Mount Pleasant, Bolton Le Sands, LA5 8AD

Substantial and soulful, believed to date back as far as the 1700s with a mid-Victorian extension, Grade II Listed Mount Pleasant, set in approximately 3.12 acres, is a distinguished example of a former farmhouse, gentrified to create an impressive period home with generous accommodation displaying a wealth of fine period features. 

Immensely characterful and rich in history, the beautifully proportioned accommodation is arranged over two floors. There are two impressive reception rooms connecting to a conservatory, a farmhouse kitchen, large pantry, utility and cloakroom. To the first floor there are five double bedrooms, a large bathroom, shower room and a dressing room.

Outside stands a fine detached barn which provides garaging, storage and a highly versatile reception or hobbies space on the first floor.  Attached to the barn are a pair of stables. 

A fabulous walled garden has planted grape vines, an orchard of apple and pear trees and standing in the southernmost corner, a unique Victorian tower overlooking Morecambe Bay. 

There is a large area for parking, a tractor shed and garden store, woodland and paddock.

Previously the most northerly productive vineyard in England, Mount Pleasant is an exciting and unique property with appeal to families and couples alike, especially those looking to work from home, entertain frequently, accommodate hobbies or equestrian interests.  

Now looking a little tired, this is an unrivalled opportunity to take this unique property to the next level, working on improvements already undertaken and putting your own stamp on it, creating a forever home. Not so much a house as a lifestyle opportunity with house, barn, gardens and land – a rarity indeed. 

Historic England

Mount Pleasant is Grade II Listed, the schedule listed online provides the following detail: 

House, early C19th. Rendered rubble with sandstone dressings and slate roof. Symmetrical facade of 2 storeys and 3 bays. Sashed windows in plain stone surrounds. Porch of 2 pilasters with sunken and moulded panels supporting a lintel with dentilled cornice. Left-hand return wall has 2 sashed windows in plain stone surrounds on each floor. Between, on the ground floor, is a small stone surround with fixed window. Purlins project at gables. Barn also listed, in Carnforth C.P. (q.v.)

Location

An advantageous location for those looking to enjoy a leafy and rural setting whilst maintaining accessibility for local services and amenities in Bolton-le-Sands (just over a mile away) and nearby Carnforth and Lancaster. 

However you are travelling, Bolton-le-Sands is highly accessible with regular bus services from the village, Lancaster and Carnforth train stations are within easy reach and access to the M6 motorway is either at junction 34 (Lancaster) or 35 (Carnforth) depending on the direction of your travel. 

The closest town is Carnforth with a train station on the Bentham and Furness branch line having direct services to Manchester Airport and Leeds. Carnforth offers a busy high street of shops and services with supermarket shopping at Booths, Tesco, Aldi and the Co-op.

If you enjoy walking, running or cycling then both Lancaster Canal and the sea front are a short distance away, offering wonderful routes along the tow path and shoreline. If you are drawn to higher peaks, then the fells and hills of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks are perfect for day trips as is the coastal AONB at Arnside and Silverdale and by contrast, the Forest of Bowland AONB which has access to wide open moorland.  

The Georgian city of Lancaster has much to offer in terms of retail, social and commercial opportunities. Much of the town centre is pedestrianised making for a pleasurable shopping experience with cuisines from all around the world represented in a host of restaurants, cafes, bars and takeaways. There is a vibrant cultural scene with two theatres, two cinemas and an arts centre as well as excellent communication links thanks to the station being on the main West Coast line with frequent services to London Euston, Edinburgh, Manchester and Manchester airport.

Step inside 

Richly layered and possessing tremendous personality, Mount Pleasant will be sure to appeal to those appreciative of period properties. Excellent proportions provide high ceilings with tall windows, the architectural detailing is impressive and worthy of note. 

There are original and working fireplaces in the double drawing room with a fire basket (formerly two rooms now connected with a large arch), the dining room which has a fitted wood burning stove and, in the kitchen, a second wood burning stove. On top of this, three of the five bedrooms have charming decorative fireplaces.  The internal joinery is an absolute treat – an impressive staircase, substantial paneled doors, alcove cupboards, sash windows, some with shutters, architraves and deep skirting boards. There is much original plasterwork in the form of ceiling cornices, archways, roses and in the drawing room, whimsical and decorative cherubs. Flooring includes Victorian tiles, old oak boards and stone flags.  

