The Lodge, Scorton Hall Park, Scorton, Preston, PR3 1DQ

Packed with character, this delightful lodge has an entrance hall, bespoke fitted kitchen, cosy sitting room, atmospheric dining room, a staircase set within a turret (yes!), two double bedrooms and a bathroom. 

Within the stunning private garden is a detached garden room with log burner which lends itself to being a space for entertaining, gym or home workspace.  There is also a separate detached stone building offering a workshop, laundry room and cloaks with WC which has scope to be annexe accommodation for a family member (subject to planning permission). There is also a glass walled single garage and a sweet gazebo. To the side of the property are attractive iron driveway gates and secure parking for several cars.

Unique, characterful and quirky – this is a delightful period home. The Lodge will suit buyers seeking a main residence, a bolt hole as an antidote for a busy working life or as an investment property for letting out on the holiday home market.

Setting and location mean a lot, the access to the country estate is no more and The Lodge now stands at the entry to a smart cul-de-sac of eight houses. Surprisingly private it is sometimes easy to forget that it stands so centrally in this delightful village; Scorton is a sought after place to live as it provides residents with a vibrant and active local community, a handy shop, a school, great places to eat as well as super accessibility for the A6 and M6 as well as ready access to some delightful walking country.  

Location

Within the Scorton Conservation Area, The Lodge enjoys a central position convenient for all that this charming village has on offer; an active local community with a primary school, children’s play park, church and village hall, Spar shop for essentials, gift shop, garden centre and several places to enjoy a bite to eat or a drink. It’s a popular destination for a drive out, afternoon tea or ice cream and also as a stop off mid ride for cyclists as so many routes pass locally. 

Garstang is on hand for your wider day-to-day needs; there are branches of Booths, Sainsbury’s and Aldi as well as a busy high street with a great selection of independent retailers and a weekly market. 

When the bright lights beckon, you’re conveniently into Lancaster which offers a full range of commercial and recreational facilities including a wide selection of restaurants serving cuisine from around the world as well as a great shopping experience with most of the town centre being pedestrianized. Culturally, there is a choice of theatres and cinemas and an established arts and music scene with festivals and events throughout the year. Major employers in the area, there are also two universities and both private and NHS hospitals. 

If it is access to the great outdoors that’s important to you then Scorton is a popular spot as there are several routes that start in the village centre. The millennium way route to Garstang is popular and to the east of the village is the hill, Nicky Nook. Well worth the climb as from the top you have arguably the best view in Lancashire with a 360-degree panorama that encompasses Morecambe Bay, Blackpool Tower, the Lake District fells and even the outline of the Isle of Man on a clear day. Breathtaking! 

It's also on the edge of the Forest of Bowland (otherwise known as the Bowland Fells), an  Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covering 32 sq miles with fells, deep valleys, ancient woodlands, sprawling heather and peat moorland. It offers many opportunities for outdoor adventure with an extensive network of lanes, footpaths and bridle paths for walking, running and cycling. 

Another of Scorton’s charms is the sheer accessibility of the village, so whether you need to travel for business, family commitments or social engagements, transport links are to hand with convenient access onto the A6 and M6 at J33, plus, there is a train station on the main West Coast line at Lancaster. 

Vendor Insight

There’s a brilliant sense of community in Scorton with lots of events held in the village hall and at The Barn; you can join in or not, there’s no pressure. The church field is great for giving dogs a good run around; it’s enclosed and safe. Whilst it can be touristy during the day, it’s quiet in the evenings. All in all, a lovely place to live, that’s why we’ve stayed so long. The A6 is very handy with several routes into the village and the M6 is accessible, especially via Forton Services.

Step inside 

If you enjoy the character of an older property, then The Lodge has much on offer as the upgrading undertaken has been respectful of period features and as many as possible have been retained. Step inside through a lovely old front door to the hallway, the spiral stairs are set into a striking corner turret with three tall windows as you ascend. Internally there are stripped pine doors and in the dining room the alcove cupboard doors are also stripped pine. The kitchen and sitting room floors are both stone flagged, the dining room has a delightful period fire surround with an open grate and a copper hood and upstairs, the second bedroom also retains a period feature fireplace. 

Characterful touches have been introduced along the way, such as the artisan stone light fittings in the stairwell and the sitting room. There are stone shelves in the kitchen and stone splash backs too. Oak fronted kitchen cabinets have been joiner made to make the most effective use of space – after all, it’s not always about the space on offer, it’s what you do with it! The kitchen leads through a side vestibule to the garden, this provides space for a fridge freezer. 

Whilst parts of The Lodge are deeply steeped in the past, it also has been updated to provide the conveniences of modern day living; the windows are all uPVC and there is gas fired central heating. A wood burning stove has been installed in the sitting room where French windows open to the garden terrace providing not only a delightful view of the garden but enable a sense of flow to the outside during warmer months. 

