The Windmill, Heath Road, Scopwick, Lincoln, LN4

An exemplary conversion of a historic, Grade II Listed and award winning home with its prominent tower proudly standing overlooking the surrounding rural, Lincolnshire landscape, a reminder of a bygone era but now forming part of a spectacular and unique home affording stunning views. The former windmill sits on around 2 acres of land and the flexible accommodation inside offers 4 to 5 bedrooms.

With Lincoln about 20 minutes north and Sleaford around 15 minutes south, there is a wide choice of excellent schools in the area whilst the A1 is about half an hour away, and a neighbouring village has its own train station with connections to fast services to London, Edinburgh and elsewhere.


“The mill was built in 1827 and had four sails. It began as a 5-storey mill but was later raised to become 6-storey, probably when it was adjoined to a steam mill in 1842. It worked until 1912 and was dismantled soon afterwards. The buildings either side no longer existed when I came here in 2002 and the tower was completely empty, open to the sky above. Old photographs show the mill with a square chimney that was even taller than the tower itself! It was since reduced greatly in height and now still exists as the chimney to our inglenook fireplace.”

“Planning allowed building onto the footprint of the old, so we created the two wings either side of the tower and added a new porch, very similar to the original one. All the windows in the wings are timber, double-glazed sash.

“We wanted to keep the tower in the spirit of its original use so have created an industrial feel with exposed brick walls in the bottom half although the top floors have been insulated and lined. The round entrance hall has been laid with reclaimed timber boards in an octagonal pattern and the curving, steel-framed staircase with timber balustrading and treads was created by a local fabricator to a unique design.”

“All the principal rooms are light, airy and spacious with all the bedrooms double and there are superb views from every floor. The vaulted ceilings in the bedrooms enhance the sense of space and the exposed timbers lend character. There are four bedrooms on the first floor but there is a good deal of flexibility in the use of rooms. For instance, a bedroom or two could be created in the tower particularly since there is a bathroom on the fourth floor. The second floor has the lovely landing stage surrounding it with two sets of French doors opening onto it. The floor above I have been using as an office. Despite the rural location, we do actually have full fibre broadband to the property so there are very fast internet speeds.”

“We built in cabling for surround sound speakers in the main living room on the ground floor so we can enjoy it as a cinema with one of the walls becoming the screen.”

“There are three sets of French windows onto the rear garden which is lovely in summer. A terrace stretches the whole width of the property and receives sun the majority of the day.”

“Although rural, the village is just a quarter of a mile away where there is a pub/restaurant and Metheringham is only 3 miles away which has various shops and services including a Co-op, a post office and even a train station on the Peterborough to Lincoln line. Sleaford is our nearest town about 8 miles away where there are very good schools, and Lincoln is about a 20 minute drive. Woodhall Spa is a lovely place, only 15 minutes away and the unusual Kinema in the Woods is highly recommended, and where we always go to the cinema!”

Location

The Windmill is just outside the village of Scopwick which is about 8 miles north of Sleaford and 11 miles south of Lincoln. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it is recorded as having a church and 6 mills, with the Old English name ‘Scapeuic’ meaning sheep farm. Now, it is a small rural community with Scopwick Holy Cross Church, a village hall, and a highly-rated pub, The Royal Oak, serving food.

Nearby Metheringham offers a wide range of facilities including several village stores and pubs/restaurants, a fish and chip shop, a takeaway, a children’s nursery, a vets’ practice and a doctors’ surgery. The village railway station connects directly with Lincoln, Sleaford and Peterborough.

Around a 15 minute drive, is the characterful inland resort of Woodhall Spa famous for The National Golf Centre with its Hotchkin heathland course, one of the top in the world. The town also offers a wonderful selection of independent shops, tea rooms, restaurants as well as the unique Kinema in the Woods and the superb outdoor heated swimming pool at Jubilee Park. The Petwood Hotel is steeped in British history, once home to the legendary 617 ‘Dambusters’ squadron, and provides award-winning food, afternoon tea and special events surrounded by acres of beautifully landscaped gardens.

The historic and vibrant Cathedral City of Lincoln provides a comprehensive range of shopping, dining, and cultural amenities. The two most notable attractions are the spectacular 11th century Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle at the heart of the city's cultural Cathedral Quarter. The city has two universities, and the rich aviation history of Lincolnshire can be explored further at the International Bomber Command Visitor Centre.

Schools

The closest primary school is in Metheringham (3 miles) and is rated Good by Ofsted whilst sought after secondary schools are in Sleaford, around a 15 minute drive. These include the grammar schools Carre’s Grammar School and Kesteven & Sleaford High School (for Girls), as well as St. George’s Academy, all Ofsted rated Good. In Lincoln, about 11 miles north (15-20 mins), there is the Ofsted rated Outstanding LSST Priory Academy and the superb independent Minister Schools, both Prep and Senior.

Services: Mains gas, electricity, water; private septic tank; mains gas central heating
Local Authority: North Kesteven District Council
Council Tax Band: F
Epc Rating: Exempt
Tenure: Freehold