Chapel Hill, Belchamp Walter

Chapel House is a charming and stunning country house enjoying a superb location on the periphery of this pretty and sought after village which is situated on the Suffolk/Essex borders. The original house dates form the Victorian era, and has beautiful red and white brick detailing with gothic arch windows to the front elevation. The current owners have undertaken an impressive improvement and enlargement programme, and the property is presented impeccably throughout with impressive fittings to include solid oak doors, lime stone flooring, oak floor boards and oak ledge and board doors.

There is an entrance lobby with a brick floor leading to the dining room which is a particularly charming room and has a fireplace with a cream enamelled wood burning stove which provides a focal point. It benefits from a dual aspect with wonderful views over open farmland, and has beams to the ceiling, oak flooring and an impressive square arch through to the kitchen/breakfast room and French doors with gothic detailing to the sitting room.

The French doors access the sitting room which has a dual aspect and French doors leading to a wonderful south facing terrace with the garden beyond. There is attractive solid oak flooring and a second cream enamelled wood burning stove matching that in the dining room. A further door accesses the inner hall and a square arch with stylish sliding oak doors leads to a beautiful garden room. This is an impressive room on every level and has a triple aspect with views to the garden and open farmland, and an expansive rooflight, limestone flooring, and French doors leading to the before mentioned south facing terrace, making a wonderfully bright and airy family space. The kitchen is situated adjacent to the dining room and accessed via the square arch and makes a perfect family entertaining space. It is extensively fitted with handmade 'Neptune' units with oak work surfaces, and integral appliances to include a 'Bosch' dishwasher and a 'Smeg' range cooker with an induction hob. There is attractive decorative tiling to the walls and window sills, exposed oak beams to the ceiling, limestone flooring and a window giving wonderful views to a landscaped terrace with farmland beyond.

The remainder of the ground floor comprises a well-appointed utility/boot room which has a range of handmade' Neptune' units to match the kitchen which provides extensive storage, limestone flooring, plumbing for a washing machine, space for a tumble dryer and a glazed and panel door to the rear entertaining terrace. Accessed from both the kitchen and garden room is a practical inner hall which has stairs rising to the first floor, a ledge and board oak door leading to a lavishly appointed cloakroom which has a rectangular sink set on a Neptune vanity unit, matching WC and also housing the 'Grant' boiler. The stairs rise from the inner hall to an appealing galleried landing which has a window overlooking the garden and the fields beyond.

The principal suite is particularly impressive and has a triple aspect allowing it to take advantage of the wonderful views towards the Suffolk border and across open farmland. It has a part vaulted ceiling, exposed beams and a door to a beautifully appointed ensuite wet room which has a decoratively tiled floor, fully tiled walls, large walk in shower area, vanity unit with rectangular sink and a matching WC. There is a Velux window which give views to the garden and beyond.

There are three remaining well proportioned bedrooms, two of which have built in wardrobes with bedroom two having oak flooring, panelling to the walls, and a window giving views to the garden. The other two remaining bedrooms are situated to the front of the property and benefit from wonderful views across open farmland and are both beautifully presented with the appealing gothic style windows to the front elevations. These three bedrooms are served by a beautiful family bathroom which has a free standing roll top claw foot bath, 'Neptune' sink unit with storage, matching WC, decorative tiling to the floor and panelling to dado height on the walls.

Outside
Chapel House is approached via a pair of five bar gates on oak posts which leads to an extensive area of gravel parking which has a walnut tree providing a focal point. The gardens are predominantly south and westerly facing allowing the occupants to take advantage of the all day sun and beautiful views beyond the boundaries. They are distinctively segregated in to a number of areas forming wonderful compartments which can be used throughout the day to follow the sun.

To the south elevation and accessed via French doors from both the garden room and sitting room is a delightful sandstone and shingle terrace which provides an advantage point to look at the views and beautiful gardens. This section of the garden is flanked by mature boundaries on all sides which comprise lattice fence and mature native hedge. The gravel path is bordered by lavender and large expanses of lawn which has a variety of trees which provide focal points to include silver birch and cherry. Beyond this is a wildflower garden with geometric paths mown between within which are a number of specimen trees to include cherry, acer and silver birch. This area of the garden is bordered by mixed native hedging, post and rail fence and has a separate road access via a five bar gate. The shingle path extends around the front of the property which then leads back to the parking area.

Immediately to the rear of the kitchen is a beautiful west facing sandstone terrace which has a wrought iron arch with a climbing rose, beyond which is a beautiful decked entertaining area which has a solid oak pergola with climbing plants to include wisteria and roses. Immediately behind the back door is a beautiful oak canopy with a wrought iron gate set within a red brick wall which leads to a further area of garden with a shingle path flanked by large granite sets, expanses of lawn with lavender beds and fruit trees. To the northerly aspect of the garden is a large expanse of lawn which is flanked by mature native hedge, and has a flowering cherry as a focal point and a lavender border set against a beautiful red brick path which leads to a detached studio outbuilding.
The studio outbuilding is beautifully constructed with weather boarded oak elevations under a pitch tiled roof and is fully equipped with power and light and makes the perfect home office/studio space. Inside there are attractive exposed oak beams and oak flooring throughout. Adjacent to the studio is a wonderful semi-circular brick terrace which is positioned to take advantage of the evening sun.

At the end of the drive is an impressive cart lodge building which is constructed from solid oak with a pitch tiled roof and provides undercover parking for two vehicles and a useful workshop/storage space. The first floor of the cart lodge is accessed via steps to the side which opens to a second home office which has a vaulted ceiling, oak effect flooring and wonderful views across the open countryside via the windows to the rear.

In all about 0.52 acres (sts).

Agents' notes:

The hard floor areas of the ground floor benefit from electric underfloor heating.

Whilst Chapel House is not listed, it is a designated heritage asset due to the ornate brickwork on the front façade, and as such, any works carried out at the property may require special permissions.
 

PORCH  

DINING ROOM 17' 8" x 12' 7" (5.40m x 3.85m)  

SITTING ROOM 18' 8" x 12' 11" (5.70m x 3.96m)  

KITCHEN/BREAKFAST ROOM 12' 5" x 10' 6" (3.80m x 3.22m)  

UTILITY/BOOT ROOM 10' 6" x 7' 6" (3.22m x 2.30m)  

HALL  

WC 6' 4" x 3' 11" (1.95m x 1.20m)  

GARDEN ROOM 21' 0" x 14' 9" (6.42m x 4.50m)  

LANDING  

PRINCIPAL SUITE 18' 0" x 12' 7" (5.51m x 3.85m)  

ENSUITE 10' 11" x 4' 3" (3.34m x 1.32m)  

BEDROOM TWO 13' 7" x 10' 5" (4.15m x 3.20m)  

BEDROOM THREE 12' 10" x 12' 7" (3.93m x 3.86m)  

BEDROOM FOUR 9' 8" x 9' 6" (2.95m x 2.92m)  

BATHROOM 7' 4" x 7' 2" (2.24m x 2.20m)  

 

OUTBUILDINGS  

CART LODGE 14' 9" x 10' 5" (4.52m x 3.20m)  

CART LODGE 14' 9" x 9' 10" (4.52m x 3.00m)  

WORKSHOP  

OFFICE 31' 9" x 9' 0" (9.69m x 2.75m)  

STUDIO 18' 8" x 18' 5" (5.70m x 5.62m)