Gilston, Harlow, Essex, CM20

Channocks Farm is set in open countryside within the small village of Gilston which is about two miles from Harlow and a similar distance from Harlow’s mainline station with excellent connections to Stansted Airport and the City of London and London’s West End. The M11 motorway access is from both Harlow J7 which links to the M25 and the new junction 7A which is between Harlow and Bishop's Stortford, but this is the closet junction and the best one to use if going North on M11 or East.

Channocks Farm is a handsome and typical Victorian farmhouse, completed in 1854, built in brick with a slate tiled roof and complemented by an established garden. The accommodation is on two floors and has the benefit of a useful cellar. The house is Grade II listed (entry no 1101281) and is well set in its grounds. The whole grounds including the barns amount to approx 2.2 acres. On the opposite side of the lane there is a Victorian ‘model’ farmyard which is described in the listing as “a barn and attached farm buildings of Channocks Farm 30m northwest of the house, barn and farm buildings” it mentions that this group of model farm buildings dates from John Hodgson's rebuilding at the Gilston Park Estate and describes the buildings as ‘a little altered group of model farm buildings’. Part of the buildings have been used in association with the farmhouse and part let commercially.

The floorplan shows the accommodation of the house and includes a well-proportioned entrance hallway and staircase to the first floor and a door off down to the cellar with two useful rooms. There are two well-proportioned reception rooms (sitting and dining room) both have fireplaces, and there is a study. At the back of the house there is a kitchen/breakfast room with an Aga and a range of base and walled storage cupboards. There is a door to a sunroom which overlooks the terrace and garden and a door off to a walk-in storeroom. At the front of the property and from the sunroom there is a utility area and a door to the outside and an adjoining outside WC.

On the first floor off the large landing is the master bedroom suite with dressing room, three further bedrooms and a large family bathroom and separate shower. From the landing there is access to a spacious attic.

There is a gravel driveway leading to the house and, on entering the driveway, there is a coach house on the left-hand side. On the ground floor it has a single cart shed, a hallway and ground floor bathroom, storage area and a staircase which leads to the first floor where there is a sitting room, with southerly garden views, and bedroom.

The gardens to the house are a delight, south facing, well established and includes shrubs, lawns and terrace, a small area of woodland as well as a greenhouse and vegetable patch and summer house fronting the terrace. The owners have recently secured planning consent for a garage in the northeastern part of the garden.

On the opposite side of the lane is a former farmyard with a substantial range of former farm buildings dating from the 1850’s of various heights and sizes. The main barn is at the rear and is timber framed. The other buildings are brick and there is a courtyard to the front and beside these buildings. In the courtyard between the outbuildings is a swimming pool and large area of hardstanding. The principal barn has been used as a badminton court and also a fitness area, party barn with shower and other parts which have planning use for commercial letting. Beside the barns there is a shared vehicular access, to the rear there is an open bay barn and a parking area. The buildings are partly used as ancillary to the Farmhouse and several business units, all of which are currently vacant.

Some of the outbuildings were converted into offices/light industrial units some 40 years ago and were let out on commercial leases with a rental income of around £25,000p.a. but we understand this sum has not changed for many years. At that time, the buildings had a B1 (business) planning use. In England this use has merged into Class E and covers premises where activities can occur in residential areas without causing detriment to amenity. It includes office, research and development (R&D) and light industrial processes. There are detailed floorplans and elevations available from the agents on request.

AGENT’S NOTE 1: Development - Gilston Park; over several decades there has been discussions about residential development in the area and in the last year outline planning consent has been granted for 7 new villages with large areas of community green space around the villages in addition to an extensive country park and additional facilities. Detailed information is available at planning application and consented plans are available on East Herts District Council online portal: Application No: 3/19/2124/OUT. A part of the development will eventually come close to the property’s eastern boundary, and the developers have planted a 30m deep woodland landscape belt. To the southwest boundary a new park area with a playing field will be created.

AGENT’S NOTE 2: The commercially let parts of the Barns are registered for VAT and so VAT will be chargeable on the value of that part of the property. The VAT will be recoverable assuming the purchaser makes a VAT election.

AGENT’S NOTE 3: The road between the house and farm is owned by the vendors and has rights of way over it for the estate and neighbouring property. The public right of way provides direct access to open countryside walks. When the new village is developed there will be added facilities, improved access to public transport particularly to the north and east, Stansted, Cambridge and Colchester. There will be new footpaths and cycle ways to connect with local facilities and Harlow Station. The blue area is the drive owned by Channocks farmhouse. The yellow strip is a shared vehicular access to the rear between the property outside the vendors’ ownership and the former farm buildings.

AGENT’S NOTE 4: The road between the house and the barns is owned by the vendors and not adopted but immediately connects to the adopted Channocks Lane. The house and barns have had unfettered access to Channocks Lane. Adjoining these buildings, there is a light industrial building in separate ownership.

Gilston is a small East Hertfordshire hamlet surrounded by rolling Hertfordshire countryside with open fields and woodland, with its own village inn. Harlow town centre (2 miles) and provides comprehensive amenities including shopping, sports centres, swimming pool, theatre, cinemas and several retail shopping areas, together with mainline rail services to London's Liverpool Street (approx 35 minutes). Access to the M11 Motorway (Junction 7) is gained on the outskirts of the town with access to London, the M25, Cambridge and the Midlands. The market towns of Hertford and Ware are considered to be within a convenient driving distance, whilst Bishop’s Stortford market town is some 9 miles to the north of Gilston. All centres offer further shopping, educational and recreational amenities.