Thornfalcon, Taunton, Somerset, TA3

A truly magnificent contemporary property, an eco-home, offering highly appointed and flexible accommodation occupying a private and peaceful setting on high ground enjoying glorious views.

Owners Comments:
Canal Farm is so named because it is located on the route of the Taunton to Chard Canal, which was the last commercial canal to open in England around 1842, and one of the first to close in 1867. It was expensive to run because over the 13 mile length it had 4 inclined planes and a tunnel.

The first inclined plane ran up the front of the property, from the still extant canal bridge under the road at the front entrance, to the transhipment lock, which was sited next to the current rear parking area. Goods were unloaded from the canal boat at the bottom, put into wagons, pulled up the incline, and then reloaded into a new canal boat in the transhipment lock. This was repeated at each successive inclined plane.

The original lock-keepers cottage survived, and became the farm cottage of Canal Farm, with its approx. 200 acres of surrounding fields, and in the 1900s was owned by Somerset County Council and let as a tenanted farm. Together with several other Council owned tenanted farms, it was sold in 2010 to fund losses incurred on “investing” in the Icelandic Banks in the early 2000s.

This by now derelict lock-keepers cottage, together with 16 acres of surrounding land, was purchased by the current owners in 2011, and demolished in 2013, as part of the overall redevelopment.

This imposing and quite magnificent contemporary dwelling was architect designed and created for the present owner, completed in March 2016. Constructed with great attention to detail and the highest quality materials, fixtures and fittings the house offers extremely comfortable, light and flexible accommodation.

The galleried hall with fine walnut and ash staircase provides an impressive double height entrance to the property and opens out to the inner hall, where there is a fully tiled and well fitted bathroom, a media room/playroom, two equal sized studies both with extensive fitted bookshelves and a particularly spacious dual aspect drawing room with French doors, having sun blinds, which lead out onto the terrace. A further hall leads to the dining/sitting room with bi-fold doors along two walls providing inside/outside living. This space is open to the magnificent kitchen being superbly fitted with a range of high gloss fronted wall and floor mounted cabinets with a central island all having granite work surfaces. A Miele induction 90cm hob has a down draft extractor and further range of Miele appliances including two microwave/traditional convection ovens, steamer/conventional oven and a slow cooker. There are integrated fridge/freezer and two wine coolers. The kitchen is open to a further breakfast area and sitting room with contemporary cupboards and drawer chest. A secondary kitchen/utility room is offset from the kitchen and is superbly fitted with under counter Miele dishwasher. A plant/boot room is found off the sitting area and has two Alpha Innotech heat pump boilers with hot water storage cylinders. A fitted sink with plumbing for washing machine and tumble dryer, a Kingspan water harvester control box and a door to the outside. The first floor landing is almost a room in itself, enjoying glorious outlooks and has French doors out onto a spacious roof terrace with glass panelled balustrade serving as a great entertaining space and enjoys glorious outlooks. An inner landing with several built-in cupboards housing the central heating manifolds leads to the principal bedroom, having excellent built in cupboards and drawer chests, French doors out onto the roof terrace and doors through to the beautifully fitted bathroom with a double ended free standing bath, a wc, walk-in shower and double wash basins with drawers below. There is a further bedroom off this landing with French doors out onto the roof terrace, built in cupboards and drawer chest and an en suite shower room. A further landing leads to the south, has excellent attic storage cupboards and leads to two further en suite bedrooms, both having good cupboards and drawer chests and the guest suite having French windows, an en suite shower room and well fitted dressing room.

Tax Band: H