High Street, Norton St. Philip, BA2

Location

Grafton House occupies a convenient position in the centre of this very popular village (with amenities including the famous ‘George’ public house, the Fleur de Lys public house, church, primary school, pre-school, Co-op supermarket and post office the newly opened Flourish farm shop and restaurant). There are additional facilities in the nearby villages (including another excellent primary school and railway station in Freshford). There is a regular bus service to the centre of Bath (about 7 miles away), whilst the village stands on the edge of beautiful countryside.

Description

Grafton House is a beautiful period house, believed to date from between 1600 and 1650. and retaining many fine period features which include stone mullioned windows and fine period timber beams.

Entering the house via the wonderful, old front door, you are immediately struck by the period charm of the property. There is initially an inner lobby and then you enter the main reception hall which is used as a formal dining area. Timber parquet flooring, period beams, a stone chimney breast with fireplace and exposed stone walls are all very attractive.

To your right-hand side side is the incredibly spacious drawing room with wide painted floorboards, high ceilings and three windows looking out to the front of the property, all with window seats below and working shutters. A timber painted fireplace frames the open fire to the side of which are some period built-in shelves.

To the left of the fireplace a doorway leads you to the one of two staircases to upstairs.

Further down the hall, is the newly fitted solid wood kitchen with a range of light grey units with granite work surfaces. Appliances include a fully electric AGA, , integrated fridges and a dishwasher. The kitchen leads through to a sunny glass roofed breakfast room, perfect for an informal dining area overlooking the garden.

Adjacent to the kitchen is a superb family room. Here you find a very old stone fire surround which is in two sections, the larger of which houses a wood burning stove. There are lovely stone mullioned windows with views over the rear courtyard and a further window seat.

A doorway from the dining room/snug leads into a rear lobby or hallway where there are three useful built-in cupboards. To your left-hand side is a very good-sized utility room which also has a shower, WC and hand basin. The lobby also leads to the second staircase and takes you to the first floor.

There are two bedrooms to the front of the house; bedroom 3 is of a good size and has a built-in desk and traditional fireplace. The second bedroom is large and bright with three windows looking out to the front, a large stone painted fireplace period built-in cupboards.

Also on the first floor is a further very spacious double bedroom overlooking the rear garden through stone mullion windows, a further smaller bedroom which is currently used as a study and a wonderfully spacious family bathroom. The bathroom suite has been refitted in recent years and has a large freestanding bath and separate shower unit.

Back to the main landing, another superb old door with original hinges leads you up to the master bedroom. Here there are two main areas, one of which is a good-sized attic where the new Worcester-Bosch boiler is housed. Drawings are being prepared to apply for listed consent to make this into a large master ensuite bathroom. On the other side of the landing is a superb, vaulted bedroom with beams.

This easily accommodates a living area and a bedroom with super king size bed.

Outside

The garden room leads to a charming courtyard area; to your right side is a delightful stone built garden house which is very flexible. Currently used as a gaming room and gym, it could also be used as an artist’s studio, workshop or ancillary accommodation. It currently provides one room on the ground floor and a timber ladder style staircase takes you to an upstairs attic space.

The gardens of Grafton House are particularly attractive, being laid mainly to lawn with a variety of well-stocked, pretty, flowerbeds. To the south corner there is a lovely spot to sit and relax under a beautiful white lilac. Two paths lead up to the end of the garden, one of which is gravel at the upper lawned area, the other being stone paved down the northern edge of the garden. At the top, you enjoy a really fine view over the rooftops of Norton St Philip and the countryside beyond. Steps also lead to a gravelled area where there are several compost bins and a good sized shed. In addition, there is a large car port which has space for 2 – 3 cars. The drive to the house is accessed off the lane named “Town Barton”.

Over the past two years, the present owner has painstakingly renovated the property. The  heating system has been replaced with upgraded plumbing, a new Worcester Bosch boiler and traditional column radiators. The flooring has been replaced or restored and the beams have been taken back to their original traditional oak colour. The electrics have been updated – and extended to the car port for EV charging - and roof repairs have been carried out. The garden house has been fully restored from a damp storage area to a very bright and usable space.

General information  

Council tax – E

Tenure – Freehold

Property type – 5 bedroom house

Property construction – Standard construction 

Number and types of room – 5 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 3 reception room and kitchen 

Electricity supply – Yes – Mains  

Water supply – Yes – Mains

Sewerages – Yes – Mains 

Heating – Yes – Gas