Croft Farm, Scarrowmanwick, Croglin, Carlisle, Cumbria

Accommodation in Brief
Entrance Hall | Laundry/WC | Dining/Reception Hall | Sitting Room | Library/Study Area | Office | Kitchen/Dining Room | Principal Bedroom with Adjacent Bathroom | Three Further Bedrooms | Bathroom

Open Fronted Garden Room | Garden Store | Boiler Room | Herb Garden | Vegetable Beds | Orchard | Paddock

Extensive Courtyard Parking | Dutch Barn | Workshop/Garage | Tack Room/Storage | Byre | River and Stream | Around 13.8 Acres

The Property
Croft Farm is an attractive, traditional stone-built Cumberland farmhouse, which combines period features with modern facilities. Set in a wonderfully tranquil and rural position up a lane accessed only by Croft Farm and neighbours, with unrivalled open views, it is a perfect opportunity to live the country lifestyle while remaining connected to the world.

Accessing the property from the original farmyard leads into the entrance hall with an incredibly useful laundry/cloakroom/WC, ideal for keeping muddy boots and clothes out of the rest of the house! A bright and warm reception and dining hall with wooden beams and tiled floor houses the stairs to the first floor in the corner. To the right is a spacious sitting room, which offers an abundance of natural light from the many windows and two sets of doors into the gardens and orchard. Full of period features, this room includes original beams and joists, along with a stone fireplace containing a multi-fuel stove. To the side of the sitting room is a library and study area, along with an exceptionally quiet office or music room.

To the other side of the reception/dining hall, a door leads through into the kitchen, designed using the principle of interlocking activity zones for improved ergonomics and enhanced liveability. This room has a perfect vintage farmhouse kitchen feel, with its AGA, Belfast sink and Shaker-style units, yet the colour palette is modern and stylish. The original barn doorway now hosts a double-height window that overlooks the ample dining area, providing a very special feature. Two double-glazed oak doors lead out from this room, one onto the rear kitchen garden and the other into the open-fronted garden room; a brilliant outdoor entertaining area, sheltered from the elements so the party can continue no matter what the weather!

On the first floor, the principal bedroom is a wonderful open space with windows on three sides, build-in storage and lovely period touches, such as the traditional wooden doors, beams and window shutters. The three further bedrooms are also light, bright spaces making the most of the amazing views. One is currently used as an office/art studio, but would make an attractive fourth bedroom. Just beside the principal bedroom is a smart bathroom with WC, sink and bath. The principal bedroom and this bathroom are off to one side of the landing, whilst the remaining bedrooms and a second bathroom, with WC, sink and bath with shower attachment, are situated at the opposite end of the house.

Externally
Croft Farm occupies a fantastic rural position that includes outbuildings, fields and cottage-style gardens. Across the yard from the house is an impressive Dutch barn and a range of outbuildings suitable for conversion, subject to planning permission. Flanking this barn is a garage and workshop and a large storage space that was until recently the tack room for the owners’ horses. To the rear of the barn is a byre, formerly the horses’ stable, but now used for sheltered parking and charging electric cars. Extensive parking is available on the hardstanding of the yard.

There are gardens to the rear of the house, separated by a delightful cobbled path to the door into the sitting room. On one side is a herb garden with gravelled pathways leading through planted beds and hedges to the orchard garden, hosting springtime daffodils and snowdrops, a play area and somewhere to hang a hammock. On the other side of the cobbled path is the kitchen lawn, with a raised vegetable bed and access to the garden room, the garden store and a boiler room.

The land extends to approximately 13.8 acres in total, including a stream running through the fields. The views are sensational, reaching over the magnificent rolling countryside to the mountains of the Lake District. This is an amazing opportunity for parties interested in acquiring a rural smallholding, a countryside lifestyle or looking for extra outdoor possibilities. Yet even in this rural splendour, the high-bandwidth broadband connection would enable people in all professions to provide online services worldwide from one of England’s most peaceful and relaxing rural hideaways.

