Baughton Lane, Earls Croome, WR8

Surrounded by the picturesque Worcestershire countryside and enjoying panoramic views towards Bredon Hill, Apple Meadows encompasses a detached and delightfully spacious four-bedroom family house in tandem with a first-class equestrian set-up that any rider, professional or amateur, would envy.

Occupying 8.5 acres, Apple Meadows is peacefully located in the rural hamlet of Earls Croome, a short drive from the historic riverside towns of Upton-on-Severn (3 miles) and Pershore (5 miles).

The nicely proportioned house has 18th-century origins and was remodelled and updated in the 1990s. This 2,574 sq ft residence offers flexibility and potential, revelling in an abundance of natural mood-boosting light all-year-round.

The undoubted hub of family life is the expansive fitted kitchen/breakfast room which flows into a fabulously sunny conservatory – the combined length is 32ft and in the summer the French doors can be flung open to create a seamless link with an acre or so of lawned garden, patio, pond, generous parking space in front of a double garage, hard surface tennis court and a woodland adventure playground that children will adore.

Family and equestrian life in perfect harmony

The equestrian facilities are impressive, encompassing everything you could possibly need for a stables for livery and grazing or for those with pony-mad youngsters.

This idyllic house and accompanying equestrian facilities offer a great family business opportunity amidst this peaceful and private rural oasis.

There are two entrances from the quiet country lane, one for horseboxes, agricultural equipment and deliveries and a second private entrance via a set of high timber gates set between white brick walls topped with trellis.  There’s parking for half-a-dozen cars on the red chevron-bricked area between the house and the garage.

Heart of the home

Exuding rustic farmhouse character and a lovely relaxed ambience, the 20x20ft tiled kitchen/breakfast room has a fantastic collection of pale green fitted cabinetry on opposite sides of this glorious triple-aspect family-focused space, along with a central island – all with marble worktops.  A dazzling maroon four-oven AGA takes care of cooking and keeps everything warm and cosy in the winter months.  There’s also an induction hob cooker, double Belfast sink and fitted housing for other white goods such as dishwasher and fridge/freezer.

The current owners say the majority of their family life revolves around the kitchen/breakfast room and adjoining 12x16ft lantern-roofed conservatory.  The kitchen also has a fitted banquette dining area slotted into a big bay window while the overhead timber beams add period charm.

Whether you’re basking in the glass-radiated warmth, curled up with a morning coffee answering e-mails or winding down with the children, the conservatory offers lots of flexibility.  It’s perfect for entertaining and al fresco dining on sunny days with the doors open to the patio – the views from here are stunning.

Into the garden

The semi-circular paved patio outside the conservatory has simply breathtaking views towards Bredon Hill and is the perfect summertime spot for relaxing during the day or cosied up round a fire-pit after sunset, sustained by sizzling barbecue food or pizzas from a wood-fired oven and lulled by the sound of water from the waterfall in the nearby pond.

Children will love the huge expanse of lawn where they can safely run, play and kick a ball, privately and securely screened by tree and hedge borders – and they will love the woodland paths at the end with a ‘secret’ adventure play castle complete with slide, swing, climbing ropes and tower.

Behind conifer screening, and fenced all round, there’s a hard-surface tennis court that will appeal to all the family.  There’s also a greenhouse for those with green fingers.

An equestrian oasis

It would be hard to improve on the equestrian facilities at Apple Meadows – it’s a fantastic set-up whether for business or pleasure.

Arranged across 7.2 acres of pasture are seven paddocks separated by post and rail fencing with three permanent field shelters included in the sale and a further three mobile shelters subject to negotiation.

The stable yard is adjacent to and visible from the house, comprising a brick-built block of three stables and tack room attached to the rear of the garage plus a further pair of timber stables.  Next to this is a small turnout pen and a magnificent standard-sized (20x40 metres) floodlit sand-and-fibre arena as well as an ultra-flexible 375 sq ft wooden lodge currently used as an office but ripe for repurposing – a studio, teenagers’ den or gym are just a few possibilities.

Two enormous portal frame barns offering 5,800 sq ft of covered parking and storage are reached via a second entrance with a gravelled driveway culminating in a large yard for parking horse lorries, trailers and so on. There are four sheds of varying sizes too.

Round and about

Riding, walking and cycling the spectacular landscape of this part of Worcestershire is a pleasure and there’s endless footpaths and countryside to explore. Historic Bredon Hill is particularly popular and has panoramic views of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The pretty riverside town of Upton-upon-Severn is reached within a five-minute drive and meets all the day-to-day needs with a supermarket, GP surgery, cafes and pubs.  Between May and August annually it becomes a music festival hub – everything from folk and jazz to blues, rock and pop.

Nearby Evesham has a Waitrose supermarket, leisure centre and cinema and Apple Meadows is also well placed for larger cities and towns including Worcester, Tewkesbury, Cheltenham and Birmingham.