The pantry is wonderfully authentic and as useful now as the day it was built, there are stone benches and glazed wall cabinets. Other smaller period details include an 1863 date stone above the front door, stained glass panels and brass stair rods. 

A walk round of the house offers a dramatic staircase hall, an imposing double drawing room through to the conservatory complete with grape vine, an atmospheric dining room, a farmhouse kitchen backed up with an authentic pantry, useful utility room and downstairs cloakroom. The elegant staircase rises to the first floor which is split front and back where the house was historically extended. The principal bedroom is at the front and has an adjacent dressing room, which subject to the necessary consents, could present an opportunity for an ensuite. There are four further double bedrooms, all enjoying good views. The house bathroom is a stunning and sizeable affair which will be sure to bring a touch of grandeur to your bathing. Completing the first floor picture is a shower room with a separate lavatory. 

Where the house has been updated it has been undertaken in a gentle and sympathetic manner, completely at ease with the historic nature of the property; the kitchen features an Aga, Belfast sink and joiner made cabinets topped with black granite worktops. The shower room has a large cubicle and a vanity unit with a separate lavatory and the super bathroom has a freestanding slipper bath, a large shower, twin wash basins on stands with granite surrounds and a lavatory with a high-level flush. 

Whilst certain works have been undertaken it would be fair to say that Mount Pleasant is now in need of some TLC but without doubt offers buyers with vision the opportunity of a rewarding project to realise the immense potential of this unique period property.

Step outside

A walled garden is a rare thing in these parts, here the immensely private walled garden is mainly grassed and the upper part has been given over to vines. Although currently dormant, the vineyard historically produced 300 bottles per year (200 red and 100 white) however if viticulture was not an interest the plot could revert to lawn or be landscaped to a design of your choosing. In the furthest most corner stands a fabulous Victorian tower, absolutely charming and offering panoramic views across Morecambe Bay from the first floor. As well as the vines within the walled garden there are apple and pear trees and a chicken coop. 

The garden at the back of the house has further vines, a useful garden store and a seating area near the back door which the owners tell us is very pleasant in the summer; it is handy for the kitchen if dining outside. Adjacent to part of the garden is the main parcel of woodland; an adventure playground for children with plenty of scope for dens, tree swings and treehouses. 

The Barn 

Standing opposite the house is a most impressive, detached barn, as with the house it is rich in architectural detail and bears a carved stone inscribed MD CCC XXXVI. Built to a grand design, it features arches and quoin stones with an ecclesiastical aesthetic. On the ground floor the central section has a concrete floor and could house three cars, perfect for a classic collection. Former shippons either side now provide good storage and a spiral staircase rises to the first floor which is one big space with a gallery around the central garage area. This is the most versatile of areas – great as a party space, the high ceilings, exposed trusses and stonework create the perfect back drop for entertaining or for dedicated hobbies, as a work studio, cinema or games room. For those with horses or ponies, attached are two stables with a first floor store above and on the opposite side of the lane is the field.

Between the house and the barn is a large parking area and a useful tractor shed for housing garden machinery. 

For those looking to embrace a country lifestyle in an immensely private period property with the advantage of a substantial and versatile barn, this is a wonderful opportunity, you just need plenty of imagination to realise its full potential. 

Services

Mains electricity and water. Central heating and hot water from an air source heat pump backed up by a diesel boiler. Private drainage to a septic tank. There are four solar panels. Electric Aga. 

Barn - Three phase electric and light. Wall mounted electric heaters.

Lancaster City Council – Council Tax band G

Tenure - Freehold

Broadband

Standard speed potentially available from Openreach of 16 Mbps download and for uploading 1 Mbps. 

Included in the sale 

Light fittings and the Aga. The carpets, blinds, curtains and poles are excluded. 

Please note

Shared ownership of lane with nearby farm from after the cottage on the lane with a shared maintenance responsibility. 

Directions 

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Use Sat Nav LA5 8AD with reference to the directions below:

Travelling north on the A6 into Bolton-le-Sands, pass the Fire Station on the left and turn right onto St Michael’s Lane. Arriving at the T junction opposite the church, turn right onto Main Road and then immediately left onto Bolton Lane, take the first left onto Mount Pleasant Lane and continue for approximately 1 mile, Mount Pleasant is on the left.