Croglin Water, which marks the northern boundary of the estate provides opportunities for the hardy to experience the joys of wild swimming in 10-foot-deep pools. The river supports an abundance of hard-fighting brown trout which can be caught using the technique of upstream worming. Rabbit and the occasional iterant pheasant or grouse can also enrich the supper table, as the sporting and fishing rights are believed to reside with the occupants and have been exercised by the current owners.

Local Information
Croft Farm is situated in the hamlet of Scarrowmanwick, between the villages of Croglin and Renwick in the picturesque Eden Valley, close to the famous Hartside Pass. The property is within the boundary of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which hosts a wealth of wildlife including deer, red squirrels, otter, barn owls and black grouse. The surrounding area provides excellent local walks through nearby woodland and riverside paths along the River Eden; for keen cyclists, several cross-country cycle paths pass nearby, including the coast-to-coast route. The Eden Valley is popular with walkers and visitors looking to escape the usual crowded tourist spots and this river offers many private locations for wild swimming.

Nearby Kirkoswald is just over four miles away and is a pretty village with two traditional village pubs, a village hall, community shop and a post office. Just over the river, Lazonby offers a Cooperative store, a railway station and open-air swimming pool. The thriving market town of Penrith provides further amenities and a good range of shops including an M&S Food, Booths supermarket, Sainsbury’s and a range of high-end local shops. The city of Carlisle is less than 30 minutes away, with its social, leisure, retail and cultural opportunities alongside the impressive cathedral and castle. The property is also well located for access to the Lake District National Park, the northern Pennines, Hadrian’s Wall and the Solway coast.

There are primary schools in Castle Carrock and Kirkoswald, while senior schooling is available in Penrith at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School or Ullswater Community College, or in Brampton at William Howard. Hunter Hall School in Penrith is an independent school for 3- to 11-year-olds, whilst Austin Friars in Carlisle offers independent day education at Nursery, Junior and Senior levels.

For the commuter, the M6 is within easy reach for onward travel both north and south, and the city of Newcastle is an hour’s drive on a scenic route over Hartside and through Alston. The Fellside bus provides services to Penrith and Carlisle. Main line rail travel is available at Penrith, providing fast and frequent travel to London in around three hours and to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester and Liverpool. The rail stations at Carlisle and Brampton provide regular trains east to Hexham and Newcastle. Lazonby and Armathwaite stations are on the famous Settle-Carlisle Railway, providing regular daily services to Carlisle, Appleby, Skipton and Leeds.

Approximate Mileages
Kirkoswald 4.8 miles | Penrith 13.3 miles | Alston 13.4 miles | M6 J41 13.1 miles | Carlisle 15.5 miles

Services
Mains electricity. Private water borehole with free six-monthly testing programme. Drainage to septic tank. 6-26kW Grant biomass boiler with 3.5 tonne pellet hopper providing heating and hot water. 1.5kW (peak) solar panels with capacity to upgrade to 5kW. Gigabit Fibre to the Premises Internet connectivity supplied by Broadband for the Rural North (B4RN), giving 15mS typical latency with availability typically exceeding 99.95%.

Wayleaves, Easements & Rights of Way
The property is being sold subject to all existing wayleaves, easements and rights of way, whether or not specified within the sales particulars.

Agents Note to Purchasers
We strive to ensure all property details are accurate, however, they are not to be relied upon as statements of representation or fact and do not constitute or form part of an offer or any contract. All measurements and floor plans have been prepared as a guide only. All services, systems and appliances listed in the details have not been tested by us and no guarantee is given to their operating ability or efficiency. Please be advised that some information may be awaiting vendor approval.

Submitting an Offer
Please note that all offers will require financial verification including mortgage agreement in principle, proof of deposit funds, proof of available cash and full chain details including selling agents and solicitors down the chain. To comply with Money Laundering Regulations, we require proof of identification from all buyers before acceptance letters are sent and solicitors can be instructed.