Fifehead Neville, Sturminster Newton

An historic manor house in about eight acres with a cottage and outbuildings in a peaceful setting amidst unspoilt countryside.

The Property - The Manor
Set in about eight acres of attractive, mature grounds in a shallow valley carrying the River Divelish, The Manor is an historically significant former manor house that can trace its lineage back to the Saxon era. Indeed, it has been the setting for a significant country house for nearly 2,000 years. A substantial, 2nd century Roman villa first stood about 600 yards away closer to the river, which was then replaced by a Saxon manor house where The Manor stands today. The current building dates from the late Tudor period and is built of a mix of local stone and red brick and is partly rendered, sheltering under a Welsh slate roof. The house is Grade II listed and a time capsule of period domestic architecture with examples of late Tudor, early Georgian, Victorian and 1930s interiors. It has an east/west axis with most of the property’s six principal reception rooms and six first floor bedrooms looking out across the parkland-like main lawn to unspoilt countryside beyond. Tall, wide sash windows allow in plenty of natural light and the front and west side of the house features a handsome, colonnaded semi-circular front porch and a two storey loggia overlooking the pretty walled garden.

The interior has a wealth of original architectural fittings. These include a brick-lined inglenook and beams in the snug, fine joinery in the elegant drawing room, dining room, snug and library, a wide, timber front staircase to a galleried landing above, parquet and stone flagged floors and many fine fireplaces. On the first floor the principal bedroom and two further large double bedrooms share the family bathroom, whilst the guest bedroom has its own en suite shower room. In addition, the first floor also incorporates a self-contained flat with two bedrooms and a sitting room. In addition to the ground and first floors the house contains a suite of former staff bedrooms in the attics plus three cellars.

The Manor Cottage, Coach House, Stables & Outbuildings
Discretely out of sight behind and to one side of the house are The Manor Cottage, a charming, brick-built cottage with two bedrooms and its own garden along with a Georgian stable block with four loose boxes and a double coach house. The stables and coach house are unaltered from when they were built nearly 300 years ago and present a myriad of uses in the future, subject to obtaining the necessary consents. The cottage is currently let under an Assured Shorthold Tenancy. Immediately beside the house and adjacent to the back entrance are a two storey house, log store, larder, coal store and gardener’s WC plus a walled pen for a house cow! On the far side of the front drive are two, cleverly concealed garden stores.

Accommodation - The Manor House
Entrance hall | Hall | Inner hall | Drawing room | Dining roomMorning room | Library | Study | Snug | Cloakroom | Downstairs WC | Kitchen/breakfast room | Scullery | Utility room | Pantry | Suite of cellars | Double loggia | Galleried landing | Principal bedroom | Guest bedroom with en suite shower room | Two further double bedrooms | Family bathroom | Separate WC | Flat incorporating sitting room, two double bedrooms & bathroom | Suite of six attic bedrooms

Two storey wash house | Log store | Larder | Coal store | Gardener’s WC | Parking | Double coach house | Stable block with four loose boxes |Two garden stores | Walled garden | Formal garden | Part-walled kitchen | Garden with Victorian greenhouse & vine house | Walled orchard | Cow byre | Arboretum | Paddock with dovecote

The Manor Cottage
Sitting room | Kitchen/dining room | Bathroom | Two first floor double bedrooms | Garden | Summerhouse

Outside - Garden & Grounds
The Manor is tucked away behind the village’s small Grade II* listed parish church and approached down a gravelled drive that sweeps round past the stables and coach house to a good sized parking area in front of the house.

The grounds surround the house providing a very high level of privacy from the handful of other domestic residences in the village. They complement the house perfectly and providing both areas of sheltered garden along with a parkland-like formal garden on one side that incorporates an extensive, level lawn bounded by a ha-ha at the far end and fringed with fine mature trees on two sides. Extending out from the library is a pretty, walled garden paved with Roman stone roof tiles and featuring a Gallic pillar from the villa’s bath house. Adjacent to it are a walled orchard and a part-walled former kitchen garden enclosing Victorian vine and tomato houses and a restored Victorian greenhouse. Beyond the former kitchen garden are an enchanting arboretum filled with a wonderful mix of mature, exotic trees and the property’s paddock. The latter is enclosed by post and rail fencing and has a stone-built cow byre on one side and a dovecote at its centre.

In all about 7.86 acres

Situation - The Manor is situated on the edge of the tiny village of Fifehead Neville, close to the River Divelish amidst the lush, unspoilt countryside of the Blackmore Vale. The village has a pretty parish church, which is next to the house, and a village hall. For immediate needs the village of Hazelbury Bryan has a Spar convenience store, while most day-to-day requirements can be met in the nearby small market town of Sturminster Newton or further afield in the larger towns of Sherborne, Blandford Forum and Dorchester. For transport links, the A3030 and A357 are within easy reach to the north as is the A352 to the west and there are regular, direct rail services from Castle Cary, a 45-minute drive away, to Paddington taking just 90 minutes.

Bournemouth Airport is under an hour’s drive away and Exeter, Southampton and Bristol International Airports are all within 90 minutes. The area also offers a wide choice of good schools including Leweston, Milton Abbey, the Sherborne schools, Hanford, Bryanston Prep and Clayesmore, which are all within a 10-mile radius.

Distances
A357 2 miles, Hazelbury Bryan 2.5 miles, Sturminster Newton 3 miles, A3030 5 miles, Blandford Forum 10 miles, Gillingham 12 miles (Waterloo 2 hours), Sherborne 13 miles (Waterloo 2.25 hours), Dorchester 18 miles, Castle Cary station 21.5 miles (Paddington 90 minutes), Jurassic Coast 24 miles, Bournemouth Airport 29 miles
(All distances and times are approximate)

Directions - Postcode: DT10 2AL
what3words: ///rebel.knowledge.tacky

From the traffic lights on the A357, where it meets Bridge Street crossing over the River Stour just south of Sturminster Newton, head west on the A357 towards Lydlinch. After a third of a mile turn left onto Glue Hill. Drive for about half a mile to the top of the hill and then turn left, signed to Okeford Fitzpaine (old fashioned signpost). Continue for a mile taking care to keep right after half a mile. Then turn right onto Dark Lane. After about 350 yards you will pass the village sign on the left and then cross over the ford. Continue up the rise for about 400 yards and the gravelled driveway entrance will be found directly ahead. Please park in front of the house.

Services - Mains water & electricity. Private drainage. Oil-fired central heating. Ground water-fed well. Two Rainwater storage tanks (below-ground).

Material Information - Standard and ultrafast broadband is available.
There is mobile coverage in the area, please refer to Ofcom’s website for more details.
(Ofcom
Council Tax: The Manor - Band H
The Manor Cottage - Band C
Rights of Way: The Manor has access over the bridleway to the west of the property to access their paddock and aboretum
EPC Rating: The Manor Cottage – E




Historical Note
The history of The Manor is uncommonly well documented from Norman barons through the break up of the estate around 1850 to the present owner’s family, who have owned it for over 60 years. Nearly all the documents now reside in the Dorset Archives. The history has been captured in the superbly researched “Bridge Across Time” by Nicholas van Eek published by Arbentin Books (ISBN ).

Viewings - All viewings strictly by appointment only through the vendor’s joint selling agents, Knight Frank LLP and Symonds & Sampson LLP