Stoodleigh, Tiverton, Devon, EX16

Situated on the western side of the Exe Valley, Ravenswood Lodge is positioned in the centre of a beautiful stretch of unspoilt countryside that once formed the landed estate surrounding Stoodleigh Court, a beautiful Victorian country house built in 1881.
It was designed for Thomas Carew Daniel by the architects Sir Ernest George and Harold Peto, who are perhaps best known for the fine townhouses they designed in London for the Cadogan Estate in Chelsea and Kensington. Their design of Stoodleigh Court won a Royal Academy Gold Award in 1885. Ravenswood Lodge was once the large, three-bay coach house, stables and walled courtyard of Stoodleigh Court and now forms a beautifully presented family home within a very private, rural setting. It is built of local stone with tall, wide windows, a slate roof and has good-sized rooms with excellent ceiling height and is laid out in a U-shape. The coach house, which now forms the main house, has two storeys and faces south, whilst the former stables form a south and west-facing, single storey annexe. The main part of the house has a centrally positioned reception hall with the large drawing room on one side of it and the superb kitchen/dining room with its slate floor, handmade painted timber units and 4-oven electric AGA on the other. On the far side of the kitchen is a walk-through library leading to the study. On the first floor are five south-facing, double bedrooms, all with far-reaching views out over the surrounding countryside. The principal bedroom has a walk-through dressing room to an en suite bath and shower room and the guest bedroom has its own bathroom, whilst the remaining three bedrooms share the large family bath and shower room.
The attached, self-contained annexe has a living/dining room and three en suite double bedrooms. Cleverly the two properties have an additional double bedroom with its own shower room between them that can be added to either part of the house as required. Both parts of the house feature timber and stone tiled floors, moulded coving, wainscot panelling in the bathrooms and original fireplaces, some fitted with wood burning stoves. The annexe has successfully been used as holiday accommodation and to host a variety of retreats including health and fitness courses (see

Ravenswood Lodge is approached off a quiet country lane via a private drive. The entrance to the courtyard is on the right of the drive after about 150 yards. A pair of imposing wrought iron gates open to a large, gravelled parking area in front of the house, where there is parking space for numerous cars. Double gates in the courtyard open out into the southwest-facing garden, which incorporates a paved terrace overlooking the garden plus a separate recreation room with an attached home office, which looks out onto a level lawn dotted with mature native broadleaf trees. In all the grounds amount to just over half an acre.
There is a right of access to the log/coal store area and garden through a small gate in the courtyard. Leading off the drive there is a secondary lane providing additional parking and direct access into the garden.

Ravenswood Lodge is situated in the Exe Valley, about 150 yards up a private road leading to the property, adjacent to Stoodleigh Court. It is set amidst gorgeous, gently rolling countryside and about half a mile from the centre of the village of Stoodleigh, which, despite its small size has a traditional and friendly pub (The Stoodleigh Inn), a pretty 15th century church and cricket club. Nearby shopping is available in Bampton 3 miles away providing a variety of local produce. There is also a community shop six miles away in
the small, neighbouring village of Rackenford selling groceries, household goods, newspapers, fresh fruit and vegetables and alcohol. Most day to day requirements can be found in the town of Tiverton, which has a population of just under 21,000 and today is the commercial and administrative centre of Mid Devon. It has an excellent choice of shops and local businesses including a Tesco superstore, Lidl and Morrison's supermarkets along with GP, dental and veterinary surgeries. The local area also offers a wide choice of schools from both the state and independent sectors. These include a CofE village primary school in the village of Bampton, and the popular and independent Blundell's School and its preparatory school in Tiverton, which can both be reached in under
15 minutes. The property has good access to local transport links. It only takes about 5 minutes to access the A361 and A396 main arterial roads and Junction 27 on the M5 is about twelve miles away via the A361. Tiverton Parkway station, about five miles east of Tiverton, is on the Bristol to Exeter line with direct services to Exeter St. Davids's and Exeter Central, Bristol Temple Meads and Paddington taking, about an hour and just over two respectively. In addition, Exeter Airport is only 35 minutes away via the A361, M5 and A30 and the M5 also provides swift access north to Bristol Airport in about 75 minutes.