Farleigh, Backwell - the orginal Village Bakery

A House of Remarkable Character and History

The Old Bakery at Farleigh has stood as a landmark within this historic hamlet for centuries. With origins reaching back to the sixteenth century, the building has played an integral role in village life through many different periods of history.

The House:
For much of its life—and certainly until the late twentieth century—this property was Farleigh’s village bakery and baker’s shop, a place remembered fondly by local residents. Numerous historic photographs still exist showing the shop serving the community, with the baker’s trade forming a vital part of everyday life in the village.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the village baker was often a figure of considerable standing. Evidence of that prosperity is reflected in the substantial scale and presence of the house itself, which is larger and more architecturally ambitious than many rural homes of the period. It is also possible that the bakery’s success was supported by its proximity to The George, the former coaching inn located just across the road on the historic Bristol to Taunton route.

One can easily imagine travellers pausing their coach journeys here to collect provisions — perhaps a freshly baked loaf, a savoury meat pie, gingerbread, or even one of Dr Oliver’s famous Bath buns, a delicacy introduced in the 1790s and reputedly beloved by Jane Austen.

Today the property has long since retired from its commercial life, yet its rich history is still evident throughout the building. It is now simply — and rather wonderfully — a spacious and distinctive family home, enriched by centuries of architectural evolution.

Guide Price £725,000 -£795,000

Architecture & Interior Character

The house reveals the story of its long occupation through a remarkable collection of period features drawn from different eras.

These include:

• Tudor-style part-beamed and vaulted ceilings to the upper hall and principal bedroom
• An impressive faux Jacobean galleried stairwell 
• An acint door way to nowhere, a half passage and curious glazed cupboard
• A refined reproduction high performance (draft and sound prooof) Georgian style front door with original classical pediment above
• High performance Sash-style double glazed windows with window seats and internal shutters
• Traditional fireplaces and period joinery
• A historic malting or grain store floor reflecting the building’s earlier bakery links as bakers were often brewers too.
• A stone walled and Beech hedged south facing garden on the far side of the south drive.

 These elements combine to give the house a rare sense of depth and authenticity, where each room reflects a different chapter in the property’s story.

Generous Living Space:

The house is not only historically interesting but also exceptionally spacious.

The full accommodation extends to approximately: 240.9 sq.m (2,593 sq.ft) This substantial footprint provides generous living areas that work beautifully for modern family life while preserving the building’s historic character.

The accommodation currently includes:

• 3–4 bedrooms double bedrooms - two having far reaching views
• En-suite and family bathrooms
• A large farmhouse kitchen–dining room and a separate large utility room
• A welcoming family room, a great hall over two storeys 
• An elegant classically proportioned drawing room - once two rooms with a view
• Ancillary spaces reflecting the building’s historic functions
  
  The drawing room alone measures approximately 28’7” × 16’ (8.72m × 4.88m), creating an impressive and gracious reception space.

The heart of the house will for many be the farmhouse kitchen–dining–family room, extending to roughly 19’6 × 19’7 (5.95 × 5.98m) — a wonderful sociable space for everyday living.

Importantly, there is also scope to expand the living accommodation further without extending the building by converting the integral corn store, which offers excellent potential and therfore probably does not require planning permission.

Outside:
Garaging, Parking & Practical Space Another unusual feature for a period property of this age is the extensive parking and garaging provision.

The property includes:

• Two-car garaging 
• Grain store accommodation within an original coach / cart / wagon house
• A long driveway beginning at the side of the house 
• An extensive rear parking and turning area.
  
  Such good parking and tuning space is at rarely found with historic village homes.

The Private Walled Garden
Completing the setting is a private south-facing walled garden, a wonderfully sheltered outdoor space that enjoys excellent sunlight throughout the day.

The house stands prominently within the Farleigh Conservation Area, surrounded by similarly interesting historic homes from many different centuries — a setting that enhances the architectural importance and charm of the property.

