Coachmans Cottage, Ashbury, Northlew, Okehampton, Devon, EX20

A beautiful country home set in large gardens of 0.8 of an acre and comprising extended detached period house with in excess of 3200 sq ft of accommodation, located in peaceful hamlet with views to Dartmoor.

SITUATION AND DESCRIPTION
The property is reached along a delightful minor country road passing the Ashbury Golf Hotel some two miles away, A shared private drive from the country road provides access to the exclusive development.   

Ashbury was once the centre of an extensive historic country estate mentioned in the Domesday Book. The manor house was believed to have been destroyed by fire in the Victorian era leaving the manorial church which, although still consecrated, has very rare services and the remains of the former farm with an extensive courtyard of barns and three further residences. The property now has six neighbours forming an exclusive hamlet located in a beautiful location at the top of a hill with far reaching views to Dartmoor to the south and from some areas to Exmoor to the northeast.

A minor public footpath runs along the shared drive providing a short walk from the property to the nearby village of Northlew about one mile away which offers a parish church, primary school, public house and shop.

Although in a peaceful rural location the property is by no means inaccessible with the A30 dual carriageway, which is some 3 miles distant, reached in about 15 minutes by car via the A3079, as is the former market town of Okehampton, 7 miles away, which offers high street and supermarket shopping including Waitrose, a community hospital, secondary school, leisure centre and golf course amongst other facilities. The Dartmoor National Park lies just to the south of the town providing extensive outdoor recreational opportunities. The Cathedral City of Exeter can be reached in about 45 minutes by car and is home to the region's airport.

The house was converted from two former estate cottages occupied by the gardener and coachman and subsequently extended. Amounting now to 3200 sq ft it now provides a beautifully presented family home with a delightful and welcoming character and a tasteful and practical combination of period and modern features.

There are stone slab floors, a farmhouse style 24ft long kitchen with handmade range of kitchen cupboards and electric 4-oven Aga, two fireplaces with woodburning stoves, some exposed beams, oil-fired central heating which is underfloor in the extension, modern bathroom fittings and plenty of natural light from the many Georgian style windows.   

Outside are extensive landscaped gardens with two large ponds, terraces, a partly walled garden, plenty of parking, a large double garage, summer house, studio/gym and a range of period outbuildings.

ACCOMMODATION
Reference made to any fixture, fittings, appliances, or any of the building services does not imply that they are in working order or have been tested by us. Purchasers should establish the suitability and working condition of these items and services themselves.

The accommodation, together with approximate room sizes, is as follows:   

ENTRANCE HALL
Light stone slab floor; staircase to first floor with understairs cupboard; part glazed door to rear garden; exposed timbers; inset lights; electric meter cupboard; smoke alarm. Two steps down to:

SITTING ROOM
22'6" x 14'11" (6.86m x 4.55m)
A dual aspect room with window and French windows to the front overlooking the front garden and with view to the side of the church and Dartmoor beyond; two windows face to the rear overlooking the garden. A period finely carved stone fireplace with slate hearth housing a woodburning stove; two radiators; inset lights and uplighters.

DINING ROOM
15'2" x 10'0" (4.62m x 3.05m)
With light stone slab floor; exposed timbers; dual aspect with two windows to the front with side views to the church and beyond and window to the rear overlooking the garden; two radiators; inset lights. Step leads up to:

KITCHEN/BREAKFAST ROOM
25'7" x 15'1" (7.79m x 4.60m)
A dual aspect room with two windows to front overlooking the front garden and also glazed door to the front leading to the main drive with parking area and garage. There are also two windows to the side overlooking the gardens and pond. Light stone slab floor; exposed timber ceiling; inset lights; radiator; heat alarm; an attractive handmade kitchen by Spillers of Chard painted in Fired Earth duck egg with solid oak worktops; an island unit and 13 amp electric operated 4-oven Aga. There is also an American style fridge freezer with ice and cold-water dispenser; built-in Siemens dishwasher; Belfast sink with "Insinkerator" waste disposal unit.

