The Ridding, The Hill, Millom, Cumbria LA18 5HE

Tucked away in a peaceful and wonderfully secluded setting, The Ridding is an impressive, spacious, and characterful period property that started life in the late 1700s as a modest cottage, believed to have been extended in the 1820s and then again in the 20th Century. The present owners bought it in 2021 and have sensitively upgraded throughout, introducing modern home comforts to enhance it for 21st Century living whilst respectfully embracing the abundant character features. The result is a thoroughly welcoming and charismatic family home, steeped in the past, but equipped for modern living.

Attractively presented, the charismatic accommodation provides four reception rooms, a sleek and contemporary dining kitchen, cloakroom and cellar. On the first floor is a fabulous principal bedroom, four further bedrooms, a bathroom, WC, and shower room. 

Established gardens of c. 0.72 acre surround the house and provide immense privacy whilst still allowing appreciation of the panoramic views stretching across the Duddon estuary. There is a generous provision of private parking.  

Positioned on the edge of the Lake District in a quiet rural village, there are good links to the road and rail network for business and pleasure.  

Location

The Hill is a small hamlet on the Furness peninsula. Positioned to the south of the Lake District, life here offers all the advantages of easy access to the National Park but without the daily crowds and heavy traffic. 

Surrounded by fabulous open countryside and with enviable views, The Ridding offers an altogether quieter pace of life. This is surely the best of both worlds, visit on your terms, introduce family and friends to the delights of the Lake District; the dramatic fells, deep valleys, and picturesque villages, but return home to privacy, seclusion, peace and quiet. 
In terms of general amenities, there are two nearby village halls. The larger of the two, at Thwaites, offers a choice of activities; tennis, table tennis, indoor bowls, keep fit classes, toddler groups and a children’s playground. There are village social evenings and events throughout the year including a summer gala and bonfire night with fireworks. The Hill has a smaller hall with monthly social evenings with live music and films. 

The attractive Georgian market town of Broughton in Furness has an impressive square at its centre and offers a range of local shops, including a butcher and traditional bakery, as well as cafes and pubs. Millom has a good butcher, a surgery, supermarket, two pharmacies, two hardware shops, florist and a Post Office, along with a library and a range of smaller shops. There’s a wide range of shops and amenities in Ulverston and Barrow in Furness. 

Setting the scene

On display is layer upon layer of history with delightful period details such as sash windows with original shutters, fireplaces, wide pitch pine floorboards, built in cupboards, flag floor and table in the cellars and a charming staircase balustrade.  

Sensitive upgrading has been undertaken to sit comfortably with the older features, these include double glazed windows, traditionally styled radiators, characterful joinery including wall panelling and floor-to-ceiling fitted shelving and a fabulous contemporary fitted kitchen. Upstairs, the principal bedroom has been extensively fitted.

From the front elevation the rooms all take in the panoramic vistas across the Duddon estuary. This includes the delightfully named garden room (a versatile reception room) and the sitting room on the ground floor. On the first floor the view is even better and to be enjoyed from the principal bedroom along with bedrooms 2, 3, and 4. The dining kitchen and music room both have dual aspects of the front and rear gardens, other rooms have garden outlooks, no rooms being overlooked. 

The grand tour

The front elevation is wisteria-clad, boughs and tendrils surrounding the windows and framing the views. The wide, glazed front door opens into an impressive double fronted reception room known as ‘The Garden Room’ as the outlook is to the front garden. An open fireplace creates a focal point and a cupboard conceals a handy serving hatch through to the kitchen. The partially paneled sitting room is an elegant, formal room with an enviable triple aspect with a multi fuel stove and floor-to-ceiling bespoke bookcases. From here, it’s through to ‘The Music Room’, a space equally well suited to being a games room, cinema room, office or den. A double aspect and external door provide a strong connection to the gardens. The characterful snug has a period open fireplace and a slate tiled floor which continues through into the sociable dining kitchen which embraces a contemporary aesthetic with on trend units in contrasting pale grey and navy blue, brought together with Quartz worktops. A traditional touch is the Belfast sink, this one fitted with a waste disposal unit. The kitchen is well equipped with appliances and with windows to both front and rear and a part glazed back door, the garden can be fully appreciated and easily accessed. Completing the ground floor layout is a smart cloakroom with a vanity unit and WC.  A door leads down to the cellar where there are two rooms for storage.

