Motcombe, Shaftesbury, Dorset

Half Moon House is entered via a set of steps that lead up to a bespoke oak front door. Beyond lies an entrance hallway with stunning library/study area which is illuminated by skylights overhead. This inviting circulation space gives access to the study bedrooms, bath and utility rooms.

The open-plan living area is the heart of the house, framed by a stunning 10ft high sweeping circular ceiling in a half-moon shape, composed of exposed radiating joists and subtle concealed lighting. With its enormous picture windows and three large glass doors that overlook the verdant garden beyond, Half Moon House is fantastically bright. Timber mullions frame the space, creating a wonderful play of light, and lend a sense of harmony with the natural world outside. The award-winning, bespoke kitchen with handmade, purpose-built units is open to the living room, with its boundary defined by a timber bench that contains excellent amounts of storage space. Circular windows curve around the room, illuminating the work surfaces and the mottled blue tiles of the splashback. A mixture of open shelving and built-in timber cabinetry complete the space. The current owner quotes, ''walking barefoot on the underfloor heated stone tiled flooring, in the light filled, Half Moon roundness of the house, under the fan shaped ceiling, is a bit like walking on the warm marble of the Taj Mahal on a cool evening. The architect and builder obviously understood the Chinese Art of Placement (Feng Shui). It can be seen in the fact that the front and back door do not face each other in a straight line (which would be bad feng shui). Instead, there is a slight bend even in the seemingly straight part of the house."

The principal bedroom lies off the living space. This is a spacious room with dramatic pitched ceilings and leafy views framed by a large window, with an en suite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe. A third bedroom, or separte study if required, lies adjacent. On the first floor, there is an additional double bedroom with en suite bathroom, and along one wall is range of storage cupboards within the eaves, plus an airing cupboard.

Having great kerb appeal, Half Moon House is approached through a five bar gate over a tarmac driveway, which provides private parking for several cars and gives access to the integral double garage.

The lovely, westerly facing and managable wrap-around garden, with its impressive ancient oak tree, offers a lovely sanctury for those wishing to be close to nature and just 2 houses down, one can extend ones nature quest by way of a footpath that leads to the beautiful ancient bluebell woods of Kingsettle. The garden is very well screened on all sides by mature hedgerows and trees that provide a high degree of privacy and seclusion. The main area of level garden is laid to lawn and features a rendered curved wall part-enclosing a circular split-level block-paved terrace with built-in curved seating, which creates for a relaxing entertaining and al fresco dining space. In addition, set closer to the front of the house is a delightful and productive herb garden and further
seating area.

The pretty North Dorset village of Motcombe is just two miles north of Shaftesbury and less than a 45-minute drive to Salisbury. It lies on the edge of Blackmore Vale and near plenty of expanses of greenery, for weekend walks or evening picnics. It offers a traditional pub, village hall, village shop, Post Office, church, primary school and sports club. The highly regarded private prep Port Regis School lies within the village, whilst the Saxon hilltop town of Shaftesbury, Gillingham and the mediaeval cathedral city of Salisbury offer comprehensive shopping, service and educational amenities. For those needing train travel to London, Gillingham station is about a 10 minute drive, which provides a direct line to London Waterloo in around 2 hours. The A303 links to the
motorway network to the north east or to the south west coast.