Knott Hill Farm, Tatham, Lancaster, LA2 8PS

The farmhouse bears a 1734 marriage stone above the front door with carved initials ‘A C L’, the house is believed to predate this by around 20 years, in recognition of its architectural significance Historic England have classified it as Grade II. Full of interesting original period features, the former farmhouse provides three reception rooms, a breakfast kitchen and cloakroom. On the first floor are four bedrooms, a bathroom and two shower rooms. On the second floor are two attic rooms. Attached and with a connecting internal door is a large, traditional barn, attached is a shippon, workshop and boiler room/laundry with a small detached outhouse used as a garden store. There is a large modern agricultural building and a stable block. There’s extensive provision of parking.

The grounds include gardens, a kitchen garden with greenhouse, two fields and pockets of woodland through which a steam runs. The garden and fields amount to c.3.5 acres with an c. 1.48 acres additional of woodland on the opposite side of the lane, in all, c. 4.98 acres.

Nature is not just a backdrop, it’s an essential element of life here, within the Forest of Bowland the protected National Landscape is all around, peace and quiet, privacy and total seclusion is on offer. It is easy to fall in love with this enchanting and sheltered setting, situated on a quiet single track lane that leads to the village church and Old School (a local meeting room), it’s essentially a no-through road (although not technically one, but after the church the lane becomes hard to navigate for anyone but the intrepid in a four wheel drive).

Whilst you may be ensconced in leafy seclusion, Knott Hill Farm is well connected with the outside world. B4RN broadband provides a gigabit fibre service so whether working from home, streaming the latest films, music or games, shopping online, arrange your weekly grocery delivery it is all achievable. There is a station in the nearest large village of Bentham with regular services to Leeds and connections via Lancaster station on the main west coast line to Manchester, Manchester Airport, London (Euston), Glasgow and Edinburgh. The M6 is accessible at Kendal or Lancaster depending on the direction of your travel and the A65 provides routes into Yorkshire and the east of the country. If you want to venture into the great outdoors straight from the door without getting in the car, there could be no better place. Whether you choose to walk, run, cycle, drive or ride there is a vast network of footpaths, bridlepaths, green lanes and single track lanes all waiting to be explored.

If you are moving with children, then there are good schools locally both at primary and secondary level. Being close to the borders of both Cumbria and Yorkshire and within Lancashire, it’s an area blessed with great artisan food producers and home to a wide selection of places to sample their wares, everything from cafes, pubs, tea rooms and restaurants.

Originally the farmhouse was centrally placed with a barn either side, traditional for a ‘longhouse’ layout built to accommodate family and cattle under one roof. By the 1970s the smaller barn had been incorporated into the farmhouse extending the living accommodation and creating the current layout.

With architectural character features throughout, the farmhouse has wooden ceiling beams and lintels over the windows, many of which are stone mullion with either deep cills or windows seats, thick outside walls are a noteable feature as is the impressive tall mullion staircase window. We’re told that under the carpets of the sitting room and first floor (in the older part of the house) are wide pine boards with 4” boards in the converted barn section.

During the renovation, areas of stonework have been exposed, these include quoin stones and a stone door surround from the dining hall to the sitting room. The majority of the windows are wood framed double glazed and also ready for cooler days, there are two Morso Squirrel wood burning stoves, one in the dining hall within a stone surround and hearth, the other in the sitting room with a small, recessed niche to one side.

It’s inviting, full of character and surprisingly light for a house of this period, rooms are well-proportioned and the layout flows well, the verdant and leafy outlooks to the front and rear gardens with trees beyond add to the overall feeling of seclusion and privacy.

The grand tour
From the porch and through a glazed door into the centrally positioned dining hall, an atmospheric room for weekend lunches, dinner parties and special occasions where family and friends have room to gather. The sitting room is cosy and welcoming, a room for hunkering down to sit in front of the fire and watch a film on a rainy afternoon. The family room is lovely and light having a large window looking out to the garden (we’re told that this is a great vantage point for watching the birds on the feeder) with a wide doorless opening through to the kitchen. The long kitchen has a terracotta tiled floor and ample room for everyday dining, warmed by the quintessential country classic, an Aga. Cabinets are cream panel with blue tiled worktops coordinating with the blue of the range. A door leads out to the back garden and parking areas. A stone tiled floor in the inner hall leads to the connecting door to the barn and continues through into the cloakroom which has a wash basin and WC.

