Tuffields Road, Whepstead, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP29

A wonderful Grade II listed thatched cottage, superbly set in a good rural location off a small country lane, standing in about an acre, with excellent outbuildings.

Entrance hall, sitting room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility/boot room, double bedroom/study and a shower room/cloakroom. First floor master bedroom, guest bedroom with walk-through access to fourth bedroom/ study and a family bathroom.

Gated drive and gravelled parking area, triple bay garage/cartlodge, brick barn: log stores, machinery barn & tack room, brick tool sheds /former bore hole, gardens & greenhouse and a two stable block with turnout meadow. In all about 0.95 of an acre.

THE PROPERTY
Dodds Cottage is a charming and delightfully presented detached Grade II listed long straw thatched cottage, formerly a farmhouse, dating back to the mid to late C16th (circa 1560 -1580), enjoying a marvellous, semi-rural countryside setting. It represents an outstanding example of how a property of this type should be maintained and preserved, with the owners benefiting from a high degree of knowledge in this field, having occupied the property for approaching 30 years. The property presents a straw thatched roof (considered to be in good condition) with colour washed rendered elevations over the original timber frame. The building is a three cell, 4 bay, floor plan with a 2-bay floored hall with a cross passage. Unlike the majority of buildings of its age, Dodds is still relatively intact. More than 90% of the original frame survives and some 70% of the wattle and daub infill. The three-cell cross passage floor plan is almost unchanged. In the C19th a new staircase was inserted into the cross passage, the most significant alteration to the historic floor plan. The rear door opening was retained and the space under the stairs became a cupboard accessed from a C19th rear lean-to (Utility boot room). Inside the cupboard is a fragment of the cross passage brick floor. Unusually for a house of Dodds’ age all the original window openings in the frame survive, except for two that have become door openings into later rear extensions. Four have retained the original mullions and saddle bars.

The front door gives access to the former cross passage, entrance hall, with an exposed brick floor, wide staircase leading to the first floor and 3 plank latch doors opening to the sitting room and kitchen. The kitchen/breakfast room presents an exposed brick floor, wall and ceiling timbers with oak framed lead light windows to the side and a casement window to the front. It is fitted with a framed kitchen unit with timber worksurface with underset butlers sink and cupboards. There is also the gas and electric points for the Rangemaster 5 gas ring range cooker and a door leads through to the rear utility/boot room. The back door opens to the garden, from the utility room and there is the floor mounted oil-fired boiler, further worksurface, sink and cupboards and space and plumbing for the washing machine, and the coats and boots store cupboard below the stairs. The sitting room has a superb inglenook fireplace with bressummer beam and inset log burning stove. There is access through to the dining room, which particularly features two lovely, mullioned windows to the side and the fireplace feature with inset electric flame effect fire. A further single storey extension, to the rear of the sitting room, affords the benefit of a comfortable ground floor double bedroom and separate modern fitted shower room which also benefits from underfloor heating.
To the first floor, a passage with exposed floorboards gives access to two, well-proportioned double bedrooms and the family bathroom, which also houses the airing cupboard. There is access through the middle bedroom, via a low door to a 4th ‘single’ bedroom/study.

OUTSIDE
The property is wonderfully situated in a tranquil rural location, set well away from noisy roads whilst benefitting from easy access via the B1066 to Bury St Edmunds. As can be seen on the aerial plan, on the back page of these details, the cottage is situated in grounds of around 0.95 acres, and benefits from a good selection of outbuildings. The garden is mainly lawned and, with two ponds within the grounds, is tended for the wildlife benefit that it affords, with a bricked path from the parking area and there is a good quality Rhino aluminium greenhouse to the rear of the outbuildings.

A two stable yard opens to the meadow turnout to the side. There is also a, now redundant, 1970’s borehole in ‘Tool Store’ and the garage in the triple bay Cartlodge/Garage building has been utilised with power and light as a workshop.

LOCATION
Dodds Cottage is located in a small hamlet on the southern edge of the popular village of Whepstead and occupies a peaceful rural position just off Tuffields Road (Please not that the temporary works currently being done further down the lane, are not housing development or anything similar, but simply a significant upgrade to the water supply pipe to this area by Anglian Water), which is a quiet lane off the B1066 road between Whepstead and Brockley, the neighbouring village. Whepstead is a well-regarded Suffolk village with a pleasing mix of period and modern housing. Local facilities include a popular public house ‘The White Horse’ and a fine village church. The nearby village of Hartest also boasts a well-regarded pub, a butchers and Hartest Church of England Primary School was last rated ‘Good’ in an OFSTED inspection, as was Horringer, Ickworth Park Primary School, which the property is in the catchment area for. More comprehensive facilities can be found in the Cathedral town of Bury St Edmunds, which offers an excellent range of amenities with schooling in the public and private sector, extensive shopping facilities including health clubs, swimming pools and golf clubs. The University town of Cambridge lies about 28 miles to the west and offers unrivalled further education opportunities and excellent shopping and amenity facilities. There is good access to the A14, A11 (M11) and the railway station at Bury St Edmunds also offers a link to mainline services to London’s Liverpool Street and King’s Cross via Cambridge. Alternatively, there is a regular train service from Stowmarket to London Liverpool Street taking approximately 80 minutes. Stansted International Airport is approximately 1 hour by car. There is a footpath/byway and affording the convenience of country walks and riding only a short distance down the lane, from the property.

DIRECTIONS
From Bury St Edmunds proceed south on Horringer Road along the A143 past the Tesco’s Express and out of the town past Bannatynes Spa Health club and take the left turn onto the B1066 signposted Whepstead 3 miles. Proceed to the village and continue through on this road. Approximately 0.8 miles past the church, Tuffields Road will be found on the left before the big S-bends. Dodds Cottage will be found on the left with the drive giving access to the parking area and outbuildings, beyond the garden.

PROPERTY INFORMATION
Services Mains electricity and water. Compliant Private Drainage.
Oil fired central heating.
Tenure Freehold
Local Authority West Suffolk District Council
Council Tax Band F
Broadband 150Mbps quoted by current BT broadband supplier.
Mobile Coverage/Signal Yes
Viewing Only by appointment with the sole agents. Jackson-Stops. Tel