Lower Clowes, Rossendale, BB4

The Lodge, Lower Clowes, Rossendale, BB4 6EN

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The All-in-One Package

It’s rare for a house to combine an abundance of family living space with top-tier entertainment facilities. The Lodge – an outstanding luxury stone-built home nestled in a scenic setting minutes from the pretty town of Rawtenstall – hits the ball out of the park.

The interior is split between three floors and begins in the family hub, which extends across multiple living areas and a stunning open-plan dining kitchen with a separate utility room. The middle level is dedicated to a huge gym (with a sauna and shower facilities) and a bar serving a fabulous dining room for hosting big gatherings and parties.

On the top floor, you’ll discover an incredible master suite, three further en suite double bedrooms, and a cinema and games room. Outside, the wrap-around garden boasts a hot tub terrace and a built-in waterfront dining area.

An Immaculate Finish

The current owners have improved the house by putting relaxation, wellness, socialising, and creating fabulous memories at the heart of family life. The numerous upgrades included professionally decorating the interior, which involved fitting extra-soft iSense premium carpets, painting the woodwork, and installing mood lighting and stylish internal doors. Underfloor heating and a ventilation system also ensure year-round comfort.

In addition, the integrated Sonos speaker system has been paired with Sky-and-Sonos wired televisions with RTI multi remotes (many to remain) and a hub to store all the wiring. For peace of mind, the CCTV cameras can be monitored by phone or two fixed iPads in the house.

An Idyllic Setting

Discover the house at the top of the lane, overlooking a lodge of water visited by ducks, herons, and otters and backdropped by rolling hills. Finished with grey-painted window frames, quoins and lintels, the beautiful stone-built exterior is hidden behind new electric gates fitted with a new intercom system and CCTV cameras.

You’ll find loads of parking on the large, block-paved driveway, plus ample room in the integral double garage below the spectacular glazed gable window above. Exterior and inset lights illuminate the stone steps rising to the entrance, where decorative privacy windows flank a contemporary, cottage-style front door welcoming you home.

Lower Floor Luxury

Filled with spot-lit living spaces decorated in subtle hues, the lower ground floor has a lovely, laid-back vibe. Begin in the lower hallway, where wooden flooring with integrated lights meets a beautiful wood staircase with open risers and a matching gate before flowing into a spacious playroom. In here, French doors open to the garden, while fitted cabinetry with sprayed grey fronts and a TV unit offer plenty of storage.

In the adjoining dual-aspect living room, a plush cream carpet combines with elegant chandeliers and luxury curtains, Roman blinds, and pelmets to the huge windows and French doors for ultimate comfort. A chic electric fireplace below the mounted television also creates a cosy focal point and instant atmosphere during the autumn and winter.

Back in the lower hall, you’ll find a high-end WC designed by Ribble Valley Bathrooms. With its gorgeous marble tiling, wall-hung stone basin and storage unit, wall-hung toilet, brass tapware, fittings, towel rail, and statement pendant bulbs, it feels like a hotel bathroom.

The Kitchen of Dreams

The stunning open-plan dining kitchen and family room, which are flooded with natural light through huge side windows and dual French doors with Venetian blinds and high-end furnishings, enjoy beautiful views down towards the water.

Designed by Diane Berry Kitchens, it boasts a full suite of Miele appliances, including a steam oven, a double oven, combination microwave-oven, an electric hob, fridge and freezer, dishwasher and two plate warmers. There’s also a drinks fridge and an instant hot water tap.

The centre of the kitchen features an enormous island topped with black marble and a glass breakfast bar, allowing you to cook and entertain simultaneously. Meanwhile, mottled format tiles unite the kitchen and dining areas, along with a relaxing sitting room and a utility/cloakroom with plenty of additional storage, a sink, space for two laundry appliances, and access to the garden.

Next Level Entertainment

A multitude of skylights illuminates the main hallway on the ground floor. From here, double doors reveal a huge gym that opens to the hot tub terrace via three sets of French doors. Once a swimming pool, Absolute Performance converted the space to a professional-standard gym, designing the layout and fitting the flooring and mirrors.

If you wish to keep it as it is, the gym equipment could be purchased by negotiation. Alternatively, as the original pool shell has been covered with wooden joists and not filled in with cement, and the pump system still remains in the garage, it could be converted back if desired. Either way, it benefits from a private sauna and a spa-style walk-in changing room, shower, and WC – also ideal for freshening up after using the hot tub.

Back in the hallway, solid wood stairs lead into a formal dining room with its own bar and entertainment kitchen fitted with two Miele wine fridges, three Miele plate warmers, a Miele coffee machine, and a Bosch mini dishwasher.

Crowned by a vaulted ceiling that meets an impressive gable window with Venetian blinds for privacy, this incredible party space is further brightened by high-end, textural light fittings that continue the sense of drama.

