Little Wymondley, Hitchin

Summary:
Bryan Bishop and Partners are delighted to bring to the market this absolutely stunning Grade-I listed manor house set in around six and a half acres of beautiful grounds, including formal gardens, extensive lawns, natural woodland, paddocks and a ménage. Dating back to the late 14th century, this very special residence retains an absolute wealth of original features which have been painstakingly preserved and represents an incredibly rare opportunity to own a piece of living history surrounded by your own estate. The house itself boasts ten bedrooms and four bathrooms on the first floor as well as a huge second floor loft space, along with substantial and flexible ground floor accommodation and a generous cellar. The size and layout of the building endows the house with enormous flexibility, making it easily configurable to cope with multi generational or even multi family living, as well as providing staff quarters if required. On top of that there is an idyllic Grade-II listed dovecot within the grounds, just recently restored, that has planning permission granted to convert it into a one bedroom annexe. The house is offered chain free to ensure a smooth passage to completion.

Accommodation:
The view of the house as you approach is just wonderful, full of original period charm, with the leaded light windows and multi-coloured brickwork topped by multiple, complex shaped chimneys towering above you. This is a view you will certainly never tire of every time you come home.

Inside the traditional wooden front door, with elegantly shaped windows above, the entrance hall opens into a substantial reception hall with a wonderful parquet floor set in the traditional herringbone pattern. Two large bay windows keep the space nice and bright, assisted by the high ceilings typical of a house of this stature. The substantial inglenook set into the outside wall is supported by an impressive oak bressumer beam and houses a double fronted log burner. To the rear of the room, one of the two staircases in the property, made from solid oak and stunning fine wrought iron scrollwork, rises elegantly to the first floor. Throughout the house there is an absolute abundance of exposed wooden beams and support posts celebrating the craftsmanship that went into the building of this prestigious residence, and it is a real joy to see the intricate structural framework exposed and carefully preserved.

Beyond the reception hall a door leads through to the rear wing of the house which contains a family room/office, complete with side window and open fireplace, and then on into the spacious gym. To the side of the gym is a walk-in storage area, with a built in cupboard, that opens out through an external door into the rear garden. There are multiple access points from the house out into the grounds throughout the ground floor, a really valuable feature for a property of this size.

From the reception hall an inner hallway runs across the rear of the house, passing another external door that opens onto the rear courtyard patio on the way to the drawing room and another flight of stairs climbing to the first floor.

The drawing room is another room overflowing with character. Multiple shaped beams criss-cross the roof as well as forming a delightful herringbone pattern within the wall. A large bay window to the front allows the light to pour in unhindered and there is a dramatic inglenook with a substantial solid oak surround that has been intricately carved, with a glorious inner fireplace skilfully crafted from bricks and tiles into a series of complex geometric patterns. Like many of the rooms in this house, the harder you look the more you see. The lovely details just go on revealing themselves to you.
Beyond the drawing room are the stairs down to the cellar and the morning room/playroom, with a front facing window and walk-in storage cupboard.

Occupying the front corner of the house is the kitchen/breakfast room, which cleverly combines generous space with a real homely feel. There is an easy flow in and around the kitchen, which links from the morning room/play room and the inner hallway leading through to the rest of the house, whilst an external door opens onto the side garden. The kitchen itself enjoys a lovely stone tiled floor and a double oven oil fired AGA, as well as a comprehensive array of wall and floor mounted cupboards providing more than ample storage and plenty of worktop space, ably supported by a walk-in pantry. Within the cupboards are a full complement of all the integrated appliances you might need, as well as a superb island that finishes in a neat breakfast bar. The remainder of the room, abundantly lit by two large windows to different aspects, is left open plan to be furnished however best suits your needs, and is certainly spacious enough for any larger free standing appliances such as a double fridge freezer, as well as a substantial dining suite. Within the same wing of the house is a well placed utility/laundry room and two separate guest cloakrooms, as well as a further door out into the rear courtyard garden.
The rear wing on this side of the house is taken by the sitting room. This is another large room at nearly twenty-three feet long, but again enjoys nicely balanced proportions and is flooded with natural daylight through the two windows to the side and the large bay window to the rear. There is a more contemporary feel to this room with an exposed brick fireplace containing an open fire grate gracing the outside wall.

One staircase at each end of the house both connect to an upper hallway running the full length of the first floor, which would have originally been subdivided into family and staff quarters.
Upstairs there are no fewer than ten bedrooms and four bathrooms, with the layout of the rooms making it very easy to combine some of the rooms to create bedroom suites complete with a dressing room and en-suite bathroom. The sheer number of rooms also imbues the house with the flexibility to create suites of rooms that could re-purpose a bedroom or dressing room into a lounge, making it perfect for a family member needing a degree of privacy and independence whilst staying supported in other areas.

Exterior:
Approached by a long driveway that opens into a substantial parking area in front of the house, the property is fully surrounded by grounds of around six and a half acres, including the aforementioned dovecot. The house itself is built in a horseshoe shape which creates a wonderful sheltered south facing courtyard to the rear, which has been fully paved to create a delightful patio ideal for eating al fresco, surrounded by the gorgeous architectural shapes and patterns that are in the fabric of the house. To the side is a substantial decked area, screened by decorative fence and trellis, containing different areas with casual seating and dining furniture, along with a pergola covered outdoor kitchen - a fabulous place for relaxing together as a family and absolutely perfect for entertaining guests. The rest of the grounds are gloriously natural and again, south facing. The smart lawns surround the house and are further surrounded by woodland, a number of paddocks and fields and an all weather open ménage.

Location:
This incredible property is situated on the outskirts of the charming village of Little Wymondley, just a few minutes from Hitchin. Within the village there are pubs, a church and a mixed junior and infant school. In nearby Hitchin, a vibrant and bustling market town, there are a variety of shops, street markets and popular cafes, restaurants and boutiques, along with indoor and outdoor swimming pools and hockey, football, rugby, tennis, running and cycling clubs. Hitchin railway station offers fast, regular trains to London Kings Cross and Cambridge both taking around 30 minutes. Thameslink trains have direct routes to stations including Kings Cross, St Pancras, Blackfriars and London Bridge and onto Gatwick and Brighton. For overseas travel, the property is just over 10 miles from London Luton Airport and is also conveniently located just under a mile away from the A1 (M) Junction 8.

Buyers Information:
In order to comply with the UK's Anti Money Laundering (AML) regulations, Bryan Bishop and Partners are required to confirm the identity of all prospective buyers once an offer being accepted. We use a third party, Identity Verification System to do so and there is a nominal charge of £48 (per person) including VAT for this service.