7 bedroom house for sale

Tenure: Freehold

Situation

Hoveton Old Hall is situated in an unspoilt rural position adjoining open farmland about 2 miles to the north of Wroxham, the acknowledged centre of the Broads network. Wroxham has excellent shopping, banking and transport facilities including a railway station with trains to the North Norfolk coast at Sheringham and to Norwich with connecting trains onwards to London Liverpool Street.

Norwich (12 miles), the Cathedral City and regional centre of East Anglia, has a thriving retail and business centre with cultural and leisure activities for most tastes, a university, schools and an airport with expanding domestic flights with most international destinations via Schiphol. The coast at Happisburgh is about 9 miles.

Description

Hoveton Old Hall is a most attractive Grade II listed country house, dating from 1567 with a substantial and imposing south wing added in 1700, close to the end of the reign of William and Mary and already in the classical style made so popular during the short reign of Queen Anne which followed.

The house is notable architecturally and is described in Pevsner's Buildings of England. The seven bay south front has a fine doorcase with Ionic pilasters with a moulded segmental pediment.

Hoveton Old Hall was the centre of a large estate, originally owned by the Negus family and later by the Aufrères.

The property was acquired by the current owners in 2003 and since then a thorough and sympathetic programme of complete restoration and refurbishment has been carried out to the highest standards and with great attention to period detail, much of which remains.

The house has beautifully proportioned main reception rooms with an impressive ceiling height of about 14 ft and in the 16th century wing a magnificent custom built kitchen and adjoining breakfast room with a cosy snug and two further reception rooms. There are 7 bedrooms and 5 beautiful contemporary bathrooms with much of the work internally, carried out under the direction of Woodfyne Design.

The house is approached by a long drive and surrounded by mature gardens and grounds.

Outside
The house is approached by a long gravelled drive from the east bordered by mature hedging and fine trees including Oak and Silver Birch. The drive divides with the left-hand fork leading around to the front of the house, follow the right-hand fork which leads to an ample gravelled sweep and parking area which lies to the east of the house.

A formal drive, the original carriage drive, leads round to the principal side of the house which faces south and steps lead up to a balustraded terrace which run along the south front of the house. There are fine views from the terrace over the formal garden to the south of the house with two circular lawns and well stocked shrub and herbaceous borders on either side. Continuing to the west there is a large area of garden laid to extensive lawns with a variety of mature trees including Oak, Horse Chestnut, Sweet Chestnut and Willow. Adjoining the house to the west there is a large stone paved terrace with shelter from the north provided by fine old red brick wall. There is access to the west terrace from French casement windows in the dining room. To the northwest of the house is a further extensive area of lawned garden and a further stone paved terrace adjoins the house approached by French windows from the breakfast room and leading out onto a formal parterre with well stocked borders edged with box hedging and intersected by paths.

The land continues to the north put down to grass and fringed by woodland which borders a stream on the northern boundary. To the northeast of the house there is an area of vegetable garden with raised beds. To the east there is an extensive formal gravelled parking area bordered by well stocked mixed shrub and herbaceous beds partly bordered in topiaried box hedging.

Situated to the northwest of the house there is a traditional brick and pantile outbuilding (please refer to floor plan) which has recently been re-roofed and this provides ample storage space and also houses some of the plant for the wind turbine. This building could be suitable for a variety of uses subject to the necessary planning consents. In the past it has had planning permission to be converted and extended into a leisure complex although this has now lapsed. There is a further timber storage building situated on the northeastern boundary. The land in all extends to 3.7 acres (est).

Services
Mains water and electricity. Drainage to septic tank. Oil fired central heating system with under floor central heating to all floors.
The house is connected to mains electricity however this is supplemented by a private 20 kw wind turbine situated in the grounds which serves the house and is connected to the grid

Agent's Note
There is a right of access over the main drive in favour of a neighbouring property.

Local Authority - North Norfolk District Council.

Fixtures and Fittings
All fixtures and fittings including fitted carpets and curtains are specifically excluded from the sale, but may be available in addition, subject to separate negotiation.

Accommodation

- reception hall
- dining room
- drawing room
- study
- snug
- playroom
- well-fitted kitchen with adjoining breakfast room
- extensive cellars
- master bedroom with adjoining dressing room and bathroom
- 6 further bedrooms
- 4 further bathrooms
- brick and pantile outbuilding
- mature gardens and grounds in all extending to 3.7 acres (est)

Directions

Leave Norwich on the A1151 Wroxham Road and after crossing over the river bridge in Wroxham turn left signposted towards Coltishall and Tunstead on the B1534. After a short distance turn right signposted Tunstead 2 miles and also signposted Wroxham Barns 1½ miles (Tunstead Road). After just under a mile turn right signposted towards Hoveton Hall Gardens (also signposted Neatistead by the 5 crossways). Then turn almost immediately left up Stone Lane. Follow this lane for about ½ mile and the drive to Hoveton Old Hall will be found on the left hand side. Where the drive divides take the right fork which leads to the east front of the house. The Postal Code for the property is NR12 8YR.