Leigh, Cirencester

Nestled within picturesque Wiltshire countryside and surrounded by manicured gardens and grounds, Duchy Rag House is a warm and welcoming home with space and comfort for all the family.

Sympathetically extended and beautifully renovated by the current owners, this stunning home offers over 3000 square feet of luxuriously appointed living space with 5/6 bedrooms (3 ensuite), 4 generous reception rooms, a sunny kitchen/breakfast room, conservatory, large gardens and an adjoining paddock. 

There’s ample space for both relaxation and productivity at Duchy Rag House and it’s perfectly designed to accommodate the needs of growing families and entertainers alike.  Plus Its superb location close to great schools, facilities and transport links means you’re never too far from the essentials of everyday life.

Duchy Rag House’s name is taken from a fascinating piece of local folklore:  legend has it that in 1637, Charles 1 owed his tailor a great deal of money, and being unable to pay, seeded land from the Duchy of Lancaster to settle his account.  The plot of land became known as The Duchy Rag.

The original house dates from the early 19th century and retains much of its traditional charm and character, effortlessly blending modern living with traditional features.   We can’t wait to tell you more about Duchy Rag House, so here are all the finer details:

Welcome Home

Set behind a wooden five-bar gate, Duchy Rag House is positioned alongside a quiet country lane.  There is ample parking space for several cars on the gravel driveway, plus a double garage.  Enter through the traditional covered porch into the inviting entrance hall, from where all the main reception rooms lead.  In winter, a roaring fire keeps this area cosy and warm, whilst in the summer months, this light and airy space offers a glimpse through the kitchen to the idyllic gardens beyond.  To the left, there’s a quiet study nook with space for a large desk, or an armchair to curl up with a book.  There’s also a downstairs cloakroom and WC off the entrance hall.

Culinary Delights

The beating heart of Duchy Rag House is undoubtedly the inviting farmhouse kitchen.  Whether you’re hosting a grand dinner party or preparing a quiet family supper, this well-appointed kitchen has all the space and modern appliances you need.  There’s a traditional range as well as a useful induction hob and modern Neff oven, making cooking a breeze.  The hand-built cabinetry offers plenty of storage space and cleverly hides the integrated dishwasher.  The kitchen is spacious enough to accommodate a dining table for ten and opens out into a conservatory seating area with wonderful views over the gardens.  This versatile conservatory area seamlessly extends the living space, and with double doors onto the terrace, provides an ideal spot for relaxation, entertaining or enjoying the serenity of the outdoors, regardless of the weather.  Leading off the kitchen is a useful utility room with plumbing for washing machine and tumble dryer, and direct access to the garden.

Space For All the Family

You’ll discover four comfortable and spacious reception rooms at Duchy Rag House to entertain, relax and spend time with family and friends.  The recent extension by the current owners has created a ‘West Wing’ to the house with a formal drawing room, grand dining room and a second staircase leading up to two ensuite bedrooms.

These additional living spaces blend effortlessly with the original house and have created an additional 1000 square feet of elegant accommodation.  The beautifully proportioned drawing room is flooded with natural light thanks to a large bay window on one side and double French doors leading to the garden on the other.  A feature fireplace with wood burning stove forms the central focal point of this charming room – perfect for an after-dinner drink with guests or for quiet relaxation. 

The feeling of light and space continues into the dining room which can comfortably seat twelve for convivial dinner parties and wonderful family celebrations (Christmas lunch in this room is a very special event!).  For cosy nights in, the sitting room leading off the kitchen is the perfect spot to curl up with a book or watch TV in front of the open fire. 

Sweet Dreams

After a long day, retire to one of the five beautifully appointed bedrooms.  There’s also a potential sixth bedroom which is currently used as a home office. 

