Gildersleeves, Bures, Suffolk

Nestled comfortably in a streetscape of soft pastel tones and exposed timber-framed façades in the heart of the Bures St Mary Conservation Area in Suffolk is this charming Grade II-listed four-bedroom house. Living spaces are characterised by a delicate colour palette that sits alongside original 17th-century panelling and weathered oak beams. Outside, a mature garden is brimming with fruit trees, herbaceous borders, jasmine and roses. The amenities of the village are within easy walking distance, as is Bures Station for train travel to London Liverpool Street in approximately one hour and 15 minutes.

Setting the Scene

Bures straddles the border of two counties and comprises Bures Hamlet in Essex and Bures St. Mary in Suffolk, divided by the River Stour which runs through the centre of the village.

The house, on the Suffolk side of the Stour, occupies the east wing of a 17th-century timber framed house. In the 19th century this wing was given over to a greengrocery, and a shopfront of tall timber mullioned windows, unadorned stall riser and fascia and a moulded cornice was added to the jettied Tudor façade. For more information, please see the History section.

The Grand Tour

The house is set back from the street, with its entrance tucked to one side. A nine-panelled front door sits in a doorcase of fluted pilasters topped with corbels and cornice, all washed in ‘Old White’ by Farrow & Ball.

Entry is to a large reception room currently arranged as an open-plan living and dining space. Exposed timber posts and beams are woven around the room and have been painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘School House White’ to complement the shade of the infill walls and sisal carpet underfoot. The living area is at the front of the plan and basks in the gentle light that filters through the Georgian shopfront windows. On one side of the space is a wood-burning stove atop a brick hearth; original timber panelling on the other side is a fine example of delicate Tudor detailing.

A screen of oak posts separates the living space from the dining area. There is plenty of space to arrange a table and chairs in front of a gas stove, making it an inviting place to host a long winter’s dinner party. Beyond the dining area is the kitchen, where a floor of rich quarry tiles stretches to a handy WC/utility room at the rear. The kitchen is composed of teal-painted cabinetry with a walnut worktop housing a butler sink and there is plenty of space for a breakfast table. A gas-powered Aga sits in an alcove laid with decorative tiles.

An extension at the rear of the ground floor is connected to the original house by a garden room with its own entrance, ideal for kicking off muddy boots after a valley walk. Beyond is a study, fitted with bespoke shelves and cabinetry (ideal for keeping a personal library) and finished with Morris & Co.’s ‘Brer Rabbit’ wallpaper. From here is a double bedroom, where the botanical theme is continued: ‘Blackthorn’ wallpaper, also by Morris & Co., is complemented by a view of the herb-filled rear patio through glazed doors to the garden. There is also an en suite shower room leading from the bedroom.

A staircase ascends from the reception room to the first floor, where there are three further bedrooms and a family bathroom. The primary bedroom is at the front of the house, where light pours in through a pair of one-over-six sash windows to fall on heavy boards of original oak flooring. A series of hand-crafted built-in wardrobes here provides excellent storage. The second and third bedrooms are to the rear, with casement windows that overlook the garden. In the bathroom, a timber-panelled bath fitted with brass fixtures sits below a large sash window, with a separate shower from Aston Matthews to one side.

The current owners have previously been granted planning permission to convert the loft space and provide two additional bedrooms and a shower room.

The Great Outdoors

An established garden ending from the rear of the house is planted with fig, apple and bay trees. At one end, a gravel patio is encompassed by herbs and scented flowers, making a lovely spot for an alfresco lunch in the warmer months, taking in heady scents of lavender and jasmine.

Beyond a central lawn bordered by beds teeming with oregano and sage is a vegetable patch and a greenhouse well-suited to growing tomatoes and chillies.

A driveway to the side of the house has space for three cars, as well as a single-bay garage behind a pair of gates for further parking.

Out and About

Bures is well-equipped for daily life; there is a general store, a post office, a GP surgery, a primary school and a nursery, as well as several pubs, a café and a deli. For those interested in outdoor pursuits there is a recreation ground, cricket pitch, tennis courts and boat access to the River Stour. Colchester and Bury St Edmunds are both easily accessible by car for work or more serious shopping.

As the former capital of Roman Britain, Colchester is steeped in history, home to the beautiful ruins of Colchester Castle, the Roman Theatre and St Botolph’s Priory. The town has an excellent range of galleries, cafés and restaurants, including the Firstsite gallery, The Minories and Hollytrees Museum.

The village sits in the Stour Valley just outside of the Dedham Vale AONB, surrounded by the rolling farmland, meadows and ancient woodlands that define the lowlands of the Suffolk-Essex border. Access to the surrounding countryside is immediate; the Stour Valley Path runs through the middle of the village to Dedham, Flatford and the coast beyond. The Guardian recently described the Harwich peninsula as a “revelation” and “like Lymington or Rye, without the price tags”.

The area is extremely well connected; Bures’s train station is less than a 10-minute walk from the house where services run to Marks Tey station in approximately 12 minutes, and from here trains to London Liverpool Street run in just under an hour. The A12 is easily accessed from the area and offers access to the M25, London, the Suffolk coastline and the South East.

Council Tax Band: E