Rising to the first floor and there are two delightful double bedrooms. The main bedroom has a dual aspect enabling a lovely view out to the garden, there are two double joiner made built-in pine wardrobes and access to the eaves space for additional and accessible storage. The second bedroom also has a dual aspect and a super high ceiling. The refitted bathroom offers the best of both worlds with an oval free-standing bath for when you have the time for a leisurely, relaxing soak and a separate shower with a rainfall shower head for when time doesn’t permit. A heritage style loo has a high-level cistern and there is a pedestal wash basin. The floor is tiled in a contemporary, wood look style and there is a chrome heated towel rail. 

Vendor Insight

In the morning, the sun comes into the sitting room first of all and then during the course of the day, moves round into the kitchen. It’s so homely here in the colder months. We light the stove and hunker down, it’s wonderfully cosy. 

Step outside

Arriving at The Lodge and the keen observer will notice the unusual garden wall as it features five sided stones. Passing the property and to the side is the off road parking area, this is gated to the garden, making the garden secure for children and dogs. The majority of the outside space is to the west of The Lodge, the central section being laid to lawn with stepping stones leading across, there’s also a charming pond and numerous bird boxes to encourage feathered visitors. The garden is well stocked with flowering bulbs, starting off the seasonal displays are snowdrops, followed by daffodils, tulips, bluebells and crocuses. The hostas and wild garlic are lovely and the clematis growing up the sycamore tree is an eye-catching centerpiece in May. Edged in trees, the garden is wonderfully private; you’d never know that you are in the centre of the village. The foliage and colours are varied with mature sycamores, hollies as well as copper and green beech trees.

One of the unique features of The Lodge is the outbuildings, each one adding another layer of practicality and potential enjoyment to the overall property. Firstly, the detached garden room is an absolute delight. Once inside, floor to ceiling windows on three sides incorporating two sets of glazed doors provide wonderful views of the garden as greenery surrounds. The floor is flagged and there is a wood burning stove as well as exposed roofing timbers and a pine close boarded ceiling. Let your imagination run free – office, gym, craft space or a room for entertaining – it would make the most magical setting for a candlelit dinner party any time of the year. We absolutely adore it! Round the back, tuck away, the roof overhangs and enables logs for the wood burners to be stored out of the rain. For a house with two stoves, there’s a second smaller log store by the parking area. 

Second to mention is a detached stone and slated outbuilding which features reclaimed leaded windows and arched doors for a whimsical architectural touch. Very practical in its purpose, a third of the space is given over to a utility room combined with a garden cloakroom; it has a loo and wash basin, plumbing for a washing machine and space for a condenser drier. Handy if you are working in the garden or for guests if you are hosting in the garden room. The remaining two thirds of the outbuilding is then devoted to a workshop. 

Third is a striking garage, open at one end and with three glass walls - designed by previous owners to house and enable admiration of their high-performance sports car, it would lend itself to other, more modest vehicles or purposes! 

Finally, there is a charming gazebo, shingle clad elevations under a wooden roof. There’s power laid on so you could festoon it with lights – a pretty sight at the far end of the garden. 

Vendor insight 

From spring onwards, we spend a lot of time in the garden where we have a choice of seating areas so we can follow the sun around or seek shade when needed. In particular, the terrace is lovely and sunny. We have lots of lights up outside so after dusk it all looks quite magical. 

We get our fair share of wildlife here too; lots of birds but also wood pigeons, pheasants and squirrels. We’re in our own little world here and we’ve absolutely loved it. 

Schools

Primary

Scorton CoE Primary School

Cockerham Parochial CoE Primary School

Dolphinholme CoE Primary School 

There is a selection of primary schools in Lancaster and Garstang

Secondary

Lancaster Royal Grammar School and Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School

Ripley St Thomas CoE Academy, Lancaster 

Kirkham Grammar School 

Garstang Community Academy, Garstang

Further Education

In Lancaster - Lancaster University and a campus of the University of Cumbria

In Preston - University of Central Lancashire UCLan and Preston College

Lancaster and Morecambe College

Myerscough College

Services

Mains electricity, gas, water and drainage. Gas fired central heating. 

Broadband

Ultrafast speed potentially available from Openreach of 1000 Mbps download and for uploading 220 Mbps. 

Mobile

Indoor: O2 is reported as ‘likely’ for both Voice and Data services. However, EE, Three and Vodafone are reported as ‘limited’ for both Voice and Data services.

Outdoor: EE, Three, O2 and Vodaphone all report ‘likely’ services for both Voice and Data.

Broadband and mobile information provided by Ofcom.

Local Authority charges 

Wyre Borough Council  – Council Tax band E

Tenure

Freehold 

Included in the sale 

Fitted carpets, curtains, curtain poles, blinds, light fittings and integral kitchen appliances as follows: Classic Deluxe range cooker (five gas hobs, two electric ovens and grill), Bosch dishwasher and a fridge freezer.  

Directions 

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Use Sat Nav PR3 1DQ with reference to the directions below:

Whether approaching from Preston or Lancaster Scorton is well signed and easy to reach off the A6. Once in the centre of the village locate the Spar shop on the main road. Almost opposite this is a junction for a cul-de-sac, splayed with a bench on the verges either side. Turn here, The Lodge is the first house on the right, parking is immediately after the property.