Onwards and upwards. The first floor comprises five bedrooms, a bathroom, WC, and shower room. The principal bedroom stretches front to back with some great estuary views and has an extensive range of fitted wardrobes. A central landing runs the width of the house, with an arched window at the far end with distant mountain views, often to be seen snow-capped during the winter. There are three further double bedrooms on the front elevation, all enjoying the estuary view. The fifth bedroom, a small double room, faces the back garden and has a vanity wash basin. Serving the bedrooms is firstly, a house bathroom which has a double ended bath, shower, twin wash basins and WC, and secondly, a shower room. It comprises a large shower and twin wash basins atop a fitted cabinet. There’s a separate WC. 

The ground floor layout offers plenty of distinct reception rooms and with five bedrooms it is ideal for day to day family living, a growing family and when socialising.

Step outside

The gardens are particularly impressive and will be sure to appeal to those who enjoy planting, nurturing and spending time at home and also outdoors. They are also a wonderful adventure playground for children with plenty of space for games, building dens and treasure hunts. 

Extending to c. 0.72 acre, they have been landscaped across three tiers to take advantage of the gently sloping site. Well established planting demonstrates horticultural skill and knowledge with a wide number of different species of the same plants and flowering shrubs including a large magnolia tree, a wide variety of colourful rhododendrons, azaleas and hydrangeas, Japanese maples, camellias and more unusual giant Chilean rhubarb and palms… a garden for all seasons, there is a vast array of foliage and colour throughout the year. Several private and secluded seating areas have been built to catch the sun at different times of the day and allow appreciation of the unique views, creating spots for morning coffee and evening gatherings.

Paths meander and steps climb throughout the garden which include a hexagonal summer house, vine and jasmine covered pergolas, a pond, with decorative water pump, greenhouse, shed, and stone built fuel store. There’s a pedestrian gate up onto the top lane, a handy short cut. 

Services

Mains electricity and water. Oil fired central heating from an external Worcester boiler. Electric heaters in the music room. Electric underfloor heating in the snug and dining kitchen. Drainage to a septic tank located within the garden of The Ridding Barn (adjacent property) with whom it is shared. 

Mobile and broadband services

For information on broadband and mobile services at the property, we advise prospective purchasers to consult the Ofcom website: checker.ofcom.org.uk  

Local Authority charges 

Cumberland Council (Copeland) – Council Tax band F

Tenure

Freehold 

Included in the sale 

Fitted carpets, curtains, curtain poles, blinds, light fittings and domestic appliances as follows: range cooker (double oven, grill, warming drawer) with extractor fan over (both Rangemaster), larder fridge and tall freezer (both Samsung), NEFF dishwasher, Zanussi microwave and Hotpoint washer dryer. 

Please note

The access lane is unadopted, upkeep is informally shared between nine users through voluntary contributions. 

The pedestrian gate to the garden is also used by the adjacent property Greyside who have a right of way to their garden. 

Directions 

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Use Sat Nav LA18 5HG with reference to the directions below:

From Broughton in Furness on the A595, head west and cross Duddon Bridge (the traffic is controlled by lights), continue for a few miles and after passing a roadside church on the left, turn left onto the A5093 signposted The Green. Follow signs for The Hill. Upon reaching The Hill, pass the Village Hall and turn left after around 100m. Follow the road down and through the sweeping bends. Just as the road starts to level out there is a sharp turning right onto an unmade access lane, turn here. There are houses on the left, The Ridding is the first on the right.