Trent, Sherborne, DT9

Wren Cottage represents the very essence of Trent, matching the rest of the village in its Hamstone elevations and looking so pretty dressed in its diamond leaded windows, scalloped clay tiled roof and graced with a simple architectural symmetry that is so pleasing to the eye. Originally a pair of cottages, this Grade II listed property was built in the mid-nineteenth century and was later converted into one house, being modernised and upgraded over the years while retaining a great deal of its original charm.
Entering through the plank and muntin front door, complete with traditional bell and pull, a well-lit entrance hall welcomes you into the house where there is plenty of room for your hat and boots. The good-sized sitting room lies off the central hallway and features a handsome stone fireplace to provide cosy warmth in the winter, while the adjacent southwest facing sunroom will draw you in to relax during the warmer months. The dining room is orientated south-eastwards, making for a sunny breakfast, but could also be used as a study where the alcove shelving would prove useful. A downstairs cloakroom is conveniently placed just off the hall on the way to the dual aspect kitchen, where there is plenty of room for a table and chairs. Painted wall and floor units line two walls, housing a built-in dishwasher, 1.5 bowl sink with mixer tap and space and connection for a free-standing cooker. The integral garage completes the ground floor, comprising a utility area with units, sink, new Grant boiler (2022), space and connection for a washing machine and dryer and a door into the garden.
The beautifully light stairwell rises upstairs where traditional features such as wooden cottage doors and exposed floorboards add charm and a feeling of history. There is a principal bedroom with ensuite bathroom and a further two bedrooms and a family shower room. The house is in need of further modernisation thus offering the buyer the opportunity to really make this lovely cottage their own.

OUTSIDE
Beautiful gardens envelop the house which is set quite far back from the lane and approached via gates up the drive to the garage and generous parking area. A circular lawn is framed by curved beds stocked with gorgeous cottage perennials such as echinacea, catmint, crocosmia, Japanese anemones, verbena, cardoons and ornamental grasses. Hollyhocks push their way up round the paved paths that lead round the house, while roses climb the cottage walls. An array of mature shrubs populate the rest of the garden, along with clipped yew and laurel balls, a white walnut, Japanese acers, lilac and a group of three strawberry trees, while the garden boundaries are defined by laurel and lonicera hedging. A south and west facing terrace overlooks the well organised vegetable garden, currently leased from the school. Wren Cottage is just the epitome of a Victorian village house set in its own pretty garden and offering the promise of a wonderful rural life within close reach of Sherborne and excellent transport links.

LOCATION
Trent is a small, pretty village set amidst rolling, unspoilt countryside. Centred around the manor house and the lovely old medieval parish church of St Andrew, much of the village and the 2,100 acres of rolling farmland surrounding it, are protected by the Ernest Cook Trust. The village is well provided for with a primary school and a highly regarded public house, the Rose and Crown Inn, and is conveniently located for Sherborne, Yeovil and the county town of Dorchester. There are good, local transport links with regular rail services from Sherborne to Waterloo 2 ¼ hours and from Castle Cary to Paddington 1 hour 40 minutes. Bristol, Bournemouth and Exeter airports are all about an hour’s drive away.

SPORTING AND RECREATION
The area is well known for its beauty and there is a network of bridleways and footpaths which cross the countryside making it ideal for walking, cycling and riding. Water sports at Sutton Bingham Reservoir near Yeovil or on the south coast. Racing at Wincanton, Salisbury, Bath or Exeter. Golf at various courses including Yeovil, Sherborne and Dorchester. The Newt country estate, Hauser and Wirth in Bruton and The Sherborne provide further cultural opportunities.

EDUCATION
The area is particularly noted for the high quality of its schools within easy motoring distance. The Trent Young’s CE School is a highly regarded primary school, while Leweston, The Sherborne Schools Group, Perrott Hill, Hazlegrove and Millfield are all within easy reach. The Gryphon secondary school is highly rated and is close by.