Blaxhall, IP12

Needs Refurbishment.....An enchanting former rabbit catcher's cottage which is situated on Stone Common, at the church end of the village in a small enclave of other pretty cottages. The property which has changed relatively little since the 19th century stands as an important reminder of a well documented local, social history. The cottage benefits from two double first floor bedrooms and a family bathroom which is located on the ground floor. The sitting room has a open fireplace and the kitchen has been fitted in a style which is entirely sympathetic to the style of the cottage. There are lovely worn and original floor bricks in the kitchen and sitting room, with exposed beams and 19th century cupboards to the side of the chimney breast. Each bedroom is served by its own staircase but there is a communicating door between the bedrooms. The cottage has a small garden to the front. Beyond this is Stone Common which has been used and occupied by the residents for parking and gardening. The present owners have used part of the common during their ownership of the cottage and have a large shed and a former privy on the land which has in the past been used for drying washing and growing vegetables. Access to the property is via an unmade track over the common.

This part of Suffolk is a haven for artists, writers and musicians. Blaxhall is a pretty rural village with a well documented social history which has been recorded in recent years by its own residents and published in an excellent book which features a number of photographs from the early 20th century including Corner Cottage. The village's rural history was celebrated by the writer and village resident George Ewart Evans who published a number of books in the 1960s and 1970s including: The Horse in the Furrow, The Farm and the Village and Ask the Fellows who cut the Hay. His interviews with local villagers in and around Blaxhall have provided us with an important historical record of life in rural Suffolk at the time of the Great War and during the last days of working horses on the land. This cottage is typical of the sort of property Evan's subjects lived in and the construction using materials often gleaned from the land is a reminder of just how hard rural life was for most people until the 1970s. Blaxhall has an excellent pub and is ideally located for access to Orford, Woodbridge, Aldeburgh and the neighbouring village of Snape. Snape Maltings is home to the Aldeburgh Festival. There are wonderful walks across Blaxhall Common and through Tunstall Forest with cycle routes through the village and on to Iken and Orford. The nearest railway station is just two villages away at Campsea Ashe where there is a connecting service to London, Cambridge and Norwich via Ipswich.  

SITTING ROOM  

3.36m x 3.13m Front aspect room with casement window overlooking Stone Common. Front door, exposed beams and open fireplace with elevated hearth, fitted cupboards to the side and first staircase to bedroom one. Carpet laid over the original floor bricks. Enchanting stained glass internal window. Door to the kitchen.  

KITCHEN  

3.25 max x 2.29m Rear aspect uPVC double glazed window, exposed beams and original floor bricks. Oak work top, Belfast sink with mixer tap and cupboard under, slide out corner unit, recess with fitted shelves and space for slimline dishwasher and small washing machine beneath, four ring electric hob, oven beneath, ledged door opens to the rear lobby. Stairs to bedroom two.  

REAR LOBBY Back door, electric consumer units, exposed beams, vinyl flooring, door to the bathroom.  

BATHROOM  

2.15m x 1.30m Panel enclosed bath with mixer tap and Triton electric shower over the bath, pedestal wash basin with tiled splash backs, WC., vinyl floor, electric heated towel rail, exposed beams.  

BEDROOM ONE  

3.86m x 3.37m Stairs from the sitting room, front aspect window overlooking the common, fitted wardrobe, fitted carpet over floor boards. Low door to bedroom two.  

BEDROOM TWO  

4.67m x 2.48m With independent access from the ground floor via the second staircase. Casement window and peephole window to the rear, fitted carpet, enclosure for the water tanks.  

GARDEN To the front of the cottage is a small garden with shrubs a picket gate and canopy porch.  

THE COMMON Access to the cottages is via an unmade lane through the common. The residents have made use of parts of Stone Common erecting sheds and, in the past, cultivating the land and keeping livestock. The owners of 3 Stone Cottage have used an area of the common for drying washing and growing vegetables. There is a large shed and the remains of a privy which was once used by the cottage. The owners, like other residents park on the common. Applicants must verify any rights of use and way via their solicitors