Colesbourne, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL53

Set in an idyllic rural setting, a fine farmhouse with equestrian facilities.

Description

Butlers Farm is a delightful south facing Cotswold stone property believed to date back to the late 18C, with later additions and improvements including landscaping the grounds to the south and creating a new entrance to the north. In the same ownership for the last twenty years, it is a warm and inviting property with a lovely garden and enviable views and is ideal for both entertaining and family life. Many original features remain including beams; timbers; fireplaces and window seats; and finishes include paved floors; heritage style bathroom fittings; and oak doors. Generous south facing reception rooms are complemented by a spacious traditional farmhouse kitchen/breakfast/ family room and a cosy sitting room, with comfortable bedrooms, traditional bathrooms, generous storage and useful additional space in the loft. The property lies in a beautiful valley setting outside the village conservation area and is not listed. The attached annex and impressive adjoining Cotswold stone barn offer scope to re-model and enlarge the house or create further accommodation, subject to planning permission.

Former owners include Wogan Phillipps, 2nd Baron Milford, who was the only member of the Communist Party ever to sit in the House of Lords. He was a talented artist and left a landscape painting of Butler’s Farm, which is presently in the kitchen and will remain with the house.

Accommodation Ground Floor
The property is approached via the courtyard, with steps up to the front door. The entrance hall has a door to the tastefully fitted cloakroom and flagstone flooring, which continues through to the spacious dining room. This retains the original oak front door, protected by a porch, and has an inviting window seat with a view of the garden, working shutters, exposed timbers and a large stone fireplace. The adjacent 34’ drawing room is light and sunny with windows overlooking the garden to the south and broad french doors opening to a west facing terrace. There is a large open stone fireplace and a door leading to a wine store. To the rear of the dining room a step down leads to the charming sitting room, which used to be the dairy. It has fitted bookcases and a wide bay window overlooking the courtyard. The inviting farmhouse kitchen/breakfast/family room spans the depth of the house and has a window overlooking the courtyard and two window seats overlooking the garden, an open stone fireplace, a heavily beamed ceiling and flagstone flooring. It is fitted with a bespoke range of hand-painted units with granite worktops; a central island with an electric hob; four oven oil fired Aga; oven; microwave; and integrated dishwasher and fridge freezer. A door leads to the utility/boot room, which houses the oil fired boiler. It has external doors to both the courtyard and the garden and is fitted with further storage, with space and plumbing for laundry appliances.

First Floor And Attic
Stairs rise and turn from the entrance hall to the first floor. The partly vaulted master bedroom is approached via a dressing area with built in wardrobes and has lovely views to the south and west. A useful eaves storage cupboard spans the width of the room. The adjacent en suite has a polished wood floor and heritage style fittings including a roll top bath and twin pedestal basins. A corridor leads to two further double bedrooms, both with window seats and distant views, with steps down to a large vaulted bedroom with a wall of storage cupboards, window seats, exposed beams and a stone chimney breast. There are two nicely fitted bathrooms, both with part timber clad walls. The fifth bedroom (currently used as an office) is situated adjacent to the stairs with a loft hatch and ladder to the useful attic, a fully insulated and carpeted room with eaves storage, electric heaters and two skylights.

The Annex
The self-contained annex is immediately adjacent to the house and approached via the garden. It consists of a sitting room with a fitted kitchen area, and a bedroom leading to an en suite bathroom.

Location

Situated within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the small village of Colesbourne has a Church; The Colesbourne, an old coaching inn; The Old Rectory restaurant; a filling station/shop/post office; and a cookery school. There is a network of footpath and bridleways, which can be accessed directly from Butlers Farm.

Cirencester, known as ‘The Capital of the Cotswolds’, provides an excellent range of independent shops; boutiques; and restaurants; as well as regular markets and three supermarkets, including Waitrose. The larger centre of Cheltenham has excellent shopping and dining and is also host to literary; jazz; and food festivals.

Communications are good. From The Highwayman public house, which is five miles away, it is all dual carriageway or motorway to London. Trains run regularly from Kemble Station to Paddington and the M5 is easily accessed at junction 11a at Cheltenham.

Education in the area is excellent with schools including Rendcombe College; Beaudesert pre and prep school; The Cheltenham Colleges; Dean Close; St Edwards; and Richard Pates.

Sporting opportunities include golf courses in Cirencester, Cheltenham and Minchinhampton; a network of footpath and bridleways; sailing and water sports at the Cotswold Water Park; two local hunts (The VWH or The Cotswold); horse racing at Cheltenham; and polo at Cirencester Park.

Square Footage: 4,392 sq ft


Acreage: 5.59 Acres

Directions

Please note satnav may not be accurate - we recommend that you follow the written directions or use what3words.

Leave Cirencester on the 435 towards Cheltenham. On reaching Colesbourne turn left at The Colesbourne Inn and follow the land for about half a mile until reaching a staggered crossroads. Proceed straight onto the private lane (signposted Butlers Farm). Follow the lane to the end and turn left onto a gravel driveway where Butlers Farm will be seen on the right. Continue around the drive to the Stable courtyard.

Additional Info

Mains water and electricity. Oil fired central heating to the house and the annex. Private drainage. Gigaclear Broadband. No tests to the suitability of services have been carried out and intending purchasers should commission their own tests (if required).

Fixtures and Fittings
Only those items mentioned in these sales particulars are included in the sale. Other fixtures and fittings, including garden statuary and ornaments, are excluded but may be available by separate negotiation.

Rights Of Way
The driveway is owned by Butlers Farm and the neighbouring properties, River Farm and The Lilacs, benefit from a right of access. From A to B (gate going into field to end of front drive) is a Gloucestershire County Council Public Footpath known as “Olive’s Walk”. We believe motorbikes are also allowed. From C to D is a Gloucestershire County Council Restricted Byway across one of the paddocks to a gate leading into the neighbouring field. This is mainly to facilitate horse riders but is hardly ever used given the proximity of the footpath. The wording on the sign is “Restricted Byway. No motor vehicles except for access. You may walk, ride a horse, cycle or use a horse drawn carriage. Private rights unaffected".