitchen/living area, which has a breakfast bar. Down the corridor is three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It has a courtyard with seating and access to gardens. These outbuildings are all across the gravel from The Forest, with rural views of the stunning garden.
Forest Keep is the first cottage which includes three bedrooms, with one of them being downstairs. This cottage connects to Forest Cottage next door, which has a sitting room, kitchen and two bedrooms and bathrooms.
The final cottage is Forest Byre which has oak floor, and a wrap around kitchen next to the living room, and two en suite bedrooms on the first floor upstairs.
The cottages all contain their own characteristics such as log burners, exposed beams and spacious bedrooms and bathrooms. These all have great potential to be used as annexes or holiday lets.
As well as generous parking place outside for you and guests and a handful of picturesque views to see, or play on the tennis court.
There are four outbuildings which include traditional stabling, workshop and games room above.
Outside
Through the kitchen leads into the courtyard, where there is a spacious garden store with sliding doors. The courtyard leads down a gravel path to the side of the house and garden to the lawn and mature planted boarders. There are sixteen solar panels off the side of the house with a cosy log store sitting underneath.
The garden is spacious with a summer house down at the bottom next to the paddock, and a triple garage to the left. The Forest also has original stables with stalls, with doors leading into another block with a further three large stables and a workshop which has set of stairs leading up to another attic space. This space was used as a games room for the Bed and Breakfast but has potential to become a useful space in other ways too.
There is ample parking outside the front of The Forest, with a new car port on the front, and the cottages next to the neatly kept grass and the tennis court and play area overlooking the rural hills with wildlife all around.
Currently part of the land is used mainly for guests to walk round and enjoy whilst there is also space for chicken runs, and would be ideal for a small group of livestock in the paddock.
This offers a wonderful opportunity for business as well as a wonderful country home.
Peter DabornProperty agent