Mill Lane, Bradford Abbas, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9

Situated at the end of a no-through lane and overlooking a beautiful stretch of the River Yeo and a seemingly endless stretch of unspoilt countryside, Old Mill House stands in over two acres of garden and grounds that extend along the river. The property was a working mill dating back to 17th century when it had just one storey, before being rebuilt and having a second storey added a century later, when presumably it became the miller's home as well as a place of work. This is reflected in its construction, with the ground floor built of local stone and the upper storey of mellow red brick. The last vestige of the building's original purpose, the metal water wheel, was removed during World War II following the national call for metal to help build spitfires. Over all the house is L-shaped with most of the windows facing either south or west with views out over the river and the unspoilt farmland beyond. It is also Grade II listed. The interior, which has excellent ceiling height throughout, is light and airy and full of lovely architectural fittings. These include beams, timber boarded and parquet floors plus several fireplaces. The ground floor has four good sized reception rooms, three of which have windows on two sides letting in plenty of light along with French windows that open onto a slim, sheltered part of the garden that runs along the leat and has a footbridge to an island in the middle of the river. One of these rooms is the mill room as its height encompassed thew milling machinery. It has wonderful light and consequently serves as an artist's studio. The kitchen also opens onto this part of the garden, which is perfect for ready access when dining outside plus it has a walk-in larder and sufficient room for a good sized kitchen table next to the kitchen's open fireplace. Upstairs there are a total of seven bedrooms, all with lovely views of the surrounding countryside/the eastern edge of the village. The principal bedroom suite, which is accessed via its own side landing, incorporates its own dressing room and ensuite bathroom.

Old Mill House is set within a truly outstanding garden, carefully created and nurtured by the current owner since 1984. Enclosed in part by tall stone walling, the garden offers excellent privacy and wraps around the house on three sides, providing year-round colour, structure, and interest.Sweeping lawns are edged by abundant, richly planted herbaceous borders, leading the eye towards a delightful mixed orchard at one end. The garden is bordered by the river and the mill leat, with access to the water at several points. A footbridge and a series of stepping stones lead across to a private island in the middle of the river – a magical retreat, complete with a natural bathing pool on its far side.Closer to the house lies a productive kitchen garden, while on the Mill Lane side is a large gravelled parking area. Beside this stands an attached, single-storey stone outbuilding housing two single garages, a spacious workshop, and a stable with three loose boxes.Beyond the garden, a large paddock enclosed by stock-proof fencing provides further amenity and has its own vehicular access from Mill Lane. Both the garden and paddock are bordered by the river, with a total of 212 metres of river frontage.

Old Mill House is situated on the south eastern corner of the pretty, conservation village of Bradford Abbas, which stands beside the River Yeo and is surrounded by rolling, unspoilt countryside. It is a thriving community with a parish church, popular pub (The Rose & Crown), CofE primary school, post office, village hall and cricket club. The neighbouring village of Yetminster has a Spar convenience store and a health centre with a dispensary, whilst Sherborne is about ten minutes by car and can meet most day-to-day needs with a wide variety of shops including Waitrose and Sainsbury supermarkets and a mix of local businesses including dental and veterinary surgeries. For travel links there is an early rail service from Yetminster to Paddington (fastest 2 hours 13 minutes) as well as regular services from Sherborne to Waterloo (2 hours 15 minutes) and the airports at Bristol, Bournemouth and Exeter are both only about an hour's drive away. The local area also has a wide choice of schools from both the state and independent sectors. These include the well-regarded Gryphon School (state secondary) in Sherborne, along with Leweston, the Sherborne schools, Perrott Hill and Hazelgrove, which are all within a 10-mile radius