Toppesfield

A Wonderful Grade II Listed Five Bedroom Country Home set within 0.85 of an acre with a Detached Thatched Coach House and Rural Views.

What We say at The Zoe Napier Group

This farmhouse offers an instant warm welcome with the benefit of featuring much of the exposed timber frame combined with the rooms feeling light and with good head height for a period property. The bonus is the large, detached barn which offers excellent potential for conversion to an annexe and/or a home studio/games room subject to the usual consents.

What The Owners Say

We loved our time at the Farm and ensured to sympathetically refurbish the property to bring the modern touches to blend with the immense character of the house. Our path has taken us away, hence why we have decided to sell for the next custodian to own and enjoy the pleasures of living in a such a charming home and fabulous setting.

History & Background

A Charming five-bedroom Grade II listed country home which dates to the early 17^th century in part with later additions, set withing a mature 0.85-acre plot. The property replicates the layout like a Suffolk long house with bright generous rooms and two separate staircases to the first-floor accommodation. The interior has been beautifully refurbished whilst retaining the period characteristics of a Redfyre range, redbrick exposed fireplaces for either a roaring open fire or a cosy log burner and the property features much of the exposed timber frame with some vaulted ceilings.

The property has the added advantage of a newly lined and thatched (completed early 2024) barn which is believed to be the former coach house with a stable either side. The barn offers 950 sq ft of floor space with a vaulted ceiling and much of its exposed timber frame. The current owners gained consent for this building to become a two bedroom holiday let (circa 2004) albeit this application has now expired.

The property further benefits from having full fibre broadband with County Broadband with up to 900 mbps.

Setting & Location

The property stands on a generous plot of 0.85 of an acre with extensive road frontage attractively framing the house with a long brick wall interspersed with gated access onto the drive and a separate pedestrian gate to the front door. The mature grounds have a variety of trees, ranging from established fruit trees and Persian Walnuts to Weeping Willow and Sweet Chestnut. The side and rear boundaries are screened by tall firs, leaving an opening at the rear to encompass the stunning, far reaching rural views. There is only one near neighbour close by on the opposite side of the country lane setting which is equally attractive in a moated setting and then surrounded by open farmland. The setting is simply idyllic.

The property lies near the Essex/Suffolk borders outside the small hamlet of Gainsford End and the thriving village of Toppesfield (1.4 miles). The village has its own community-owned family pub/restaurant, village shop/post office, church, C of E primary school (Ofsted Good) and a community-owned craft brewery. Within a few miles there are two award-winning vineyards. More local services (doctors, fuel, supermarkets,shops (Finchingfield, Sible Hedingham, Halstead) are all available within a 5 - 12 minute drive. Picturesque villages such as Finchingfield (4.3 miles), The Belchamps and Clare (8 miles) are nearby. Local market towns include Sudbury (12 miles) and Saffron Walden (18 miles). The area is largely that of rural farming with picturesque rolling countryside where there is a network of public footpaths to enjoy country walks. 

For travel, the nearest stations include Braintree and Sudbury (7.5 miles equidistance) with an approximate one hour journey time for London’s Liverpool Street and Witham mainline station is 18 miles with a 45 minute journey time. There are good road links via the A20 for Essex and the M11 via Great Dunmow or from Duxford. Stansted airport is easily accessible (18 miles).

Ground Floor Accommodation

The front door leads directly into a sitting room/hall which has a delightful red brick fireplace housing a log burner and oak flooring. Access from this room leads to a modern ground floor bathroom with a shower over the bath and further accesses lead through to the other reception rooms and separately to the delightful farmhouse kitchen/breakfast room, triple aspect, with oak flooring and French doors onto the garden. The kitchen area has a semi vaulted ceiling, fitted with modern units and some built in appliances with an island return. The area benefits from an exposed red brick chimney recess which house a Redfyre (like an AGA). The Redfyre accommodates cooking as well as acting as a boiler for the oil fired heating and hot water. The open breakfast area seats 8 comfortably and the wide matching dresser will remain. Access leads to the service rooms where there is a spacious boot room with a natural stone floor and stable door onto the courtyards with further accesses to the utility room and one of two ground floor cloakrooms/w.c’s. A quirky step up from the hall area with stairs leads into the beautiful dining room, dual aspect with a lovely, exposed brick chimney breast with a wide recess for a roaring open fire. French doors lead out onto the rear courtyard. Access leads on into the family room where there is another open fire in the same back-to-back red brick chimney breast which further features in the main bedroom above. This room further benefits from being triple aspect with exposed timbers mainly to the ceiling. Leading through to the study with French doors onto the courtyard, a further staircase and an additional ground floor cloakroom/w.c.

First Floor Accommodation

From the northern staircase access leads to three of the bedrooms and a stylish bathroom with separate shower. The main bedroom is dual aspect with the chimney breast feature. The guest bedroom has a semi vaulted ceiling as does a smaller bedroom. The other staircase is accessed from the hall/sitting room which leads to two generous sized bedrooms and a w.c. This part of the house could make a super main bedroom suite with dressing room etc, if preferred.

Detached Barn

To the rear of the house is the detached newly thatched barn which offers 950 sq ft of floor space. The barn lies within the listed curtilage of the house and it is difficult to determine its exact age. However, evidence shows that it might have formerly been a coach house with a stable at either end. Inside is the exposed timber frame with a felt lined roof. As mentioned, this building could provide excellent ancillary/leisure accommodation, subject to the required consents. Braintree District Council did previously grant permission for a two bedroom holiday cottage back in the early 2000’s, albeit now expired.

Grounds

The mature grounds extend to 0.85 of an acre where the house is set back from its extensive frontage onto the country lane and framed by a charming red brick boundary wall. The grounds wrap around the house with lawn areas interspersed by a variety of specimen trees. Centrally, between the house and barn is a part walled courtyard area which is access from three sets of French doors from the various rooms and via the boot room. The accesses are great for summer entertaining, utilising both the internal and external spaces. Beyond are further lawn areas with an open aspect onto the neighbouring farmland where the rolling views are far reaching.

Agents Notes

• The registered title is EX545295
• The list entry (Grade II) with Historic England is 1165277
• Please note that the price reflects that the new owner will be required to install a modern drainage unit (Klargester or similar) to comply with current regulations.
• The property is currently tenanted, and we will require some notice when booking appointments to view. Internal photography is also limited to protect the tenants privacy

Services

Private Drainage. Mains Water. Mains Electricity. Oil Fired Heating.   

 

EPC rating: E. Tenure: Freehold,