Blackmore End, Hanley Swan, WR8

This fabulous family home is nestled in its 6 acres and is perfectly positioned on the edge of the village with far reaching views across to The Malvern Hills.With a separate Coach house and various outbuildings, this much loved home is a brilliant option for those who want to combine the tranquility of rural living with the community and convenience of a great village.

Set amidst the glorious South Worcestershire countryside with views towards the Malvern Hills, Blackmore Grange is a spectacular five-bedroom country house full of character, charm and potential.

Offering just over 5,000 sq ft of flexible space plus six acres of manicured English country gardens and paddocks, the current owners describe it as “the perfect family home”.

It’s peacefully located on the outskirts of the sought-after village of Hanley Swan approximately equidistant between Malvern and Upton-upon-Severn.  This enviably well-served community boasts a village stores and post office, primary school and a popular foodie pub.

A converted two-storey coach house adjacent to the main house has a variety of uses and, with the installation of a kitchen and bathroom, it would make a wonderful ‘granny’ annexe or an AirBnB-style holiday let – very popular in this scenic area near the Malvern Hills and the River Severn.

Within the main house, the original part of which dates back to the 16th century, the rooms are all generously large and the ambience is warm and relaxed – it’s countryside living at its finest.

So much space, lots of scope

Sitting well back from the road surrounded by dazzling gardens and grounds, Blackmore Grange is approached via electric gates which open onto extensive parking space to the side of the main residence and in front of the garage.

The 20x13ft kitchen is also accessed from the hallway and is just perfect for all the family’s needs, fitted out with a comprehensive collection of cabinetry with quartz worktops, two walk-in pantries, double Belfast sink under the window and, tucked away in the former alcove of the inglenook fireplace with oak lintel, a four-oven AGA.  There’s space centrally for a kitchen table and chairs or you may prefer to install an island unit – there’s plenty of room.

Adjoining the kitchen is a big boot room complete with cupboard storage for coats, footwear and dog leads, and next to this is a very large and well-equipped utility room where all the laundry can be washed, dried and ironed with ease.

Double doors from here swing open into the delightful garden room, a real haven to relax in with a feature lantern skylight and partly glazed roof that’s warmed by a wood burner in the winter or flooded with sunshine in the summer when the French doors, flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows, can be flung open onto the flower-encircled terrace.  This superb 23x13ft room is very much at the hub of life at Blackmore Grange and a wonderful place to enjoy family time or just contemplate the view with a post-work G&T.

The drawing room offers the impressive finale to the ground-floor line-up.  This refined double-aspect room is the perfect place for entertaining guests to afternoon tea or pre-dinner aperitifs. Light and bright in the summer or cosy in front of the feature open fireplace in the winter, it’s a really delightful space.

Bedtime story

There’s a wonderful selection of bedrooms at Blackmore Grange and they’re all doubles with great views of either the gardens or across the countryside to the Malvern Hills.

The landing offers a stylish introduction to the first floor and features an expanse of floor space next to a window would make a cosy reading nook.

The double-aspect principal bedroom extends to 21x18ft and is a real haven of peace and calm, flooded with light and complete with a wall-width sweep of built-in wardrobes.  It has a large en-suite bathroom with chic freestanding bath and walk-in shower.  The next-door bedroom, 14x11ft, also has a bank of wardrobes on one wall and would make a super dressing room if not required as a bedroom.

A truly breathtaking garden

The current owners have spent 25 years lovingly nurturing the extensive gardens of Blackmore Grange – and they are truly breathtaking with something to please all ages and tastes.

In the spring and summer, the charming borders are filled with a tumbled profusion of colourful cottage garden flowers - they can be cut to fill vases too.  Wandering the paths between the borders is the ideal wind-down at the end of the day.

There’s a huge expanse of manicured lawn dotted with a variety of beautiful mature trees, a copse of fruit trees and woodland for children to play hide and seek.  Keen gardeners will love the kitchen garden with its soft fruit nets and vegetable beds and there are no less than three brick-built potting/garden sheds.

Round and about

The friendly, family-run Village Stores is the place to pick up milk, bread, local meat, fruit and veg, and it’s an off-licence too.  The local pub, The Swan Inn, serves a highly-rated home-cooked menu including very popular Sunday roasts.  A wide range of groups and clubs meet at the village hall.

Walking, cycling and riding the spectacular landscape of the Malvern hills – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – is a pleasure and there’s endless footpaths and countryside to explore.

In Great Malvern you’ll find supermarkets including Waitrose and the town centre plays host to a wide range of independent boutiques, restaurants, pubs, coffee shops and the renowned Malvern Theatre.  The Three Counties Showground always has something going on, from agricultural shows to food festivals, while the Malvern Spa Hotel is a luxury spot for a little pampering.

Hanley Swan primary school, St Gabriel’s with St Mary’s CE, and the local secondary schools, Hanley Castle High School and The Chase, are all Ofsted-rated ‘good’.  Excellent private schools include Malvern St James and Malvern College while, in Worcester, there’s The King’s School and the Royal Grammar School.

Road and rail links are excellent with Great Malvern and Malvern Link train stations offering direct links to Worcester, Birmingham and London Paddington.  Cheltenham, Gloucester, Bristol, the Midlands and the West Country are all readily accessible from the M5.