North Heath, Chieveley, Newbury, Berkshire

Bee Cottage is a delightful period house, set in a peaceful position in the small hamlet of North Heath, just under a mile from the village of Chieveley and close to the market town of Newbury. The property is surrounded by rolling countryside but also benefits from being in a highly accessible location with easy access to road and rail links, Newbury itself, and a choice of highly regarded schools in the area. The property is well presented and stylish throughout, with plenty of original character, and the accommodation flows well creating excellent entertaining space. There is a charming, dual aspect sitting room with French doors to the garden, and an attractive fireplace with a double-sided woodburning stove serving both the sitting room and adjoining cosy snug/family room. There is also a useful study, ideal for home working, and a utility room and cloakroom. The spacious kitchen/dining room includes a range of fitted units providing plenty of storage space, an Aga range cooker, separate hob and electric oven, and a walk-in pantry. There is also plenty of space for a large dining table and seating area. Upstairs there are four bedrooms, all of which can be accessed by either of the two staircases. The principal bedroom has an en suite shower room and is dual aspect providing wonderful views over the garden and surrounding countryside. There are two further bedrooms and a family bathroom primarily accessed from the main staircase, as well as a fourth double bedroom with en suite bathroom.

The beautiful south-facing garden is an important feature of the property, and has been beautifully landscaped creating different 'rooms' designed for year-round interest. There are areas of lawn interspersed with mature hedges, attractive topiary, specimen trees and spring bulbs, as well as a delightful paved seating area close to the house. At one end of the garden there is a fabulous garden room with full height glass windows and doors, providing fantastic additional entertaining space. There is plenty of parking on the gravel driveway beside the double garage which also has a useful storage room above. Additional parking is found at the front of the house.

The hamlet of North Heath is situated a short distance from Chieveley, one of Newbury’s most popular downland villages, just north of the town itself in the heart of the North Wessex Downs. There is a thriving local community and the village has excellent facilities including a shop/post office, pre-school and primary school, doctors' surgery, pharmacy, excellent pub, recreation ground and tennis club. North Heath sits within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty offering wonderful walking, riding and cycling opportunities direct from the property. Nearby Newbury offers an extensive range of facilities catering for most day-to-day needs, and Reading and London can be easily reached either by road, or by a regular, direct train service from Newbury into London Paddington. There is a wide choice of highly regarded schools in the area including Elstree prep school which provides a minibus that collects from Chieveley, and the village is also within the catchment area of the highly regarded The Downs School.