Vicarage Lane, Mark, Highbridge

A fine detached Victorian former vicarage, set in gardens of just under acre in the thriving Somerset village of Mark. This well-presented home has been lovingly refurbished by the present owners to an exceptionally high standard and has 5 double bedrooms in the main house and a separate adjoining cottage.

Description - A fine detached Victorian former vicarage, set in gardens of just under acre in the thriving Somerset village of Mark. This well-presented home has been lovingly refurbished by the present owners to an exceptionally high standard. The accommodation in the main house includes a drawing room, dining room, study, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, cloakroom and conservatory on the ground floor and upstairs there are five double bedrooms including the master and guest room with en suite bathroom and a further family shower room. An adjoining cottage, formerly the stable block, was converted to accommodation in the 1970s and can be locked separately from the main house. The accommodation here has been recently refurbished and comprises a sitting room, kitchen/diner, two double bedrooms and a bathroom. Outside there is a double garage with spacious games room above, another stone outbuilding and woodshed in the garden.
The Old Vicarage is approached via double electrically operated gates and a wide gravel driveway, which opens up to a turning area with plenty of parking for several vehicles and a double garage. The front door has a recently constructed portico which enhances the front entrance to this traditional Victorian villa.
The front door with fanlight opens into a generous hallway with panelled walls and a spacious understairs cupboard. Stairs rise to the first floor. From the hallway are principal rooms, which benefit from sash windows, original wooden shutters, high ceilings, picture rails and original cornicing and ceiling roses.
The elegant and light study has panelled walls, a window overlooking the garden with window seat and further window to side aspect, and a fitted cupboard with book-case shelving to the side of the stone fireplace with log burner.
Across the hallway is the dining room, mirroring the study, again dual aspect and a fireplace with wooden mantel, window seat and inset decorative shelving to one side.
The elegant drawing room to the rear of the house has a half length window overlooking the rear garden and a French window which leads out onto the terrace. This has log burner in a stone fireplace with French oak mantel.
Also on the ground floor is a WC with white suite, low level WC, hand wash basin and heated towel rail with opaque sash window to the front. There is also a cupboard at high level housing the meters together with a full length storage cupboard.
The kitchen is beautifully appointed with cream base and wall cupboards, including concealed spice drawers and granite worksurfaces, a one and a half bowl sink with mixer tap. The Aga is electrically powered with calor gas burners and extractor fan above. There is a matching Aga fridge/freezer with integrated wine fridge, a central island with breakfast bar with vegetable preparation sink, cupboards and fridge below, as well as a built-in microwave and dishwasher. The floor is finished with Kardean (luxury vinyl) and benefits from underfloor heating.
The kitchen leads to the conservatory which is a popular spot for the family, again with underfloor heating and automatic electric Velux windows which react to temperature and rain, and with doors leading to the rear garden.
Also on this floor is a utility room with plumbing for washing machine, cupboards, a stainless steel sink and a built-in airing cupboard. This room houses the water tank and has a tiled floor.



Stairs with polished bannister lead up from the hall. On the half landing is a beautiful stained glass window allowing lots of light to flood the landing. Access to the part-boarded roof space is via a robust loft ladder.
The master bedroom with sash window overlooks the fields to the rear of the house and has a pretty Victorian fireplace with tiles and painted mantel. Fitted cupboards run the length of one wall. The en suite bathroom has a freestanding roll top bath, separate walk-in shower cubicle, vanity unit with basin and taps, WC and a waterproof tv. The flooring is Kardean, the ceiling has an exposed beam and there is a feature oval window overlooking the rear garden.
There are four further double bedrooms, the guest room has wardrobes along one wall and a shower room with walk in shower cubicle, wash hand basin and high level WC. All bedrooms are of a good size, decorated in soft neutral colours with newly fitted carpets.
The family shower room has a wooden vanity unit with two hand wash basins, a walk-in shower cubicle and low level WC.
The Annexe
The well-proportioned and high-spec accommodation has been run as a holiday let business by the owners until recently.
The kitchen has cream coloured units and laminate worksurfaces, stainless steel sink with mixer tap and tiled splashback, Kardean flooring, a built-in electric oven and microwave, ceramic hob and plenty of room for a kitchen table. The sitting room is cosy whilst bright with a log burning stove with slate hearth with dual aspect, a bay window overlooking the rear garden and a window over looking the front garden. Upstairs are two good sized double bedrooms with exposed beamed ceilings and the recently installed bathroom has an oval bath under the window, a low level WC and walk-in shower cubicle. There is a further storage cupboard on the landing.

The Garage
The garage has two up and over doors and at present is used as a gym, with a newly laid floor. (easily converted back to garage use). Upstairs is a large room which is used as a games/tv room with plenty of room for pool table and bar. Downstairs WC.

