Castle Barns, Bletsoe, Bedfordshire, MK44

BEAUTIFUL BARN CONVERSION IN PEACEFUL SPOT, WITH FABULOUS VIEWS FROM EVERY ROOM

A beautiful and substantial 4-double bedroom, red brick and slate barn conversion in the heart of the North Bedfordshire countryside - part of an exclusive ‘90s development of Bletsoe Castle’s farm barns. In addition to communal parking, The Granary has its own hugely attractive, brick and slate car ports for three cars, and both a lovely, peaceful, walled courtyard garden and a paddock garden nearing a third of an acre. While the living space is upstairs to take advantage of wonderful views, the outlook from the downstairs bedrooms is rather special, too.

You can see from the house that you’re surrounded by superb cycling and walking country. What’s easy to forget when living at Castle Barns is that you’re only about six miles from the County town, its fast trains to London and elsewhere, its music venues, theatres and cinemas, and its world-renowned Harpur Trust private schools. The catchment primary school is in nearby Riseley while the secondary school and another primary school, along with surgery, shops and Mill Theatre, is in the larger village of Sharnbrook on the other side of the A6, the road that takes you to Luton Airport and which gives you access to other major routes.

Your new home once stored the grain for the farm attached to the Grade II*-listed Bletsoe Castle, just along the lane, where Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII, the first Tudor king, was born, and where the moat is a scheduled ancient monument. One of our greatest monarchs, Elizabeth 1 stayed here, and it was also a favourite place to hunt for her successor, James 1.

This lovely, little village is full of historic buildings. Wander down the lane past open fields to Sunday service at the glorious C13th Church of St Mary, followed, perhaps, by lunch at the C17th Falcon Inn, where the garden runs down to the River Great Ouse. The village hall hosts all manner of events for the friendly community, and the playing fields are particularly popular with the children of the village. This is the first opportunity in two decades for anyone else to live at The Granary and become just its third fortunate owner – it’s easy to see why.

MORE ABOUT THE PROPERTY

With the wonderful approach and gloriously peaceful setting, you cannot help feeling a sense of wellbeing as you turn into Castle Barns. Your new home takes the eye, red roses and Virginia Creeper climbing its beautiful red brick between huge barn doors, but it sits happily amongst other gorgeous conversions, the names of which suggest their use on the farm in days gone by.

One of your car ports was added at the end of a row of former cart barns, yet its beautiful, curved, reclaimed-brick wall, inset with little, wooden door, looks every inch as old as the others - one of which you have for two other cars - a sign of the attention to detail taken by the developer.

It's clear that this quality and care has been carried inside, too. Step through the arched porch, logs piled to one side for the stylish stove awaiting those cosy winter evenings, into a welcoming, slate-floored, natural light-filled entrance hall that’s looking forward to displaying that tall Christmas tree, carols around the piano, on your first Christmas here. Your main living space is upstairs for the spectacular views, but it’s not just your wet room shower that will have you leaping out of bed each morning – the outlook from all the lovely, spacious bedrooms downstairs will, too.

Try reaching the top of the oak and glass staircase, without exclaiming: Wow! Oak floor beneath your feet, vaulted ceiling high above your head - a huge space with distinct areas for relaxing, dining and studying, fabulous both for entertaining and everyday family life. Wherever you look, whether outside to far-reaching countryside beyond your paddock or to the spectacular beams and exposed brick walls inside, it’s all simply beautiful.

In the kitchen, too. Cook with high-end appliances housed in lovely, quartz-topped Shaker-style furniture. Breakfast beneath rare, Skinflint, industrial-style luminaires hanging from the vaulted ceiling. Relax on the kitchen sofa with coffee, a bottle plucked from the wine cooler, or iced water from the American fridge/freezer. And those views…...

Your paddock, possibly once an Elizabethan formal garden, is not only lovely to look out on, but it provides all the space any child could want – youngsters have even had great fun sledging here. But you also have a delightful, courtyard garden in which to eat al fresco or relax in the sunshine in perfect privacy, sweet-scented honeysuckle and jasmine climbing the beautiful walls. Just delightful!