Finchingfield Road, Little Sampford, Saffron Walden

A picture-perfect, Grade II Listed country home on the market for the first time in more than forty years offering a very special opportunity to create the most magical family home. The main house offers accommodation of approximately 5,362 sqft set in grounds of 15.5 acres.

Deep in the north Essex countryside stands The Grange, a picture-perfect country home, dating back to the 17th century. The epitome of bucolic charm, this oatmeal-coloured, sprawling house stands in some 15 acres of gardens and grounds and offers all the accoutrements of the typical English country residence. The Grange strikes a perfect balance of being substantial, with eight bedrooms and copious entertaining space, but also homely, cosy and comfortable, and offers some of the most stunning grounds in the county.

Accessed via elaborate wrought iron gates into a part-walled garden with gravel parking area, the Grade II listed house stands side on to the country road it sits on. The handsome façade sees three gables as the house cleverly merges 17th century architecture along with a substantial Georgian extension and Victorian additions, creating a cohesive and attractive exterior. Up the neat stone steps to the front of the house is the pretty front door, surrounded by climbing roses and with a traditional bell-pull which leads to an atmospheric hallway. Painted in the deepest of mustard shades and with polished wooden floorboards, this room sits in the heart of the house, and immediately gives a warm welcome, setting the tone for the rest of the property. From the hall is an idyllic country kitchen, complete with a British racing green Aga surrounded by a brick mantlepiece, and with two large sash windows which flood the room with natural light. The spacious room has built-in cupboards and units, as well a large dresser, but with plenty of room for a big farmhouse table. The kitchen also leads to a large utility room. Beyond the kitchen is the oldest part of the house, known by the current owners as ‘The Cottage,’ this section is home to an informal dining room and the cosiest of snugs, complete with woodburner. Here the house has quite a different feel, with exposed beams and lower ceilings, creating a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere, as well as having a charming, sun-filled courtyard garden.

The Grange provides the potential for flexible accommodation which might include, for example, a couple living in the main house with their young children, whilst the parents live in the Cottage.

Back through the hall and past the staircase is a smart, formal dining room, which is in a part of the house which was extended in the Georgian era. Typical of the period, this wonderful room has high ceilings and substantial sash windows, complete with Georgian cabinetry, a large Georgian fireplace and an old-fashioned serving hatch. Beyond the dining room is the drawing room, which is arguably the grandest room in the house and which has a beautiful symmetry, with high ceilings, a fireplace with a carved wooden mantlepiece and also double doors onto the terrace. This room offers a more formal entertaining space, with fantastic views over the sprawling formal gardens which drop away to the valley below. Decorated in neutral shades, the drawing room enjoys plenty of natural light, and leads to a separate Victorian garden room which has been newly refurbished and is perfect for making the most of winter sunshine, while also leading onto the gardens. In addition, the ground floor also sees an inviting study, currently painted in a rich shade of aubergine, with a large woodburner and a vast cellar, accessed from the hallway.

Upstairs, the house has eight bedrooms in total. To the right of the staircase is the master bedroom, which has far-reaching views over the grounds at The Grange. Each of the pretty bedrooms has their own personality, but all are complete with sash windows, some have fireplaces, and many have built-in wardrobes. The bedrooms are accessed from a long landing, which runs the full length of the house. Over ‘The Cottage’ are two particularly attractive, vaulted bedrooms, and there are two bathrooms (one of which has been newly fitted), a shower room and an extra loo all on this floor. Another, smaller staircase leads down to the informal dining room.

The grounds at The Grange are just as magnificent as the house. Positioned at the top of a hill, The Grange has views of a valley beyond, with its land leading down to the River Pant. From the house, a large semi-circular lawn leads to stepped formal gardens which are divided by ancient yew hedges. Trimmed into perfect formation, these hedges create separate ‘rooms’ within the garden, with packed flower beds and secret spaces, eventually leading to a fence with a gateway, with access to a meadow owned by The Grange beyond. The gardens are filled with interesting plants and shrubs, peppered with cyclamen which peek from under the copious mature trees and have been meticulously maintained over the past four decades. This area also has a hidden kitchen garden, tucked away behind the hedging, which also has its own potting shed. In another area of the garden, directly in front of the house, an avenue of blossoming crab apple trees leads to an extensive courtyard of period outbuildings, with barns, haylofts, sheds and stables, which lead in turn to acres of paddocks and lawns, complete with a heated swimming pool with a pool house, a tennis court and a pond. In addition, there is an ancient and productive orchard, packed with apple, pear and plum trees. Beyond the lawns is also an area of woodland providing copious space for camping and den-making, and even producing firewood and also river frontage onto the River Pant, offering fishing.

The seller says: “The Grange has provided the most wonderful home for me and my family for forty years, and we have so many happy memories from here. It is an incredibly special place and we have worked hard to keep it as in-keeping with its period as possible. I am now downsizing, and I hope that whoever buys this place will be as happy here as we have been.”

The Grange has come to the market for only the second time in almost 100 years and offers a very special opportunity for someone to create the most magical family home.

Viewings - By appointment through the Agents.