The Shed
There is a stone built shed which was possibly a stable and which is now used as a workshop and which houses the tools and mower adjoining to a . further double storey stone built barn which is currently used for storage. The oil storage tank is to the rear.
Log Store
There is an open log store.


The Gardens
The gardens to front and rear are a delight with many kinds of mature fruit trees including apple, cherry, plum and pear as well as a weeping willow. They are mostly laid to lawn with a terrace adjoining the house which is perfect for outdoor entertaining. For the keen gardener there is also a lean-to greenhouse and a fenced off area with veg patch and kennel. Beyond the boundary, the fields to the rear of the property belong to the local church.
The Location
The Somerset village of Mark is conveniently located 10 miles from Bridgewater and from Weston-super-Mare and 20 miles from Bristol. Local schools include Mark Primary & Preschool, Hugh Sexey Middle School and King of Wessex Academy, also a school bus give easy access to Sidcot, Millfield and Kings Taunton. The lively village benefits from a village shop, post office, local bakery, an active village hall and local church. There are also two pubs, a bowling club as well as yoga and football available.
Access to the motorway network (M5) is a mere couple of miles away and Bristol International Airport is 16 miles away.

•Fast broadband for house and annexe
•Fully serviced intruder alarm
•Solar panels on the garage generating approx. +£2,000 pa
•Double glazing to the rear of the property
•Oil tank
•3 large loft areas for storage
•New upvc sash windows to the rear of the property
•New heating system with external boiler
EV charging point
NB this property is not listed.

Seller Insight - The Old Vicarage is a major landmark in the village, built in the 1830s and partially rebuilt in the 1860s it is pictured in a local historic journal. Despite its notoriety, the owners were not familiar with the home or even the village, although they had driven through it a couple of times in the past. When moving from Devon to the local area for work, their main driver was to be in the catchment area of Hugh Sexey Church of England Middle School in Blackford, and the village of Mark was in the right location.

There is no underestimating the grandeur of this home – from arrival through the large electric gates to driving along the sweeping drive, as a friend stated, "it looks like you live on a estate". This could have been due to the fact that there are, effectively, three separate buildings, the main house, the annexe, and the double garage that has living areas on the first floor. Although, when the owners arrived for the first time they were met with more a more overgrown garden rather than the manicured lawns you see today.

"Straightaway as we walked through the front door, we knew this was the home for us. It was the nicest house I had ever been in. There was no hiding its grand and historic features. The very high ceilings although were amazing, and even though there was so much space, the house still had a homely and comforting feeling that is hard to describe. We had to look beyond the décor, which was dated, but the beauty of the house just shone through, and there was so much potential.

"Every room is lovely in its own individual way, particularly the dining room; we don't use it much but when we do it's a very social and calming space. We moved the conservatory to be off the kitchen and that has turned it from the least to the most used space in the house. It's extended the kitchen. The whole space flows beautifully.

"We have enjoyed bringing all areas of the property to have a purpose rather than just being an undefined room. There is a room specifically for the children to do their homework and a downstairs study for home working. The garage has a gym downstairs and a multipurpose room above that can be used as a cinema, pool room, and bar. Transforming each room and bringing our ideas to life has been something we have all enjoyed."

The annexe offers potential: in the past it was managed by a holiday company and has been successfully used as a holiday let, bringing in a healthy annual income. It would also be an ideal space for multigenerational living, bringing family members together yet providing each generation with their own space and privacy.

The owners are keen gardeners, so have relished taming the overgrown garden and creating one that worked for their family, which also includes a BBQ terrace and a fantastic vegetable patch and fruit trees which helped the family to become more self-sufficient especially during the Covid pandemic. As you leave the property's gates you are also blessed with a wonderful community and array of amenities, all in walking distance.
The village is one of the longest villages in the country – set along a central road, it is one house deep with sprawling fields and open countryside beyond. The Old Vicarage is set at what is the prime end of the village due to the wealth of amenities: it is also home to the two pubs and the church. There are many schools with great reputations within easy distance, and there is a bus service to the local private schools, too.

"The shop/post office seems to always have everything you need. We also have what is fast becoming a legendary bakery; I challenge anyone to find a better locally baked croissant or sourdough bread. There is the garage and also the infamous Puddy's that stocks everything from nuts and bolts to gas for your BBQ and coal for your fire. You can be in open countryside in minutes and it's only approximately 3 miles from junction 22 of the M5. We were made to feel welcome from the moment we arrived as we were inundated with cards, wine and cakes. There is great village spirit and always something going on or planned, such as the forthcoming Jubilee event."

"When people move to Mark they don't move away, so properties rarely come on the market, or when they do they are snapped up. As the years go by your plans for the future change which is why we have decided to part ways with this incredible home. You always feel like a custodian when you own a property such as this, and we feel we have established it to be a wonderful family home in our time here. It is now time to pass the keys so the next generation can make their mark."