Smiths End Lane, Barley, Royston

Impressive period barn conversion • Heavy timber frame of stunning quality • Spacious & versatile family accommodation • Stands in a plot of 0.34 acre with gardens front and rear • Off-street parking and garage • EV charging point • Delightful rural setting on a peaceful country lane

The Property - The Grade II listed barn which forms the heart of this stunning property dates from the late 17th/early 18th Century and, together with its adjoining stables, has been converted into an exceptional L-shaped family home. The heavy timber frame, extensively exposed internally, is of remarkable quality and lends the home great character and charm.

You enter via a full height entrance hall with galleried landing/study above in the original central aisle of the barn with the aisles to right and left now providing the drawing and sitting rooms, the former with an attractive brick fireplace; the dining room occupies the rear of the central aisle with a cloakroom/WC in the corner of the entrance hall. An L-shaped hallway provides access to the remaining ground floor accommodation which includes an impressive kitchen/breakfast room with oil-fired AGA, utility room, bedroom with en suite shower room, two further bedrooms, family bathroom and dressing room.

A staircase from the dressing room leads to the first of the first floor areas which provides a spacious bedroom with en suite cloakroom/WC and located above the integral garage and store. The principal first floor area is approached via an impressive staircase from the entrance hall, leading to the galleried landing with study area. To either side of the study is the play room or sixth bedroom and the large fifth bedroom.

The house benefits from central heating provided by a boiler, which like the AGA, is oil fired.

The Outside - The house is set in a plot measuring approximately 243' by 83' (74.2m x 25.3m) overall and extending to just over a third of an acre. It forms part of a group of four dwellings created from the house and outbuildings of the former Smith End Farm. Entry is via the shared central farmyard with a five-bar gate opening to the walled private front garden. The centrepiece is a large ornamental pond surrounded by paving, brick paths and attractive planting. The shingle driveway provides good off-road parking and leads to the integral garage with adjoining EV charging point.

The rear garden is some 159' (48.4m) in length with paved patio from which steps lead up to extensive lawns, herbaceous beds and borders, fruit trees and ornamental shrubs and trees. Large timber garden shed 12' x 8' (3.63m x 2.4m).

The Location - The property enjoys a delightful rural setting on a quiet country lane just half a mile to the south of the village High Street and surrounded by open farmland. Barley provides good local facilities including primary school, village store. two pubs, doctors' surgery and an active village hall. A wider range of facilities is available 4 miles away in the nearby market town of Royston on the Hertfordshire/Cambridgeshire border.

Barley stands on the old coaching road from Cambridge to London, now the B1368, less than three and a half miles south of the A505 which runs east to west, linking the M11, A11 and A1(M). Royston station is on the London to Cambridge mainline and regular services run throughout the day. The fastest service to London King's Cross takes just 39 minutes and Cambridge only 16 minutes.

Construction - Traditional heavy timber frame, now insulated and weatherboarded externally, under a tiled pitched roof.

Listed Property - Grade II.

Services - Mains water, sewerage and electricity are connected to the property.

Broadband Speed - A choice of providers with claimed download speeds of up to 80 Mbps.

Mobile Signal - Most providers claim up to 4G coverage, O2 claims to provide 5G.

Conservation Area - The property is located within the Barley Conservation Area.

Restrictive Covenants - A restrictive covenant is a clause in an agreement that restricts, limits, prohibits, or restricts how owners can use a property. These could include: property use (e.g., business and rental use), the number and type of vehicles allowed on the property, fence height and type, removal of trees, paint colours for the front door or garage, installation of satellite dishes and even types of animals allowed at the property. For more information, please ask the agent.

Easements - Having an easement on your property means that a third party (an individual or a utility company for example) has a right to use your property for a particular purpose. This could be passing by foot or with vehicles over your property, or a right to pass service media for utilities on, over or under your property. An easement could also allow a neighbour to access your property in order to carry out repairs to their own property. For more information, please ask the agent.

Flooding - Properties can be at risk of flooding and it is important for you to check if the property has been flooded in the last 5 years, what flood defences are in place and source of any flooding. For more information, please ask the agent.