Longford, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6

A characterful former cheese factory in a glorious village setting with beautifully landscaped gardens, converted by a well renowned local architect.

Description

The Cheese Factory is a characterful 19th century former cheese factory conversion, built in 1870 by a consortium of Derbyshire landowners, to an American design, under the guidance of American cheesemaker, Cornelius Schermanhorn. The property is set in a captivating position at the heart of this highly desirable village, well within what is known locally as Derbyshire’s ‘golden triangle’ with beautiful gardens to the rear including a Mediterranean style terrace and manicured lawns bordered by streams.

The handsome weatherboarded timber and red brick building has been extended and renovated over the years and understandably, the property has been sympathetically transformed, retaining a number of characterful timber features, whilst adding contemporary fixtures and fittings throughout. The property has appeared in a number of national magazines and Phil Spencer’s The History of Britain in 100 Homes television show.

Families will appreciate the wealth of space on offer, with the accommodation extending to more than 6800sq ft, with a number of modern conveniences, including underfloor heating in the ground floor reception areas, an integrated SONOS sound system and Cat 5 cabling, which enables home working from the fitted office.


Externally there is private, gated parking for several cars in addition to an attached triple garage.

The gardens extend to about 0.6 of an acre and feature watercourses, lawns, extensive planting and a fabulous entertaining terrace.


Accommodation - The modern country style of the home beautifully complements the timber elements of the original structure.

Ground Floor - The property is entered at first floor level to the front aspect, leading to an industrial style staircase, descending down to the ground floor accommodation.

Family Area - The staircase opens up to reveal a highly impressive open plan family space, comprising a contemporary kitchen, a dining area and snug. The dark ceramic tiled floors, red brick details and beamed ceilings contrast with neutral walls and there are floor to ceiling windows overlooking the terrace, offering excellent natural light. The snug/dining room further benefits from direct access to a WC.

Garden Room - fabulous south-facing views over the garden with vaulted ceiling, exposed trussed beams, floor to ceiling glazing to two elevations and double doors out to the terrace. This charming room offers a characterful, casual seating area and holds a focal point log burner with exposed stainless steel flue.

Kitchen - the striking, Steven Christopher kitchen is open plan to the snug/dining area, with an AGA and a variety of integrated Siemens appliances including a fridge, dishwasher, oven and Bora induction hob. The kitchen was refitted in 2021 and has Rempp cabinets, Dekton surfaces and a generous, centrally positioned chefs island with breakfast bar seating to two sides with industrial style lighting above. The utility room is accessed to the left hand side of the staircase and provides further space for laundry machines and extensive cabinet storage.

Bedrooms - There are two ground floor double bedrooms, one accessible from a lobby off the snug area with a shower room directly across the hallway and a large double bedroom to the south elevation, benefitting a double fronted view out to the terrace and a three piece en suite shower room. There are extensive cellars for storage accessible from bedroom two.

First Floor - An industrial style staircase leads up to the first floor and:

Sitting Room - a fantastic, imposing living space, situated at first floor level, boasting a high vaulted ceiling with wood panelling and exposed trusses, a large open fireplace and a triple aspect view overlooking the streams and gardens.


Principal Bedroom - a double fronted view over the garden and a set of half glazed double doors, opening up into the en suite, fitted with a low level WC, pedestal wash hand basin, built-in storage and a centrally positioned, free standing bath.

Second Floor - The remaining three bedrooms are situated on the second floor within the eaves, under the original beams of the structure. All three bedrooms are double bedrooms and share a three piece shower room at this level.

Offices - The current owner occupier runs a business from the substantial office space which was formally the principal bedroom suite, located at entry level, with separate entrance access. There is a large principal office room, a reception, meeting room and staff kitchen & WC’s. This space could easily be adapted to a series of alternative uses such as an annexe, gym, spa or cinema room etc (STPP), should a prospective purchaser wish to explore this.

Location

Longford is a most sought-after village situated 11 miles west of Derby with good access to both Derby and Ashbourne. There is also access from the A50 (5.5 miles) and also south to the A38 (7.8 miles), all providing excellent routes between a range of regional national centres and transport hubs.

The village has a church and a primary school, with a wider choice of amenities available in Ashbourne (9.5 miles), a historic market town situated on the southern edge of the Peak District. With its cobbled streets, welcoming market place, some 200+ listed buildings and impressive Tudor and Georgian heritage, it is a very attractive town.

There is an abundance of local amenities within the town centre, to include both national brand stores and independent retailers, in addition to two primary schools and a grammar school. Derby city centre has a wealth of amenities including high street and superstore shopping, stadiums, parks and leisure facilities including gyms, golf clubs and an indoor climbing centre.

There is excellent local schooling including the Queen Elizabeth Grammer School in Ashbourne (10 miles) the very popular Ecclesbourne School (10 miles), Repton School (9.7 miles) and Derby High School (9 miles), with Derby University just 8.5 miles away. Derby train station is 10.5 miles away and offers a direct mainline train to London, which can be reached in 1hr 20 mins.

Square Footage: 6,484 sq ft



Additional Info

A staircase leads from the office space to the rear of the property and further on to a set of steps leading up to the first floor above the garage. This is a versatile room, currently used as additional office space with a door to the rear leading out to a balcony, however this could suit many other uses such as a games room or apartment (STPP).

Note from the seller - "The Cheese Factory has been an inspirational home for both our family and our business for the past 26 years. Our deep refurbishment at the outset set the tone for a really bespoke and creative environment, the name of the property in itself always raised intriguing questions and a smile. The combination of open-plan spaces and south-facing sheltered garden courtyard provides a unique contrast between Modern Industrial – Alpine Chalet and out-door al-fresco living, whilst in parallel providing a clear contrast between our work and home environment.

Over that time the business has developed into one of the most renowned design practices in the region, attaining over 25 design awards, with second-to-none staff retention because it’s such a nice place to work! In parallel our 3 daughters have grown up in a safe, healthy and friendly environment attending the Village Primary and local Grammer School, and having now moved away to follow their careers will think of every excuse to return home to The Cheese Factory at the drop of a hat, to relax, catch up with friends and re-charge their batteries.

From our side, we are now ready to move on to our next project. The business and design team grow stronger and more ambitious and our family home will remain within the village which is now very much in our DNA. It’s time to pass on the legacy of the Cheese Factory to a new and fresh owner who will no doubt draw upon the inspiration of the identity, location and spaces to mould their own very special and individual personality."


Derbyshire Dales
Band G