An impressive feature is the stairwell, a tall, stone mullion window with exposed stone surround allowing natural light to flood in. The landing is split level and has an airing cupboard with storage space. There is a good bed to bath ratio with four double bedrooms, a bathroom and two shower rooms. An enclosed staircase leads to the second floor and opens directly into the first attic room. Characterful with exposed roof timbers and a Velux skylight, a door leads into the second attic room, a good room for storage, children or hobbies. This room also has exposed woodwork with a Velux and dissecting truss which limits use to a certain extent.

Vendor Insight

"It’s a comfortable house. The big thick walls keep us warm and cosy in winter, cool in summer.”

Step outside
The grounds include gardens, two fields and across the lane, pockets of woodland through which a steam, Warm Beck runs. The garden and fields amount to c.3.5 acres with an c. 1.48 acres additional of woodland, in all, c. 4.98 acres.

Wherever you are there is the soundtrack of birdsong in the surrounding trees. There’s a tremendous feeling of seclusion and privacy. Wildlife flourishes here, with frequent sightings of deer.

The front garden is accessed through a clematis clad arch, lawned with established trees and shrubs around the edges including greengage, camelia, flowering currants and cherry, a picture of white blossom in spring. A flagged seating area provides a lovely setting for relaxing or eating outdoors. Beyond the front garden is a field, bordered by Warm Beck.

Occupying its own little microclimate, this is a great place for growing your own, the back garden has a distant view of the fells with a greenhouse (with water supply), raised beds for vegetables and an assortment of established soft fruit including a pear tree, blackcurrant and raspberry bushes and a rhubarb patch.

Across the lane, the woods are a mix of mature deciduous and fir trees and contain a small hut for birdwatching. An adventure playground for children with opportunities for dens and tyre swings.

There’s plenty of parking with both front and rear accesses being gated onto the lane to make the grounds enclosed. Beyond the shippons is a large area for parking occasional and larger vehicles.

Attached to the house is a large stone built traditional barn with an integral door connecting directly into the farmhouse. If offers excellent potential for a multitude of uses (subject to consent) with versatile double height clear space, an insulated floor concrete floor, power and light.

Attached to the rear of the barn is a workshop, a former shippon (the former cow stalls) now providing general storage (both have power and light) and a boiler/ laundry room. A small detached outhouse has become a useful garden store.

Further outbuildings comprise:
A large, tall modern agricultural building provides garaging and storage. Built with a steel frame, it has concrete panel walls, a sheeted roof and concrete floor.

To the side of this is a detached block of stables, concrete block walls under a sheeted roof comprising three loose boxes and a covered turn-out area. Power and light are connected.

Vendor Insight

The fields are lovely for a family. Perfect for children to play, explore and camp out within ear shot. All the land is fully fenced so it’s safe to let dogs off too.

Services

Mains electricity. Oil fired central heating from a Grant boiler in the external boiler room. Oil fired Aga and two wood burning stoves. Drainage to a private tank located within the boundary.

Outside water supplies to back of house, greenhouse and stables.

Private water from a spring rising in an adjacent field (owned by a third party), which feeds into a holding tank and serves Knott Hill Farm first with overflow serving the church and Old School. There are UV and descaling filters.

Directions
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Use Sat Nav LA2 8PS with reference to the directions below:
Traveling from Lancaster follow signs for Wray, turning onto the B6480. Upon reaching Wray village, turn right onto Main Street and follow the road through and out of the village, passing the tea rooms on the left and out into the country. Reaching the T junction (small crossroads) turn right onto Fairheath Road then bear right onto Spen Brow. Upon reaching the Lowgill village sign, continue straight ahead onto High Road, signposted for the church and Slaidburn. Along here turn onto Knott Hill Road on the right signposted “Church/Old School ½”. Knott Hill Farm is the second house on the right, if you get to the church, you’ve gone too far. Turn around and come back up the hill, Knott Hill Farm is then first on the left.

Included in the sale
Fitted carpets, curtains, curtain poles, blinds, light fittings, Aga, AEG double electric hotplate and Beko integral dishwasher. The Beko washing machine is available by further negotiation.

Internet Speed
Broadband
For information on broadband and mobile services at the property, we advise prospective purchasers to consult the Ofcom website: checker.ofcom.org.uk
Full fibre gigabit broadband is currently connected from B4RN (Broadband for the Rural North) B4RN customers receive gigabit (1,000Mbps) speed.

Please note
Two public footpaths cross the property, one through the woodland, the other along the front drive and through the field.