Barr, Bishops Hull, Taunton, TA4

Looking over its large and beautiful part-walled garden, Barr House has a charming setting off a little-used country lane close to the River Tone. It was bought by its current owner back in 1972 by when it had become very neglected and almost derelict. It subsequently underwent a full programme of faithful restoration and improvement. Starting life as a farmhouse in the 17th century and Grade II listed, Barr House itself was created in the mid-18th century when the farmhouse was transformed into a much grander and beautifully proportioned U-plan house. This incorporated many of the classic, Georgian-era architectural features that came to symbolise probably the most elegant period of British architecture. These include rendered exterior walls grooved to resemble cut stone, a Bath stone colonnaded front porch, tall 12 and 16-pane sash windows, a Welsh slate roof with deep eaves and a front carriage driveway incorporating a pear-shaped turning circle.

The interior has a wonderfully light and airy feel with well-proportioned rooms, tall ceilings and some equally gorgeous fittings including several beautiful fireplaces, plentiful rich joinery and some lovely, moulded plaster ceilings. The ground floor has four generously sized reception rooms off a central hall, all facing east or south, plus a separate breakfast room next to the kitchen at the back of the house. The kitchen is fitted with a tiled floor, handmade timber units under granite work surfaces and a four-oven AGA. Immediately adjacent to it is a good-sized pantry off the corridor to the utility room.

The first floor has a central, galleried landing that mirrors the hall below, with the stairwell well-lit by natural light. Arranged around three sides of the landing are five double and two single bedrooms, with all the major bedrooms facing south and/or east with wonderful views over the gardens and surrounding farmland. The principal bedroom faces in both directions and has the largest of the house's two bathrooms immediately adjacent to it.

The Cottage and Stable Block
Attached to one side of the house is a brick-built and lime-rendered cottage built around 1800.
The cottage has a living room and kitchen on the ground floor and two bedrooms with a bathroom on the first floor. It does not impose on the privacy of the main house and is ideal as overflow or staff accommodation or as an Airbnb. Behind the cottage is the former stable yard, which provides ample parking space for the house. To one side and at a right angle to the main house is a brick-built stable block with two floors, with each storey serving as a single workroom/storage space. Beside it are a collection of further outbuildings serving as garden and log stores.

Garden and grounds
Barr House stands in about 4.38 acres (1.77 hectares) of magical gardens and grounds, which are bound along the length of Barr Lane by high walling that provides a high level of privacy. The front wrought iron gates open to a gravelled carriage driveway.

The house sits in the northwest corner of its grounds with about two acres of beautiful, established formal gardens extending out to the south and east. These feature an exceptional tapestry of level lawns, mature trees, richly planted borders and a large pond. Beyond the garden and covering the remaining two-plus acres is a successful and established plant nursery specialising in bulbous plants, which has its own entrance and parking area further down Barr Lane at the far side of the grounds(see

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Barr House is situated in the hamlet of Barr amidst open countryside and close to the western edge of Taunton, which is a former market town and now the county town of Somerset. The property therefore has a rural setting but is perfectly sited to take full advantage of all that the town has to offer. Overall, the town contains a wide selection of shops, restaurants and local businesses plus sporting venues such Somerset County Cricket Club and Taunton Racecourse. There is a village shop in the next door village, Bishops Hull, plus a wide selection of large supermarkets nearby. The train station provides direct services to Paddington (1 hour 40 minutes), Exeter St. David's (29 minutes) and Bristol Temple Meads (1 hour 3 minutes) and the M5 is only six miles away. It also offers a wide selection of schools from both the state and independent sectors. These include The Castle School and Richard Huish College (both Ofsted-rated 1 Outstanding) plus the well-regarded King's College, Queens College and Taunton school, all within a three-mile radius.