The Street, Messing, Colchester, Essex

Yew Tree Cottage is a wonderful Grade II Listed detached property in an enchanting location.

Originally two cottages this historic property features delightful character elements, a beautiful garden overlooking fields and is located in a previous winner of The Essex Village of the Year award.

There are three beautifully presented reception rooms and a bedroom on the ground floor, all of which combine period details with stylish modern fittings and décor. Features include exposed timber beams, sash windows, wooden parquet flooring and impressive open fireplaces. The well-proportioned sitting room is partially divided by vertical timbers, providing two distinct seating areas, one of which is focused around an open fireplace. There is also a useful office/study with French doors opening onto the garden, a formal dining room with a grand brick-built fireplace and a bedroom. At the rear, the kitchen/breakfast room has shaker-style units, a central island, a stainless steel range cooker and underfloor heating.

The first floor offers three well-presented double bedrooms including the spacious principal bedroom, which has built-in storage. The first floor also has a family bathroom, while on the ground floor there is a further shower room with an adjoining laundry.

Off-street parking is available on the gravel driveway at the side of the house. The stunning garden to the rear extends to approximately a third of an acre and includes various beautiful features and is rich in birdlife and wildlife. The garden is organic and has been cultivated without the use of chemicals for the past eight years and backs onto open fields which are normally planted with wheat or barley. There are paved and gravel pathways and terracing, a rose and box hedge garden, two fish ponds and a vegetable garden with raised beds and an automatic irrigation system. There is also a pristine lawn, a meadow and orchard, wooded areas, a further pond with a peaceful deck and border flowerbeds bursting with colour and life.

Yew Tree Cottage is set in the heart of the picturesque village of Messing, surrounded by beautiful Essex countryside and two miles from the town of Tiptree. There is a local pub, a parish church, a village hall and a 'good to outstanding' primary school in Messing, while everyday amenities including local shops and supermarkets can be found in Tiptree. The historic city of Colchester is eight miles away. Colchester has a vibrant, bustling city centre. Further schooling options in the area include numerous primary schools in the surrounding villages, such as the outstanding-rated Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy, while secondary schooling is available in Colchester. The City of Chelmsford is just 30 minutes away, with Bond Street and John Lewis. The coast at West Mersea is also just 30 minutes drive away. The area is well connected, with the A12 providing access towards Colchester, Ipswich, Chelmsford and the M25. Trains are available at Kelvedon and Witham, both of which offer direct services to London Liverpool Street.