Take the contemporary wood-and-glass open staircase, which echoes the flooring underfoot, to a games room lit by ceiling spots and a series of skylights, just like the grey-painted cinema room. Retreat here to catch up on all the latest films, enjoying the new screen and projector.

Living the High Life

Upstairs, oversized sconce lights brighten the landing, which leads to four extra-large double bedrooms, all decorated to an incredibly high standard, fitted with plush carpets, and filled with light by huge windows. All the bedrooms have been updated with televisions linked to the Sonos speakers for easy listening, controlled by the Sonos app.

The three bedrooms behind the master each come with opulent en suites reminiscent of a five-star hotel – two with wet-room-style walk-in rainfall showers and one centred around a modern slipper bath. Bedroom three also features built-in wardrobes.

Meanwhile, the master suite fills the front of the house. The ultra-stylish bedroom leads into a walk-in dressing room, recently updated with fitted wardrobes and mirror-fronted doors to one wall. There are also more wardrobes for shoe storage at the entrance. A fitted iPad links to the intercom/camera for the gate and monitors the CCTV cameras for peace of mind.

Begin and end your day in pure luxury in the fully tiled, spot-lit en suite, where a giant rainfall shower with a mosaic splashback promises endless bliss. Warmed by a designer towel rail like the other bathrooms, it also contains a double-ended bath, a double-basin vanity unit flanked by alcoves and skylights, and a wall-hung toilet.

Take the Party Outside

Outside, the large private plot allows for a wrap-around garden layout that maximises the open aspect and allows easy access from the numerous French doors punctuating the house, creating a natural flow for parties and family life.

Beautiful stone patios and pathways meet grass and artificial lawns. At the same time, steps lead down to a stone terrace with a substantial in-built Millboard seating area for up to 20 people overlooking the water beyond the wrought-iron railings. This is a lovely spot for summer gatherings, watching the visiting wildlife, such as herons and otters, and feeding the ducks.

Enclosed by stone walls and hedgerows, the rear garden hosts a kids’ play area below the raised hot tub terrace. The latter is surrounded by chrome-and-glass balustrades and bamboo and palm trees growing in contemporary grey planters for a luxury, holiday feel – where better to unwind in total privacy while the children run around within earshot?

On Your Doorstep

Part of the Forest of Rossendale, which consists of the steep-sided valleys of the River Irwell and its tributaries, the area’s largest centre is Rawtenstall – a buzzing market town just a few minutes’ drive away that has been earmarked for a ten-year £20 million Government investment.

Here, independent shops and boutiques, delis, cafés, and restaurants line the cobbled streets, but there’s also a good range of major supermarkets/discount chains, an M&S Food Hall at the nearby New Hall Hey Retail Park, and a useful NHS hub. Our local sellers also recommend the East Lancashire Railway (where you can watch or ride on the lovely steam trains to Bury via Ramsbottom) and the local library, leisure centre, gym, and garden centres.

Furthermore, the semi-rural location lends itself to outdoor pursuits and beautiful moorland walks. Many characterful towns (e.g. Bacup, Ramsbottom, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, and Accrington) and the Ribble Valley/Forest of Bowland are just a short drive away.

Of course, you can explore the wider area to find more peaceful retreats, such as Haslingden Grane, the Pennines, the Healey Dell Nature Reserve and Rooley Moor in Rochdale, the River Irwell and Peel Tower on Holcombe Moor.

Beyond this, you’ll have plenty to do and see in the wider area. Some local cultural highlights include The Whittaker Museum & Art Gallery in Whittaker Park (with café, events, workshops and films); The Helmshore Textile Museum; local brass bands; a Carnegie library, the Orwell Valley Sculpture Trail, and The Halo and Singing Ringing Tree Panopticons.

Active families will also love being within striking distance of Ski Rossendale Dry Ski Slope, Marl Pits Leisure Centre, Golf Kingdom, Marls Pits Garden Centre, The Water Ski Academy at Cowm Reservoir, and the sailing club at Clowbridge Reservoir.

Getting Around

To travel and commute around the wider region, hop onto the A56/A682 or the M66 for quick journeys to Manchester, Bury, Burnley, Accrington, Skipton, Preston, Leeds, and Bradford. National railway connections run from nearby Accrington station, but you’ll also find the X43 Witch Way bus into Manchester nearby, running a few times an hour, and Rawtenstall’s bus station just down the road. You can also reach Manchester Airport in 40 minutes.

Schools

Local Ofsted-rated ‘Good’ schools include Edenfield Primary School (a three-minute drive), Cherry Tree Pre-School (a 10-minute walk), and Alder Grange and Haslingden secondary and sixth forms. You’ll find many alternatives nearby, including Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School, the Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ Accrington and Rossendale College, and a specialist autism school.