INNER HALL
19'4" x 11'8" (5.9m x 3.56m)
Lying within the extension with underfloor heating to this part of the house on both floors; double glazed window to side with garden outlook; second staircase to first floor with understair cupboard; limestone flooring with underfloor heating; inset lights; thermostat.

WC
With WC; hand basin; extractor fan; limestone floor.

UTILITY
9'9" x 8'5" (2.97m x 2.57m)
With part glazed stable door to garden; limestone floor; coat hooks; built-in cupboards; worktops with stainless steel sink with space and plumbing for washing machine and tumble drier below. Cupboard housing underfloor heating controls.

STUDY
9'8" x 9'6" (2.95m x 2.90m)
With double glazed window to side; limestone flooring with underfloor heating and thermostat; electric RCD box; telephone and TV points.

LIVING ROOM 21'8" x 14'4" (6.60m x 4.37m)
A dual aspect room with two sets of double glazed French windows to the rear overlooking the garden terrace with steps up to the main lawn; and a further double glazed window to the side; limestone floor with underfloor heating thermostat; TV and telephone points; a modern stone fireplace with woodburning stove.

FIRST FLOOR

LANDING
Two windows to side; smoke alarm; staircase divides to the right on one side leading to:

MASTER BEDROOM
19'8" x 14'4" (5.99m x 4.37m)
A dual aspect room with two double-glazed windows to the rear overlooking the gardens and a double-glazed French window with balconette to the side also looking across the gardens through the trees to the countryside beyond; fully fitted wardrobes to the full length of one wall with lights; telephone point; underfloor heating with thermostat.

ENSUITE BATHROOM
17'6" x 9'4" max (5.33m x 2.84m max)
A sensational and opulently fitted room with brown marble tiled floor and walls; double glazed window to side; extensive inset ceiling lights including "Star Lighting"; thermostat for underfloor heating; contemporary white suite with freestanding bath with central tap with separate shower attachment; WC; two hand basins; a walk-in shower with both overhead and side showers and extractor fan.

MAIN LANDING
Three windows to the rear with exposed timbers; airing cupboard with lagged hot water cylinder with immersion heater; inset lights; loft hatch; two smoke alarms; radiator; shelved storage cupboard. Leading back to the main staircase and down to the front door and entrance hall

FAMILY BATHROOM
9'3" x 7'5" (2.82m x 2.26m)
Velux roof light (remotely operated); fully tiled walls; white suite with panelled bath with mixer shower attachment; WC; pedestal hand basin; walk-in shower with both overhead and side showers; extractor fan; towel radiator; inset lights.

BEDROOM TWO
14'11" x 13'7" (4.55m x 4.14m)
A dual aspect room with windows to front and side with views to Dartmoor. Inset lights; radiator; built-in wardrobe.

ENSUITE SHOWER ROOM
7'10" x 6'10" (2.39m x 2.08m)
Window to side; part tiled walls; inset lights; towel radiator; white suite of hand basin in vanity unit; W.C ; walk in fully tiled shower with mains fitted shower.
   
BEDROOM THREE
11'9" x 10'3" (3.58m x 3.12m)
With window to front with view to church and Dartmoor in the distance; radiator; inset lights; loft hatch.

W.C
Pedestal hand basin; W.C and extractor fan.

BEDROOM FOUR
10'2" x 9'5" (3.10m x 2.87m)
Window to front with window seat with view to the moor; radiator; inset lights.

BEDROOM FIVE 13'7" x 11'5" (4.14m x 3.48m)
Window to front with view; radiator; exposed ceiling timbers; uplighters; TV point.

ENSUITE SHOWER ROOM
Window to front; shower; hand basin in vanity unit; WC; extractor fan; electric towel radiator and mirror.

BEDROOM SIX
15'3" x 8'8" (4.65m x 2.64m)
Dual aspect with windows to front and rear; radiator; shelved alcove; uplighters.

