Brook, Lyndhurst, Hampshire

Bignell Wood is a handsome period house with a wealth of light, airy and beautifully presented accommodation. The home was once the writing retreat of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and provides a total of more than 10,238 square feet of immaculate living space, including seven bedrooms in all including a guest cottage, all set within beautiful gardens with direct access to rolling New Forest countryside.

The ground floor has a welcoming and generous reception hall, its fireplace surrounded by limestone and fitted with a woodburning stove. Wooden parquet flooring continues from the reception hall to the spacious drawing room, which has a similarly furnished fireplace, as well as timber beams overhead and a triple aspect, welcoming plenty of natural light and affording views across the gardens. Further reception rooms include the sitting room with its large south-facing window to the gardens and built-in shelving and media unit, a home office, a study and a formal dining room for family meals or entertaining guests. The kitchen has an open plan layout, adjoining a further sitting area and the dining room, and features flagstone flooring, fitted units in white, a central island, a Belfast sink and a dual fuel Aga, as well as integrated appliances by Miele and a walk-in pantry.

Two staircases lead to the upper level, where there are six well presented double bedrooms. These include the splendid principal bedroom with its vaulted ceiling, corner fireplace, dressing room and en suite bathroom with its freestanding tin bathtub and walk in shower with a rainfall shower head. One further bedroom is en suite with a roll-top bathtub and a separate shower, while the first floor also has a family bathroom and a family shower room.

Additionally, the first floor has a large play room, while on the second floor there is access to a dressing room, as well as to the large boarded attic space, which provides a wealth of storage.

Additional accommodation is available in the detached cottage, which is accessed via a footbridge over the stream and along a winding pathway, to its private, secluded setting. It features a cosy snug, an open-plan sitting area, a bespoke kitchen and a split-level bedroom, as well as a shower room. French doors open from the bedroom to reveal a balcony with beautiful views towards the surrounding woodland.

The house is set within extensive, beautiful gardens and grounds, which total approximately six acres. They include enchanting landscaped country gardens, with a large patio terrace area for al fresco dining and manicured lawns, leading to a peaceful, babbling stream, crossed by two delightful footbridges. There are colourful beds with a wealth of flowering perennials, as well as various shrubs, hedgerows and mature trees, while the gardens are surrounded by woodland and offer gated access directly to the New Forest walking trails. The grounds include several outbuildings, with the stables, a fully-equipped gym, a workshop and a detached garage with first-floor above. The wider grounds include two fenced paddocks for equestrian activities, as well as peaceful, private woodland. Access is via security gates, which open to the sweeping driveway and lead to the garage and turning area, where there is ample parking space.

The property is idyllically located in the charming hamlet of Brook, within the heart of the New Forest National Park, providing walking, cycling and riding enthusiasts with miles of unspoilt heathland, woodland and open forest to explore. The nearby village offers a strong sense of community with local amenities including traditional country pubs, a village hall and the renowned Bramshaw Golf Club. The popular village of Lyndhurst, often regarded as the “capital of the New Forest”, is a short drive away and provides a wider range of independent shops, cafés, restaurants and everyday services. The sailing centres of Lymington and Beaulieu are also within easy reach, offering marinas and excellent access to the Solent. Rail services from Brockenhurst provide direct trains to London Waterloo, while the nearby M27 motorway offers convenient road links to Southampton, the south coast and the wider motorway network.