Rooks Nest, Lydeard St. Lawrence, Taunton, TA4

Set on the lower slope of Willett Hill in a beautiful landscape of lush, unspoilt countryside, Truckwell Manor Farm has a truly enviable setting surrounded by over 42 acres of its own land. The house itself is a charming, solid and well maintained stone farm house and has been adapted and modernised to accommodate modern family life. It was built in 1870 and is a lovely example of a mid-Victorian farmhouse with fine, attendant outbuildings of the same vintage. Some have tile roofs and are built of distinctive, pink-hued Upper Devonian sandstone, which seems to vary greatly in tone and colour depending on the level of ambient sunlight. The front of the house faces southwest and therefore catches the best of the available natural light and sun throughout the day. All three receptions plus the kitchen/breakfast room are arranged in a line to gain full advantage of this and have a wonderful outlook across the valley towards the steep-sided hillsides opposite. The house has been the much-loved home of the current owners for many years having clearly been well looked after over time and today is beautifully presented. As was typical of the period the house's large rooms are well laid out and have excellent ceiling height and tall, wide windows. These allow in masses of natural light providing a lovely light and airy feel throughout.

The house is unlisted and has been sympathetically refurbished to a very high standard. The snug and large kitchen/breakfast are immediately adjacent to one another forming a fantastic family-centric hub and the latter has plenty of space for a good-sized dining and seating area at one end. It also has windows on two sides looking out at the view including French windows that open to the garden and is fitted with a two-oven AGA. Upstairs there are five double bedrooms off a centrally positioned landing, all of which look out across the surrounding countryside. The principal bedroom has an en suite bathroom and connecting doors to a separate WC and further bedroom creating a suite of rooms if desired.

The house is approached via a long sweeping drive that passes below the house to a tarmac parking area for several cars. There is extensive and exciting development potential due to the various outbuildings and a large L-shaped barn conversion/annexe situated beside the main house. In addition to this, there is a further stone-built linhay barn with stunning views, set back behind the main house, offering further development opportunities subject to consent. A generous and well thought-out woodstore behind the house allows for easy fuelling of the wood burners. The farm land consists of sloping pasture divided into seven enclosures and two small woodland areas, all bound by mature field hedging and native trees as well as a stream which runs the entire length of the bottom of the farm. The garden is designed to be easily maintained and consists of a series of level lawns with one extending out on one side of the house bound by mature hedging and with a vegetable garden at its centre.

The remainder of the land consists principally of sloping pasture divided into seven enclosures along with two small areas of woodland, all bound by mature field hedging and native trees as well as a stream which runs the entire length of the bottom of the farm. Approximately 100 yards up the hillside behind the house and accessed via a farm track is a further stone-built barn with amazing views and development potential subject to consent. Adjacent to the barn is a spring-fed reservoir that supplies the house with water. The property has the unique and enviable benefit of abutting and having direct access to Forestry Commission land, thus extending the already generous roaming access to Willet Hill and Willet tower.

Truckwell Manor Farm is situated inside the hamlet of Rooks Nest amidst beautiful and unspoilt countryside within the Quantock Hills AONB and between the villages of Lydeard St. Lawrence and Stogumber. Both are thriving communities and each have a parish church, primary school, active cricket club and village hall. In addition, the latter has a village store and post office and hosts an annual music and beer festival. Wellington has a good range of shops and local businesses able to meet most needs including a Waitrose supermarket and Taunton is also within easy reach for wider requirements. For regional transport links the M5 is within a reasonable driving distance, Taunton has direct rail services to Bristol Temple Meads (52 minutes) and Paddington (1 hour 39 minutes) and both Exeter and Bristol airports are within reach. There is an excellent range of schooling available from both the State and independent sectors. From the latter Wellington School, Taunton School, King's and Queen's Colleges in Taunton, and Blundells and their associated prep schools are all within a 15-mile radius.