Main Street, Allexton, Oakham, Leicestershire

The property
Built in 2007, The Piggery has a timber frame with part rendered cladding, a blue slate roof and benefits from highly efficient sheep’s wool insulation. In addition, the house incorporates other innovative design features including bamboo flooring with underfloor heating throughout, a rainwater recapture system, which services the WC’s and washing machine, an internal DuoVac central vacuum system and solar panels which supply the immersion heater.

A covered veranda to the south and east of the house provides outside space and leads to the front door, which opens directly into an over 1000sqft foot ‘living kitchen’. The design methodology was to produce the most open plan and inclusive living area possible and for the room to be the focal point of the house. To the north end is a kitchen, designed around principals espoused by the Dutch artist Piet Mondorian, who designed bold colour blocks. The units, which have granite work surfaces, are claret coloured and there are two steel roll top cupboards with internal power sockets providing larder space and a circular in-built chopping board. Cooking is via a steel Belling Kensington range with electric ovens and a calor gas hob and there is a separate built-in microwave. There is a double Fisher & Paykel dishwasher, a stainless steel sink with a boiling water tap as well as an American style fridge. To the south end of the room is a sitting room area with an open fireplace. Within the room are two french doors and two sets of bifold doors ensuring easy access to the garden. The room is wired for sound and, in common with the rest of the house, benefits from Cat 5 wiring and, therefore, hardwired internet access.

The remainder of the ground floor accommodation includes a rear hall with cloakroom, a study, which has two sets of French doors opening on to the rear walled garden and, lastly, a generous utility room with built-in units and a separate washing machine and tumble dryer. A beautiful bespoke spiral steel and glass staircase, manufactured locally in Leicester, leads to the first floor where the principal bedroom occupies the south-west corner and has views over the paddocks. This room, which is flooded with light, benefits from a contemporary log burner with an exposed flue and an en suite with a bath with a built-in shower. Bedroom 2, which is adjacent, has an en suite shower room and there are a further 3 double bedrooms, all of which have built-in wardrobes, as well as a family bathroom.

Outside
The Piggery has two driveways; one is to the west of the house, via Main Street, and this leads to the garage and a gravel parking area to the rear of the house. The other runs from the Hallaton Road and this leads to a driveway with the paddocks to the south and pulls up to the front of the house. To the rear of the house there is an enclosed walled garden with a separate seating area, in addition, there is seating underneath the covered veranda to the southwest corner. There is a garden area to the south and east, which is mainly set to lawn, scattered with fruit trees including plum, apples, cherries and pears. Beyond the formal garden area there is a gravelled parking area and the paddocks stretch to the south. To the western boundary of the far paddock there is an area of woodland.

Location
Allexton is a small Leicestershire village within the picturesque Eyebrook Valley just three miles away from the thriving market town of Uppingham, which provides everyday amenities, a good selection of shops, cafés and restaurants a supermarket and several schools. Further schooling, both state and private, is available nearby in the market towns of Oakham, Stamford and Market Harborough as well as Leicester. The latter also provides a mainline rail connection. The Leicestershire Round public footpath runs through the village and the Rutland Round is just ¼ mile away. In addition, there are several bridleways with one running just to the south side of the far paddock. Rutland Water is just 6 miles away and offers sailing, windsurfing, walking, cycling fishing and a myriad of other activities as well as 1000 acres of nature reserve.