High Street, Wylye, Warminster, Wiltshire

The Mill House is a wonderful period family home, which showcases over 5,000 sqft of living space set over four floors. The accommodation is stylishly presented throughout and offers flexible living areas most suited to modern family life. On a day to day basis, access to the house is via the kitchen door. This large and most homely kitchen/breakfast room is certainly the hub of the house and is extremely well appointed with an extensive range of bespoke units with matching central Island. There is a very useful and spacious utility/boot room which has a door leading out to the gardens. The mill race runs under a room adjacent to the kitchen and it is considered that more might be made of this feature, should a buyer wish to. A lovely dining hall with a fabulous garden room provides excellent space for entertaining, whilst the adjoining garden room area provides the perfect spot to relax whilst enjoying the view over the river. The adjacent reception hall provides more formal access to the house, whilst a study and cloakroom can be found beyond. The first-floor drawing room is undoubtedly the most impressive and elegant of all the reception rooms. Measuring approximately 40’ x 20’, this really is a stunning dual aspect room which features a lovely open fireplace. A smaller more ‘snug-like’ sitting room is to one side of the drawing room, which is perfect for quieter evenings. From the landing area, a door leads through to the principal suite, which comprises a luxurious bath and shower room, bedroom and separate dressing room with fitted wardrobes. From the main drawing room, a staircase rises to the second floor where four further bedrooms, one with en suite, and a family shower room can be found. A further staircase leads up to a fantastic converted attic space that offers a multitude of uses, not least a children’s play room or space for those who want to work from home. There is no question that The Mill House offers exceptional and flexible living space for as few or as many people as required.

Although The Mill House is not Listed, it has a fascinating history. It is recorded in the Domesday Book as rendering 10 shillings. The London to Exeter Road forded the river beside the mill until the first bridge was built in the late 18th Century. In the middle of the river stands a statue known as “The Wylye Boy”, depicting a sea sprite blowing a shell-like trumpet. According to Pevsner, it was collected by the Earl of Pembroke on the Grand Tour in the early 18th Century. It was later given by him as a memorial to a young postilion rider who drowned after saving a relation of the Earl from an overturned coach. The mill and it surroundings are also mentioned in William Cobbett’s book Rural Rides, “... I remembered Wylye very well, and thought it a gay place when I was a boy. I remembered a very beautiful garden belonging to a rich farmer and miller. I went to see it; but, alas! Though the statues in the water and on the grass platt were still remaining, everything seemed to be in a state of perfect carelessness and neglect...” Idyllic as this sounds, the house and it’s grounds are now quite the opposite.

Both the Mill Stream and River Wylye meander through the gardens and over to the water meadows. Fishing rights come with the house and both the mill pond and river contain good sized trout and grayling. The current owners have invested a great deal to improve and nurture the watercourse and it’s habitats. Considerable work has also been undertaken with regard to the water management, such as replacement sluices, a new electronically controlled mechanical sluice gate operated by the EA, and significant work to the water facing walls of the house. The outbuildings are accessed off to the gravel drive, namely a garden/mower store and a single garage adjoining. To the rear of the property is a paved area with barbeque for outside entertaining with wonderful river views over the “Wylye Boy” and garden. The principal gardens in front of the house are laid to lawn, with a variety of mature shrubs, hedgerows and borders. A pretty and slightly more formal garden, and also an orchard, lie on the other side of the river. These are accessed via foot bridge from the house or by vehicular access from the village lane.

The Mill House lies on the edge of the popular village of Wylye, situated in the Wylye Valley. The village has an excellent shop and post office, with a pretty Norman church, an active village hall and a well-regarded pub known as The Bell Inn. The village is in a Conservation Area and is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Wylye is conveniently situated for the A303 which links to the M3 to the North and Exeter to the South West. The A36 bypasses the village providing a direct route to Salisbury and Warminster. For the rail commuter, Salisbury provides a fast link to London Waterloo, whilst Warminster also boasts a mainline station into Paddington. A wide range of educational, shopping and leisure facilities can also be found in in the region too.

The list of excellent schools in the area is extensive and varied, both for private and state education. It includes Salisbury Cathedral School, The Godolphin School, Bishop Wordsworth’s Grammar School for boys and South Wilts Grammar School for Girls. In addition, there is Port Regis, Milton Abbey, Millfield, Bryanston, Clayesmore and Sandroyd offering both prep and public school levels.