Northchapel, Petworth, West Sussex

Christmas Cottage is a delightful period property that features a wealth of charming original details, including exposed timber beams and handsome fireplaces, while there are also elegant modern fittings and attractive décor throughout.

The ground floor has four comfortable reception rooms, separated by vertical timbers to create a semi open-plan layout. There is a light reception hall with French doors and stairs leading to the first-floor accommodation. The main living spaces are the sitting room and family room, both of which have impressive brick-built fireplaces, while there is also a sun room with west-facing French doors opening to the rear garden. The 21ft kitchen, dining and breakfast room features shaker-style units, tiled flooring and an Aga, as well as space for a dining table and French doors opening to the garden.

Upstairs there are four well-presented double bedrooms, all of which have built-in storage. The generous principal bedroom is triple aspect and has an en suite shower room. The large family bathroom boasts a freestanding bathtub and a separate shower unit.

At the entrance to the property, a five-bar wooden gate opens onto the gravel driveway, which provides plenty of parking space and access to the detached double garage. The garden has rolling lawns, paved terracing and various mature trees and established shrubs and hedgerows. The rear garden is west facing, bringing plenty of sunlight throughout the day and affording splendid views across the surrounding countryside.

Christmas Cottage is set in a peaceful location just outside the highly regarded village of Northchapel in the heart of the West Sussex countryside, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and included within the area designated as the South Downs National Park. The village has a thriving rural community with a public house, village shop and post office, village green, sports club and village school.

There is a fine selection of schools in the area including Northchapel Primary School (Ofsted Good), Midhurst Rother College (Ofsted Outstanding), St Ives, St. Edmund’s, and the Royal School (both junior and senior).

Sporting facilities include golf at Liphook, Chiddingfold and West Surrey, racing at Goodwood, polo at Cowdray Park and sailing off the south coast at Chichester. There are theatres at Guildford and Chichester.

The A3 can be accessed at Hindhead, Brook or Milford providing access to Heathrow, Gatwick, the M25, London and the south coast, while mainline rail services are available from Haslemere (1 hour to London Waterloo).

Haslemere town centre and mainline station 4.2 miles (London Waterloo 56 minutes), Petworth 5.9 miles, A3 8.6 miles, M25 (Jct 10) 23 miles, Gatwick Airport 35 miles, central London 48 miles