Yarcombe, Honiton, Devon, EX14

The Old School House has a truly enviable setting amidst rolling, hilly countryside on the edge of the Blackdown Hills. It is set back off a little used country lane with wide views across a swathe of gorgeous countryside below the house. Built in the early 1800's and now Grade II listed, the property is south-facing with walls of flint and local stone under a slate roof. The house is positioned to catch the best of the daylight throughout the day and the interior is filled with natural light. Overall the house has enormous charm and character and has been the much-loved home of the current owners for the past 18 years. During that period of time it has been carefully maintained and today is beautifully presented.

The ground floor has two principal, south-facing reception rooms plus a gorgeous kitchen including a breakfast area. The sitting room used to be the school room and so has a tall ceiling, tall windows on two sides including a full height Gothic mullioned window and a cut stone fireplace fitted with a wood-burning stove. The kitchen looks out across the garden and is fitted with a slate floor, timber-fronted units, double Belfast sink and a range of built-in electric appliances. Upstairs off the central landing are three bedrooms, all with wonderful, far reaching views and share the first floor family bathroom and downstairs shower room.

The house is set in mature and carefully tended grounds of just over half an acre. On one side of the house twin five-bar gates open onto a gravelled parking where there is space for several cars. Beside it and extending across the front of the house is a charming area of formal garden bound by low stone walling topped with cast iron railings. Most of the garden extends out behind the house from a paved terrace. The rear of the garden incorporates lawns fringed by rose borders, laurel and beech hedging, a pond, several mature trees and a small orchard, along with a summerhouse, a classical grotto and greenhouse.

This charming property is situated above the River Yarty river valley within the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It has no immediate neighbours and is about half a mile from the large hamlet of Marsh, which has a popular pub, The Flintlock Inn. The property also sits in a roughly central position between the towns of Chard, Ilminster and Honiton, so there is a wide choice of shops and local businesses nearby. This includes several large supermarkets and a choice of GP, dental and veterinary surgeries. Honiton also has a mainline railway station on the West of England Line with regular services to Waterloo (2 hours 50 minutes) and Exeter St. David's (25 minutes). Other nearby transport links include the A303 and the A30 arterial roads which are only a third of a mile and two miles away respectively. The wider local area also offers a wide choice of schools from both the state and independent sectors. This includes three CofE primary schools within a three mile radius along with King's and Queen's Colleges in Taunton and Perrott Hill from the independent sector, which are all within a 30-minute drive.