Gypsy Lane, Upper Staploe, Cambridgeshire, PE19

CONTEMPORARY BARN CONVERSION DESIGNED FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND PEACEFUL FAMILY LIVING - WITH 1.3 ACRES IN WONDERFUL LOCATION

It’s difficult to imagine this amazing, 4-bedroom family home was once an agricultural barn. Under Class Q planning regulations, it has been transformed into a stylish and sustainable building of brick, timber and steel, with its original frame still in place. And a combination of high specification windows and insulation, air-source heat pump and solar panels should ensure running costs are negligible. The old yard is now a hugely attractive, permeable, stone-blocked driveway, illuminated by timed LED lighting and accessed, like the garage, at the touch of a button. Paddock and carport complete the picture of your brand-new country home.

Set with its attached twin in Upper Staploe (1 The Barns has now Sold), in the heart of the Cambridgeshire countryside, it’s easy to forget that The Barns are just minutes from every amenity a family could wish for. Restaurants, pubs, church, surgery and primary school are just 1.5 miles along the country lane in historic Eaton Socon on the banks of the River Great Ouse.

Within 3 or 4 miles are St Neots Railway Station, with fast trains reaching London in 47 minutes, a choice of secondary schools, the Wyboston Lakes Resort, with its spa, gym and golf course, the exceptional Plough Inn at Bolnhurst, and yet another golf club at Colmworth. The outstanding Kimbolton private school is less than 8 miles away.

The hamlet is about 10 miles equidistant of Bedford and Grafham Water. The A1, A6, A428 and A14 are all within easy reach, making travelling a breeze. Yet you’re far enough away from major roads, and surrounded by beautiful, peaceful walking country, to be spared the constant rush of traffic that afflicts many otherwise lovely locations. It’s a fortunate family indeed who moves into No. 2 The Barns. 

ABOUT THE PROPERTY

Smart technology is embedded in your new home, from sound to security systems, from lighting to energy. You can move from your garaged car into the hall via a thumbprint-operated door. And the beauty of it is, that it will all be set up for you, and explained, before you move in. With ultrafast internet available and a spacious study full of natural light, this is a home designed for working from. Yet it’s a home, first and foremost, for modern family living.

Space and light abound, inside and out, upstairs and down. A hall large enough to sit in, complete with cloakroom and separate coat and shoe cupboard, a landing with peaceful reading area and a super outlook through tall, panoramic glass. And a stylish oak, glass and stainless-steel staircase linking the two, LED lights leading the way, a striking chandelier twinkling above.

Your new home oozes style. Super bedrooms, the main one with walk-in wardrobe, are complemented by stylish shower rooms and fabulous bathroom. Is there any better way to end the day than wallowing in a huge, freestanding bath under the starlit sky?

Yet it’s the open-plan living space that really sets the pulse racing. A kitchen to die for, with beautiful quartz-topped handleless furniture (with many a hidden surprise, not least a matching utility room), and appliances that include hot tap, induction hob with downdraft, family-sized refrigeration, and not one but two, zoned wine coolers. Breakfast at the island, dine under the vaulted ceiling, and relax in front of your television hung on a 650mm-thick, sound-proofed party wall. This is a room for all the family to come together, but what a room too for entertaining.

And it extends through huge, sliding glazed doors to the porcelain-tiled terrace and over an acre of outdoor space. Whether you have designs on creating a horticultural or wildflower delight, or you’re a child who wants an exciting paddock in which to play in, No. 2, The Barns has it all.