DRIVE ACCESS AND PARKING
From the minor country road leading to Ashbury a shared private drive leads through stone gateposts and gives access to the seven residences that form the Ashbury hamlet and also the church and along which also runs a public footpath which leads on down the valley and up to the village of Northlew beyond. From the shared drive a 5-bar gate opens to a gravelled parking area in the front of the house with a high garden wall to one side and gate through to the main drive, garage and parking which is accessed by further double gates also leading from the shared drive. An extensive brick paved drive and parking area leads to the GARAGE, also a CAR PORT near the kitchen door

OUTBUILDINGS

DOUBLE GARAGE
31'2" x 19'1" (9.50m x 5.82m)
Of concrete block construction with painted elevations and electric roller double door with personnel door to side; window; power; light; concrete floor. Solar panels providing daytime electricity

WORKSHOP
Adjoining the double garage is a workshop with window to side; steps to loft storage; wall mounted solar control and export meter; power and light connected.

STUDIO/GYM
16'4" x 12'11" (4.98m x 3.94m)
Window to side; cloakroom with WC and wash hand basin.

LONG STORE 43'1" x 10'5" approx. (13.14m x 3.18m approx)
With door to side; light and frosted windows.

WORKSHOP
15'1" x 10'5" (4.60m x 3.18m)
With frosted windows; power and light. Accessed by a door from the shared drive.

CAR PORT
16'1" x 10'1" (4.90m x 3.07m)
Concrete floor and lights.

STORE
10'1" x 7'5" (3.07m x 2.26m)
With light, storage area for bins and housing the oil tank.

SUMMER HOUSE/OFFICE
9'7" x 9'7" (2.92m x 2.92m)
Attractive blue painted timber summer house with veranda to the front and with windows and part glazed door; power and light.   Currently in use as potting shed.

GARDENS
The gardens provide a delightful setting and feature of the property extending to about 0.8 of an acre in total. The gardens have been landscaped and nurtured by the current owners and fall into a number of different areas. To the front of the house the front garden is divided by an attractive high period stone garden wall with a doorway through and to one side is the guest parking area before the front door with a level grass lawn, low stone walls and a path and cobbled seating area with some well stocked flowerbeds along the house and garden wall.

Beyond the wall, a further mainly wall enclosed garden area includes the drive and parking and double garage giving access to the carport and outbuildings and there is also a lawned area with path up to the kitchen door, with some well stocked beds, some sycamore trees to one side with gravelled beds stocked with a number of mature shrubs and trees and in the centre is a large koi carp pond with water feature and surrounding shrubs and beds.

A wrought iron gate leads past the side of the house to a terrace leading right around to the rear and to the main paved patio area to the rear of the house with central raised fountain water feature with part of the area surrounded by well stocked beds. Adjoining the house and boundary wall with a raised area are further gravelled beds and mature shrubs and bamboos and a hot tub. A flight of steps lead up from outside the living room French windows to the large level lawn interspersed with some attractive ornamental trees with a number of shrubs around the edges.

An enclosed fruit and vegetable garden with panel fencing and trellises divided again into different areas with two greenhouses, a potting shed, fruit tree area, a composting area, an area of raised vegetable beds and a grassed area which has been used as a poultry run. Beyond here is a further former poultry run adjoining the field with fenced sides and there is also a further lawned area leading up to the edge of the property adjoining the fields with attractive trees and views to Northlew and to one side is the summer house. Near the utility back door and summer house is a further building comprising BOILER ROOM which houses the Worcester oil-fired boiler for the central   heating hot water which was installed in 2013. Close by is the studio/gym.

SERVICES
Mains electricity, mains water, private drainage, oil fired central heating, solar energy.

OUTGOINGS
We understand this property is in band 'G' for Council Tax purposes.

VIEWINGS
By appointment with MANSBRIDGE BALMENT OKEHAMPTON on 01837 52371.

DIRECTIONS
From Okehampton centre leave the town following the signs for the A3079 Halwill and Holsworthy. After about a mile proceed to the next roundabout where continuing straight on. After a further 1 mile and just before reaching Thorndon Cross turn right signed for Ashbury Golf Hotel. Stay on this road for about 3 miles crossing the River Lew and proceed up the hill where Ashbury will be seen on the right. Turn into the entrance to the shared drive marked Ashbury where the property can be located on the left.