Services & Outgoings:
All main services are connected. Telephone connection. Oil fired central heating through radiators. Gas is available. Full double glazing. High speed ADSL and superfast broadband are available with download speeds up to 1Gb or better via fibre. Cable TV services are also available. Council Tax Band F

Energy Performance Certificate
The house has been assessed for energy performance as band E-40.

Construction
The house is traditionally constructed.

Location
Farleigh is one of the five original hamlets that together form the historic parish of Backwell, alongside Church Town, West Town, Downside and Moorside. The hamlet retains much of its early settlement pattern and historic character, with Farleigh Road following the route of an ancient medieval highway and later stage cpoach roout that once connected surrounding settlements. Farleigh is mid distance between Backwell Scool and Flax Bourton and its best known for its now excellent (recent new management) village pub The George at Backwell 

Viewing
Only by appointment with the Sole Agents: Hensons - Trusted property people since 1909 

The Village
During the eighteenth century Farleigh Road was improved as traffic increased along the important route between Taunton and Bristol and then with the increasing popularity of the motorcar in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Today Farleigh remains a particularly attractive historic enclave of Backwell, with many of its buildings spanning several centuries. Much of the hamlet lies within the Backwell Farleigh Conservation Area, which helps preserve its architectural character and traditional village layout. The surrounding landscape is equally rich in history, with nearby Farleigh Fields long associated with agriculture and more recent archaeological work suggesting possible prehistoric and Roman activity in the area.

To the south, the land rises towards Backwell Down and the well-known Jubilee Stone Hill, where walkers enjoy wide views across the North Somerset countryside. The nearby woodland is particularly beautiful in spring when the forest floor becomes carpeted with bluebells, creating one of the area’s most picturesque seasonal displays.

Despite its rural charm, Backwell is widely regarded as one of the best-connected villages in North Somerset. Nailsea & Backwell railway station provides regular direct services to Bristol Temple Meads, Weston-super-Mare, Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth, Bath and London Paddington, while the village also benefits from frequent bus services and convenient road access to the M5 motorway and Bristol Airport.

Village life in Backwell combines a strong community atmosphere with excellent amenities. Local shops, cafés and everyday services are centred around Station Road, Rodney Road and West Town, while the nearby town of Nailsea (around two miles away) provides larger supermarkets, independent shops, and regular markets. The village is particularly well regarded for its schools, including Backwell School, and offers a wide range of leisure facilities including Backwell Lake, sports clubs and nearby countryside for walking and cycling.

Within this historic and highly desirable setting, The Old Bakery represents a particularly special opportunity — a home that combines architectural charm, historic significance and generous living space within one of North Somerset’s most appealing village environments. With centuries of history woven into its fabric and a setting within the Farleigh Conservation Area, it offers the rare chance to own a genuine piece of local heritage while enjoying a comfortable and characterful family home.

NB.The agent has not tested any apparatus, equipment, fixtures, fittings or services and therefore cannot verify that they are in working order or even connected. A buyer is recommended to obtain verification from their solicitor or surveyor. The particulars are provided subject to contract and include floor plans that can only give a general indication of the layout of the property. Thse particulars include historic maps and photographs of renactors playing late Georgian village bakers.

Drone and similar photographs are for Identification purposes and general guidance only and do not accurately depict boundaries, accuracy is not guaranteed and should not be relied on for any purpose. All measurements are approximate and may be rounded up or down when converted between imperial measurements and metric measurements. All fixtures and fittings are excluded from the sale unless separately included within the ‘fixtures and fittings’ list that will be provided by the sellers’ conveyancer’s or solicitors as a sale proceeds. Any reference to planning consent and land areas is only opinion or estimate or, where mentioned based on information provided by the sellers. Where potential for development, improvement or extension is mentioned, no guarantee of a favourable planning consent is given, and no detailed exploration of supposed potential has been undertaken unless otherwise expressly stated as having been carried out by Hensons rather than the seller or their architect or town and country planning advisors. For further information about planning consent requirements and possibilities, we recommend that an appointment is arranged to meet with our fully qualified planning consultant (there may be a charge for that service). These draft particulars do not form part of any contract, and no warranty is given neither do they form part of any offer made by the agents or the seller. © Hensons 2026