The Street, Staple, Canterbury, Kent

Whitegate is a handsome family home set in a highly accessible semi-rural village, with good access to Canterbury and the coast. Large sash windows along the front facade take in fascinating views of the medieval church opposite, imbuing a great sense of peace and calm to the rooms. The rooms at the rear look over the quintessential Kentish garden and fields beyond.

The front door opens into a generous and welcoming reception hall with a classic original staircase. The drawing room and dining room both have a relaxed feel with high ceilings and ornate fireplaces (the former being fitted with a wood-burning stove). The bright sitting room has two large south facing sash windows, a sizeable space with inglenook fireplace and exposed mellow brick and beams adding warmth and comfort.

The country style kitchen is fitted with a range of attractive cabinetry with space for a range cooker; there is a useful larder and ample room for a good size table and chairs. Doors from the kitchen lead to the cloakroom and out to the rear terrace.

A large, dry cellar with good ceiling height is accessed from the hall.

The first floor features a large principal bedroom with en-suite shower room together with four further bedrooms (one with an en suite bathroom) and a family bathroom. The generous landing provides a seating area by the central sash window – an ideal spot to sit and watch village life go by.

A gate set into a low-level wall opens to a front terrace with curved steps leading up to the front door. A five-bar gate to the side opens onto the driveway with access to the garage.

The south-facing rear garden is largely laid to lawn and ideal for family activities in the fairer weather months. There are lovely country views, and a large sunny terrace with seating areas is perfect for al fresco dining and entertaining. Mature boundaries give complete privacy, with interspersed herbaceous plants and trees adding interest and colour.

Additionally, there is a garden store and a summer house. External steps lead down to a second cellar used as a store room.

Staple is situated in the countryside to the east of Canterbury with a church and popular pub, and close to the larger, thriving village of Wingham, which has a useful range of local amenities and shops including post office, greengrocers, village store, pubs, doctor’s surgery, dentist, well-regarded primary school and Gibsons farm shop. Nearby Canterbury and Sandwich provide a wide range of cultural, sporting and recreational amenities, together with an excellent range of educational facilities.

There are excellent road and rail links. The A2/M2 can be joined at Bridge and links with the remaining southern motorway systems, Heathrow and Gatwick airports. There is a railway station at Adisham with a stopping service to London and Canterbury’s two mainline stations offer a variety of commuter and stopping services to London, with the High-Speed service to London St Pancras taking just under an hour from Canterbury West. The area has good access to Continental Europe via Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover.