5 bedroom detached house for sale

Tenure: Freehold

With its crystal waters of the stream meandering through the garden and large lake, The Stream occupies a stunning position on the edge of Colchester and the village of Layer de-la-Haye.

The Stream has a heavy oak front door leading through to the entrance hall with red brick fireplace and oak staircase leading to the first floor accommodation. Off the hall is a shower room whilst the drawing room features a wide inglenook fireplace with heavy oak bressumer and raised Yorkstone hearth, exposed ceiling beams and French windows opening to the swimming pool, terrace and gardens. This room leads onto the dining room with polished hardwood floor and doors back to the entrance hall. The sitting room is a square room with a red brick fireplace and polished oak floor boards. Again the cinema room has a mellow red brick fireplace and we understand that the projector and surround sound equipment may be available by separate negotiation. The study again has polished oak floor boards and red brick fireplace with exposed ceiling beams whilst the kitchen/breakfast room is comprehensively fitted with oak kitchen units and a number of built in appliances. The garden room has doors leading out to the garden whilst finally on the ground floor is a utility/boot room with plumbing for a washing machine and housing the Potteron central heating boiler.

The oak staircase from the entrance hall leads up to a central square landing with red brick fireplace. The master bedroom faces predominately south and east and has French doors leading out onto a balcony with superb views over the gardens and lake. The room itself is impressive with a partly vaulted ceiling and built in Bur Oak bedroom furniture with bedside tables, headboard and drawers. There is also a dressing room with hanging rooms and built in furniture. The main bathroom is also found at this end of the property with roll top bath, twin wash hand basins, tiled shower cubicle and low level wc. The second bedroom is a relatively square room with partly vaulted ceiling whilst bedrooms three and four have a range of built in wardrobe cupboards, as does bedroom five, which also has a fireplace with raised brick hearth.

Outside and Garden
The property enjoys a magnificent setting overlooking the gardens and lake which are thought to have been designed by one of the exhibitors of the Chelsea Flower Show in the late 40’s or 1950’s. Areas of lawn are punctuated by the water gardens to either side of a meandering stream and the lawns in turn give way to the lake with massive lilly pads and aquatic plants including Flag Iris’s, Reedmace and Bullrushes. The gardens sweep down to the banks of the Roman River and beyond into mature deciduous woodland. The river frontage is in excess of a third of a mile. The gardens are interspersed with plants and a wide variety of trees including Weeping Willow and a wide variety of ornamental conifers including firs and cedars which provide a magnificent drop back to the lake and gardens ensuring a year round colour and shelter. Throughout the garden there are banks of azaleas and rhododendrons and a profusion of spring bulbs providing a cacophony of spring colour. In the woodland, bluebells are found. Close to the house is an extensive area of paved terrace with heated swimming pool beyond. The gardens extend to approximately three acres with the woodland, a haven for wildlife, extending to a further 10 and ¾ acres (subject to survey).
The property is approached over a shared gravel driveway giving access to a gravelled parking area for a number of vehicles and leading onto a detached double garage with sliding doors and power and light connected. To the side is a useful range of small outbuildings providing storage for plant, garden machinery and logs. There is also a detached summer house/office (13’ x 9’10”) with cloakroom having low level wc and hand basin.

Ground Floor Accommodation

Reception Hall
19’4” maximum x 6’ widening to 20’2”

Cloakroom/Shower Room

Garden Room
20’8” x 8’9”

Drawing Room
23’1” x 11’9”

Dining Room
13’ x 11’11”

Sitting Room
12’11” x 12’11”

Cinema Room
16’5” x 12’4”

Study
13’8” x 12’8”

Kitchen/Breakfast Room
15’11” x 11’9”

Side Hall/Utility Room
33’ (overall) x 5’

First Floor Accommodation

Landing
13’ x 13’

Master Bedroom
23’ x 14’1”

Balcony
With superb views over the gardens and lake.

Dressing Room
11’11” x 11’9” overall

En-Suite Bathroom/Shower Room

Bedroom Two
13’2” x 13’1”

Bedroom Three
16’6” x 12’5” maximum

Bedroom Four
16’ x 11’10” into bay window

Bedroom Five
13’9” maximum x 12’9”