Barking, Ipswich

This circa 1500 Tudor characterful home with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, huge social rooms and secluded gardens, is unique in sustaining the historic ambience yet with full head height in all rooms. Positioned on a quiet road with protected panoramic countryside views, yet with bustling market town amenities just two miles away you can enjoy timeless charm with modern convenience all in one.

This tranquil retreat oozes character from every weathered beam and floorboard and the current owners have enjoyed this historic building to the full, The stunning views of the surrounding countryside encourage a feeling of connection and openness to the environment and the particularly wonderful thing about this home, is that due to its listing, these uninterrupted field views are protected, guaranteeing the view of the changing seasons from your home. All this within two miles of rail connections and a bustling market town makes this a refreshing prospect.

The layout of this home is wonderfully straightforward with the ground floor rooms maintaining a consistent one room depth. Step into the sweet porch entrance hall, with tiled floor, heritage colour scheme and space for boots and coats, and go directly into the main living room and you immediately know you are inside a piece of living history. Whilst beams climb the walls and ceilings, height is not compromised, and you still feel there is space and light here with the east/west facing windows. To the left of the living room is the kitchen with beautiful oak cabinets, full height built in fridge/freezer, central island with storage and wonderful granite worktops throughout. The rustic charm is amplified by the alcove hosting a superb dual fuel, electric and LPG gas, range - great for cooking up a feast! Off the kitchen is a practical utility room/cloakroom with door to the gardens, ideal for coming in from field walks with muddy paws and boots. To the right of the living room a hallway leads to the impressive formal dining room with beautiful beams and a fireplace - unused currently but could be reopened - a perfect setting for hosting dinners with family gathered around the huge table.

The current owners have sensitively improved this listed home, replacing the sole plates and installing heritage double glazed windows with full planning permission. They say they will miss the relaxing living room with enormous Inglenook fireplace the most. This room is coolest in summer, and you can open the front and rear doors to allow a wonderful breeze to come through. In winter you can really hunker down with all the family around the wonderful Inglenook Fireplace with wood burner. Christmas here is magical with the Christmas Fairy invited to decorate fully - trees feature in the living room as well as the dining room and ten people can be seated easily to enjoy the special season together. For children the home is a safe haven with fully enclosed gardens making for a safe environment to run wild. You could camp on the lawns, have a marquee for parties at the top of the garden plus there is even a sweet picket fence enclosing the terrace for when you need to keep dogs and little ones closer to hand. Charming yet practical this lovely home welcomes its new custodians.
Winding up to the first floor the ingenious stairs take you to two smaller bedrooms, one from the stairs directly and the other form a small landing, both boasting the attractive beam work. The other landing leads to a pretty smaller bedroom and tasteful shower room blending modern convenience with the heritage building by using natural colours and materials. The large principal bedroom feels like its own wing with enormous ensuite sitting in the roof space above the kitchen. This bathroom has the unique feature of a glass panel revealing the original wattle and daub building materials, just fascinating and revealing still kore about this historic home.

The property sits in its plot with a large frontage including enclosed lawns and a generous gravel driveway offering plentiful parking for family and friends along with a double garage which has stairs to first floor and plentiful storage. There are multiple spots to chase sun or shade here, whether from a small patio outside the utility room or a larger seating area further along the attractive sandstone terrace, offering ample space for alfresco entertaining. The mature rear gardens are mainly laid to lawn and surrounded by mature trees and hedging making a safe space for family to enjoy. There is a large summer house, currently use for storage but could be opened out to offer fabulous shady spot to read or just enjoy a glass of wine after work. The current owners have owned chicken in the past and there is ample space to create a veggie garden and truly sample "the good life" and put green fingers to work - the possibilities are endless in the green pleasant space. The gardens also welcome plenty of wildlife including Muntjac deer at the front of the house and an abundance of bird life including owls, woodpeckers kits and buzzards - all revelling in the undisturbed existence.

Barking is a pretty village two miles west of Needham Market on the B1078 road. The village has St Marys church and a garage whilst primary schooling can be found close by in Rushall or Bosmere. Beautiful walks are available direct from your doorstep here, in Bonny Wood, Priestly Wood or by taking one of the many footpaths guiding you through fields and the peaceful Suffolk countryside, wonderful for walking your dogs.