Water Street, Curry Rivel, Langport, Somerset, TA10

A particularly handsome and distinguished period village house being well preserved and offering well proportioned and elegant rooms together with traditional outbuildings and enchanting gardens and grounds

The Yews is a truly fascinating and beautiful old house and is worthy of its Grade II* Listing. A manor house, gardens and orchards have stood on the site for well over 500 years and for centuries it was the principal house of the village. At the core of the house is the old medieval manor, with the beamed ceilings of the period. In the mid-18th century the handsome five bay entrance facade was built in finely cut Blue Lias stone with hamstone dressings and quoins. In the 19th century a splendid ballroom was built above which there is a well proportioned and light bedroom with en-suite bathroom and balconies overlooking the gardens. In typical truly symmetrical style, the front portico has a panelled front door leading into a fine reception hall with beautiful turning staircase which leads to the top of the house and is lit by a recently refurbished timber framed lantern. A drawing room has a plain stone fireplace with a Jotul wood burning stove, sash windows to the front of the house with original shutters, a corniced ceiling and a recessed bookcase. A library is found on the opposite side of the hall with a cut stone fireplace with open grate, handsome bookcase with cupboards and a ceiling cornice. The dining room, found in the centre of the house, has a fireplace with a high stone mantelpiece. A small lobby is found off the dining room and has a door out to the rear of the property, and a panelled door leads into the ballroom. A quite magnificent reception room with carved oak fireplace, exquisite ceiling cornice, an arched top window and French doors leading out to the loggia with mature grape vine and jasmine. The kitchen has a range of panelled fronted cabinets with marble work surfaces with wall mounted shelves, Classic double china sink, and a wood burning Esse cooker with a module providing electric four ring hob and two ovens. A door from the kitchen leads out into the rear hall/boot room with flagstone floor, coat hooks and door to the cloakroom with high flush wc and excellent pantry/utility with ample shelving.

A mezzanine landing with linen cupboards leads to the en suite guest bedroom with painted floor, built in cupboards and an en suite bathroom with wc, pedestal wash basin and roll top bath. There is also a family bathroom with a rolltop bath, shower and pedestal basin found on this landing. The first-floor landing is particularly light, has three bedrooms; two with handsome fireplaces, wooden floors and sash windows overlooking the front of the house, the third bedroom having built-in cupboards. A second-floor mezzanine landing has a walk-in cupboard and a door to the principal bedroom. A particularly special room with French window with Juliet balcony, cornice and double doors to the bath/dressing room with central rolltop bath, wash basin, high flush cistern and a wall of built-in cupboards. A further short flight of stairs leads to the full second floor, with two attic bedrooms, one panelled. There is also a storeroom on this floor.

Garden and Grounds
Enchanting wrought iron double gates lead in from Water Street providing a pedestrian entrance to an area of gravel edged with lavender which stretches across the front of the house. Clipped yews, white mulberry, weeping holly and purple plum are found around the front of the house. The carriage drive also leads in from Water Street beyond wrought iron railings and gates and leads down to the spacious courtyard bounded by a high stone wall. The traditional outbuildings, which have been preserved in recent years, provide excellent garaging, workshop, original coach house, stalls and a tack room. The original Coachman's flat include a bedroom, wc and living area. The Victorian glasshouse provides a splendid feature, has been well restored and is planted with an established peach and nectarine. There is a tiled floor with below ground water reservoir. A path leads to the gardens to the rear of the house where there is a pretty stone built potting shed and open fronted barn providing implement and log store. The kitchen garden has eight raised beds for vegetables and cut flowers with structural topiary. There is a spring garden with bulbs, hellebores and Amelanchiers. An additional deep growing bed has a backdrop of fan trained apricots. Lawned gardens stretch out to the south side of the house, edged with established beech hedge and lead round to a delightful parterre with box and weeping pears. Stone steps leads down to a sunken garden with white wisteria and a raised long lily pond. A further flight of stone steps leads up to the partly walled garden with a croquet lawn, deep beautifully stocked herbaceous borders and garden store. Two magnolia grandifloras provide a feature at the western end of the garden with espaliered pears and a row of goblet yews. Beyond the beech hedge lies a more informal orchard garden and wild flower meadow with two magnificent Wellingtonias, rare varieties of apples, crab apples, pears, quince, mulberry, greengage, damson, medlar and walnut. There is a wildlife pond with established rushes and a charming timber treehouse.

Tax Band: G