West Chelborough, Dorchester, DT2.

With origins dating back to Saxon Britain and mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, Manor Farm is a fine Grade II listed example of a large, two storey Dorset farmhouse and is built of local stone under a Welsh slate roof with stone tiled eaves. The house was built in the 16th century with an east range added a century later and then subsequently refashioned in the 18th century.

The property has been extensively refurbished and updated over the last five years with great care being taken to do everything sympathetically to preserve the house's charm and character. It has many original architectural fittings including fine fireplaces, stone mullion windows, window seats and ceiling timbers. Some are possibly medieval and pre-date the existing house indicating that they were probably retained from an earlier residence.

The front of the house faces south looking out onto the property's medieval-era tithe barn, whilst the rear has views out over the garden to gorgeous, unspoilt countryside beyond. It has four good-sized reception rooms and a superb kitchen/breakfast room with windows on both sides of the house, an inglenook fireplace fitted with a wood-burning stove, pale, honey-coloured parquet floor and plenty of space for cooking, relaxing and dining. It has also been fitted with bespoke painted timber units including a very large central island under white marble work surfaces and a 2-oven electric eControl AGA.

Beyond the sitting room is the laundry and boot room, which is perfect for a busy family home deep in the countryside with plenty of space for wellington boots, wet coats and muddy dogs. It is fitted with bespoke units that incorporate a small dog-bath and hand shower. On the first floor are the master bedroom with walk-through dressing area
and en suite bathroom, four further bedrooms, and two bathrooms. Within the roof space are two further double bedrooms off a central landing.

Manor Farm is approached along a tarmac drive leading up to a gravelled parking area in front of the house. Immediately facing the house are a traditional stone-built tithe barn thought to pre-date the 16th century and a stone built granary and cart shed incorporating a boarded granary on its upper floor and two stables.

Behind the barn is the former dairy yard with stone-built cow byres on two sides. The yard encloses a further garden with a central pond surround by a lawn framed with box. All the outbuildings have been refurbished to add space for recreation, entertaining and storage.

The garden lies to the sides and rear of the house, with an extensive lawn on one side plus a further lawn to the rear of the house enclosed by mature hedging. Beyond it is a pretty parterre garden of clipped box enclosures planted with perennials and shrub roses.

Beyond is a wilder section of garden incorporating a stand of mixed specimen trees plus a greenhouse. To one side of the barn is a small triangular area of sloping paddock enclosed by fencing. In all the garden extends to about 2.22 acres (0.90 hectare).

Manor Farm is situated at the end of a no-through lane in West Chelborough, a small community of houses grouped around the parish church. The village is surrounded by pretty countryside in a tranquil setting about 2.5 miles from the village of Evershot, which has The Acorn Inn pub, post office/shop, bakery, village hall, GP surgery, primary school and the 5-star Summer Lodge Country House Hotel.

The nearby small towns of Beaminster and Crewkerne both have a good range of shops able to meet most day-today needs including a Waitrose and weekly country market and monthly farmer's market in Crewkerne.

The county town of Dorchester has regular rail services to Waterloo, Bristol Temple Meads and Weymouth. The airports at Bournemouth, Exeter and Southampton are all relatively close by offering connections to many UK and international destinations.

Dorset is blessed with a wide choice of popular schools from both the state and independent sectors including the well-regarded Thomas Hardye School (State secondary) Dorchester plus Bryanston, Bryanston Prep, Milton Abbey, Clayesmore and the Sherborne schools from the independent sector.