The principal bedroom and bedroom 2 are accessed via their own staircase on the west wing of the house, creating the ultimate private retreat.   The principal bedroom suite is a haven of tranquillity, with triple-aspect windows creating a feeling of light and space, and wonderful views over the gardens and open countryside.  Built-in wardrobes provide ample storage, and there’s a luxuriously appointed shower room too.  Bedroom 2 has beautiful views over the gardens to the rear and an ensuite bathroom with corner bath.

Bedroom 3, on the other side of the house, is a super guest suite that your visitors may not want to leave!  Super-spacious with ensuite shower room and built-in storage, this lovely room offers fantastic views.  Bedrooms 4 and 5 are of a similar size so if you have children there’ll be no arguments over who gets the ‘best’ room.  They share the family bathroom with bath and separate shower cubicle.

Step Outside

Beautifully designed to make the most of their natural surroundings and to catch the sun at all times of the day, the gardens at Duchy Rag House are a delight.   Bordered by mature hedging to create privacy, there are large lawns where children can play, and shady spots under trees to relax on a warm day.  For the green-fingered, there is excellent potential to create a large vegetable garden, plus a useful storage shed.

The sweeping expanse of lawn at the rear draws your eye down and beyond to the adjoining paddock and the picturesque beauty of the surrounding countryside, whilst the entertaining terrace running almost the entire width of the house offers space for a large dining table and seating area.   There’s also a sun-trap patio to the side of the house – a lovely sheltered spot for morning coffee and the papers.  Extending to around an acre, in total, the garden is bordered by an adjoining paddock which offers possibilities for equestrian enthusiasts (the riding out here is superb), or for other outdoor activities.

In addition to the ample driveway parking at the front of the house, there’s also a large double garage with electric up and over doors, with space for two cars or extra storage.

A Sublime Location

The idyllic Wiltshire countryside on the doorstep of Duchy Rag House was featured in the opening credits of the London 2012 Olympics.  The River Thames and endless lakes offer a whole range of leisure options for outdoorsy types, and there are superb walks along footpaths and bridleways accessed directly from the house.

Minety is a thriving village with lots going on, from sports clubs (the village has its own football team), to an art club, a music festival and a walking club.  The community shop is open seven days a week and offers a good range of store-cupboard essentials, fresh and frozen food as well as bakery items, wine and beer, fresh coffee and hot drinks.

This edge-of-Cotswolds location is close to the Cotswold Water Park – a 40 square mile nature haven of 180 lakes created from gravel quarries. If you want to sail, water-ski, paddleboard, fish, or go bird-watching, it’s made to measure!

Nearby Cirencester is hailed at the ‘Capital of the Cotswolds’ – it’s a charming town with a lovely range of independent shops and boutiques and a twice-weekly market.  There’s a large Waitrose on the edge of the town for the weekly shop.

Transport links here are excellent.  Commuters can hop on a train to London at Kemble station with a journey time of around 80 minutes. Swindon station also has frequent trains to London Paddington in 55 minutes.  By road, it’s a straightforward drive of around 8 miles to Junction 16 of the M4 for access to London or the West Country.

There’s a good choice of independent schools locally including Hatherop Castle, Rendcombe College, Prior Park, Cricklade Manor Prep, Pinewood, Dean Close, Cheltenham College and Cheltenham Ladies’ College.  There are transport options available to award-winning grammar schools in Cheltenham, Stroud and Gloucester as well as well-regarded state schools in Fairford, Cirencester and Malmesbury.

FINER DETAILS:

Square Footage:                    

Main House: 3191 sq ft / 324 sq mt

Garage: 335 sq ft / 31.1 sq mt

Total: 3826 sq ft / 355.4 sq mt

Tenure:                       Freehold with Vacant Possession

EPC:                             E

Council Tax Band:       G

Local Authority:          Wiltshire District Council | Wiltshire.gov.uk

Distances:                   Minety 2 miles
                                    Cirencester 8.5 miles
                                    Malmesbury 10 miles
                                    Swindon Station 11 miles 

Services:                     Oil-fired central heating, mains water, private drainage, mains electricity

What3Words:             w3w.co/smile.asterisk.stylist