Alfington, Ottery St. Mary, Devon, EX11

Set above and back from the passing village lane which is fringed on the opposite side by a tall hedge topped bank, Rock Farm has the feeling of being in a rural setting as it lies between the two halves of the village, looking out across a swathe of beautiful, unspoilt countryside. Possibly dating back to the 17th century and unlisted, the house has a slate roof and is built of a mix of stone and red brick and is partly covered with painted render. It is a lovely example of a farmhouse of the period and is attached to an impressive granary that has been converted into a party barn with over 650sq ft of entertainment space. It has good sized rooms with good ceiling height and are full of character. Original architectural fittings include curved roofing timbers, known as crucks, exposed ceiling beams, plank and muntin walling, window seats, an inglenook fireplace in the family room and a gorgeous clay tiled floor and timber mullioned window in the dining room.

Overall, the house has three reception rooms on the ground floor plus four bedrooms on the first, with the family room, kitchen and principal bedroom looking out to the southeast out over the surrounding countryside. The kitchen is well lit by natural light that flows in through a tall, wide sash window and has room for a good-sized kitchen table. It has fitted units under timber work surfaces, Belfast sink and a two-oven AGA inset in an inglenook fireplace. Upstairs there is a small landing at the top of the stairs plus a further, adjoining landing that would originally have been a walk-through bedroom but now serves as a very handy study area. Currently all four bedrooms share the family bathroom. If desired, the single bedroom would be ideal as an ensuite bathroom for the principal bedroom.

Outbuildings, garden and paddock
Rock Farm is connected to the village lane via a gently sloping driveway in front of the house that leads up to a sizeable concrete yard with ample parking space. The yard is lined on two sides by ranges of period outbuildings. The range along the northern sides incorporates five loose boxes and a recently re-roofed cow barn (known locally as a shippon), which has electricity and serves as an event room. The southern range includes a cider press, three stall piggery, two further stores and a partly open sided, two storey barn (known locally as a linhay) built of cob, brick and timber. Behind and at one end of the southern range is an elevated deck that looks out over two stock enclosures and the paddock to the open countryside beyond. Immediately behind the house and granary is a yard for outside entertaining and barbeques. Beyond is an elevated lawn sheltered by mature trees and hedging with a charming, rustic summer house in one corner. The eastern end of the yard opens onto a good sized, gently sloping paddock, which is planted with several fruit and nut trees and is enclosed by stock-proof fencing and mature field hedging.

Rock Farm is situated in the small but thriving village of Alfington, which has a parish church, filling station, village hall and The Greyhound Country Inn pub just outside the village. It lies roughly midway between the small town of Ottery St. Mary and the slightly larger market town of Honiton. Both can meet most day to day needs, whilst Exeter has an extensive range of shops, businesses and recreational facilities as one would expect from a cathedral and university city. The A30 and M5 (Junction 29) are both within easy reach and Exeter St. Davids station has a regular, fast service to both Waterloo (from 2 hours 3 minutes) and Bristol (from 57 minutes). For air travel, Exeter Airport offers connections to both national and international destinations including a regular service to London City Airport (1 hour). There is also a wide choice of schools locally both from the state and independent sectors including Colyton Grammar School in Colyton, The Maynard School and Exeter School and there are nearby student bus services to Colyton Grammar and The Maynard.