Garden Cottage, Farringdon, Exeter, EX5

Conveniently situated for the the city of Exeter and the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Garden Cottage is a charming, deceptively spacious, period home of great character. The exceptional grounds offer huge variety, with a formal walled garden, wildflower meadows and an ancient wood with many specimen trees. The original house, which was built for the head gardener of the nearby Farringdon estate, is substantially constructed of dressed stone with brick quoins and features attractive timber gables. It has been extended to enlarge the accommodation and link the outhouses to create an enclosed courtyard which is entered through an imposing brick archway.

The heavy, studded front door, protected by a covered porch, leads to a hallway with coved ceiling and oak flooring. Understairs cupboard with light. A heavy, part-glazed timber door opens to a rear porch leading to the courtyard.

A dining room with oak flooring has a panelled door leading to a stairway which provides access to the first floor.

The kitchen, with shaker style units, double electric oven and hob and double stainless-steel sink overlooks the front garden. A utility room with shower unit, sink and washing machine also houses the LPG boiler.

The sitting room, with oak floor, slate fireplace and recently-fitted woodburning stove, opens onto the extension, which has travertine flooring throughout. The sitting room is a wonderfully light and airy space with full-length windows facing onto the courtyard and three velux windows. Glazed doors lead to a study, then the garden room, which has French doors into the walled garden. With its ensuite toilet and shower, and walk-in cupboard, this is used as a fourth bedroom, with potential for multi-generational living at this end of the extension.

Upstairs are three bedrooms, one with built-in cupboards containing hot water tank and much useful space besides. The main bedroom has a high ceiling and views across the front garden and grounds. The third bedroom has a southerly aspect with views to the iron-age hillfort of Woodbury Castle. The bathroom is part-tiled with WC, basin and bath.

Gardens and grounds
The gravelled driveway which sweeps round Garden Cottage continues through the old brick arch and into the courtyard. From here a heavy wooden gate leads into a large walled garden of about a quarter of an acre, which offers a high degree of privacy. It contains a large formal pond with waterfall, ornamental box hedging and a brick pathway running the length of the garden. At the front, a gravelled path leads through a garden to the front door.

There are two paddocks of around an acre each. Historically estate parkland, one is now a well-established wildflower meadow and has a succession of blooms including cowslips, ox-eye daisies, knapweed and lady’s bedstraw. The other has been maintained as rough grassland in order to encourage wildlife and, like the wildflower meadow, cut once a year. They feature an orchard and wildlife pond, and both could be returned to grazing land, there being a stable block in one corner currently used as a wood store. Running along one side is the Shrubbery, the old cobbled path to Farringdon House, lined with large oak, hornbeam and, in season, daffodils and bluebells.

Ivy Wood is reached via a gate from the second paddock. Around 3.5 acres in extent, it contains many specimen trees, including English oak, Luccombe oak, beech, sweet chestnut, lime and sycamore, some hundreds of years old and classified as notable, ancient or veteran. The ancient lime is a particularly venerable example with a girth of nearly nine metres. There is a large area of bluebells, with archangel, dog’s mercury and wood anemone also present. Paths wind around the wood, offering many different aspects, secluded spots and charming corners. In the centre is an old ice house, where ice for Farringdon House was stored, and the remains of an old cottage can be discerned amidst the ferns.

It is possible to do a circular walk around the property of over one kilometre.

Area
Coastal towns of Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth and Sidmouth, along with the cathedral city of Exeter, are all less than twenty minutes away. The Pebblebed Heath nature reserve is three miles away, encompassing miles of lowland heath and recognised as one of the most important nature conservation sites in Europe.

Wildlife
The meadows and wood are home to many different species, some notable. Harvest mice build their nests in the tall grass, and the hazel dormice have been recorded in the wood, both species classified as rare or nationally scarce. Over ten species of bat have been recorded, including the rare greater horseshoe bat and barbastelle. The ice house is an important roost for lesser horseshoe bats, and is also used by Natterer’s and long-eared bats. There is a thriving badger sett in the wood, where other mammals recorded include polecat, stoat, fox and roe deer. Interesting invertebrates on the meadow include marbled white butterfly, Roesel’s bush cricket, oil beetle. Every year spotted flycatchers nest in the garden. Other occasional nesters include blackcap, goldfinch, greenfinch and grey wagtail. The wood is host to both green and greater spotted woodpeckers. Occasional visitors to the meadow and wood include woodcock (in winter), barn owl and raven. Peregrine falcon, hobby and kite are irregular visitors, with buzzards frequent, having occasionally nested in the wood. The wood also contains a lively rookery.




Directions
Leave Exeter on the A3052 Sidmouth Road. 200 yards after passing the White Horse Inn on the right, take the left turn. Garden Cottage is three quarters of a mile along this road and the first property on the left accessed by a driveway just beyond the house.

For all enquiries, viewing requests or to create your own listing please visit the Griffin Property Co. website.