Bentley, Hampshire

A lovely Grade II listed village house in the heart of this active community with a fabulous, well stocked, garden and outbuildings.

The Property - Cedar Cottage is a lovely Grade II Listed house with a classical Georgian heritage well positioned in the heart of this active village community. Large windows fill the rooms with light and the generous ceiling heights provide a spacious feel. An attractive entrance hall opens into the dining room and easy access to the double length drawing room provides excellent formal entertaining space. The more everyday space is to the rear of the house with kitchen/breakfast room, comfortable family sitting room with open fireplace and adjacent study/playroom with double doors opening onto the walled garden providing a brilliant space for young children to safely free-range in. On a practical level there is a good boot room which adjoins the large double garage.

On the first floor there are five bedrooms, many interconnecting, and most of which have interesting aspects over the garden or the fields opposite and countryside beyond. The house is complemented by a fabulous garden, well stocked and landscaped over many generations with mature trees and plenty of space for children to explore or keen gardeners to enjoy. Overall, a fantastic family house. EPC: E53

Location - Cedar Cottage is part of the main village street scene unchanged over many centuries with houses set back from what was once the main carriage route from London to Southampton and fields opposite. By-passed many years ago, Bentley is well located between Alton and Farnham with handy access to the A31 and yet part of an unspoilt rural landscape that has remained largely unaltered. The village has an active community with local amenities (much of it within walking distance) including a village shop, pub, primary school, local train station (scheduled services to Waterloo), sports clubs, village hall and Church.

The extensive network of local lanes, footpaths and bridleways provide amazing walks (including the pilgrimage route St. Swithun's Way) and many cycling routes, ideal for any country/outdoor enthusiasts. The A31 is within a mile and provides good regional transport links to Guildford and Winchester and the M3 lies conveniently to the north at Hook/Odiham.

There are more extensive shopping and schooling options in Farnham or Alton. Alton College provides 6th form options in the state sector, and in the private sector options include The Alton School, Lord Wandsworth College (Long Sutton), Winchester College and St Swithun's (Winchester), Highfield (Liphook) and Edgeborough/Barfield at Farnham.

Outside - The garden and grounds have been established and landscaped over many generations and even centuries. The more formal front garden surrounds the gravelled entrance drive which sweeps up to the front door, with various well stocked borders, shrubs, hedges and trees providing seasonal colour and shape. A day to day back drive leads up the other side of the house to the garage.

A wonderful inner walled garden is privately positioned behind the house with an expanse of lawn, paved paths, herbaceous border and a wonderful summer sun trap. The outer rear garden is more extensive and an old timbered and thatched garden outbuilding straddles the various garden areas providing a brilliant store but also scope for annexe, home office, hobbies space (subject to listed building consent). The outer rear garden has an expanse of lawn (once a tennis lawn), a mature wooded boundary on one side, old hedge to rear and extensive vegetable garden with various useful garden stores and composting areas. There are some lovely old trees and, overall, a wonderful safe haven for children to free range in and enjoy. In all the garden and grounds extend to about 1.4 acres (0.56 ha).