Charnage, Mere, Warminster, Wiltshire

A period farmhouse with stables, outbuildings with extensive development potential and up to 226 acres of land, available as a whole and in lots.

Situation
Charnage Farm is in a wonderful rural location around 1 mile east of the village of Mere, with very few neighbours and a wonderfully private position. Mere offers a wide range of shops and facilities including an excellent health centre, chemist, post office, supermarket, fish farm, greengrocer, fire and policestation, museum, public library and Mere Primary School. The Stourhead Farm Shop is also close. Nearby Gillingham has a Waitrose and a mainline railway service to London Waterloo. In addition, Warminster and Castle Cary also have mainline stations which provide direct access to London Paddington. The cities of Salisbury and Bath provide a more comprehensive range of shopping, restaurants, cinemas and theatres.

Communications by road are excellent with the A303 providing a link to the M3, M25 and London, or the West Country. The whole property falls outside the Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape (formerly known as AONB).

Sporting and Recreation
Hunting is with the South and West Wilts, Blackmore Vale and Portman. Racing at Salisbury and Wincanton. Golf at Warminster, Wincanton and Sherborne.

Schools
There are many highly regarded schools within easy reach including Port Regis, Sandroyd, Hazelgrove, Clayesmore, Sherborne, Millfield, Bryanston, Milton Abbey, King’s Bruton, St Mary’s Shaftesbury, St Antony’s Leweston. Marlborough, St Mary’s Calne and Downside are a little further away.

History
Charnage Farm is an historic holding, appearing in the Domesday book as ‘Chedelwick’ and forming part of the manor of Chadenwyche, the ownership of which is documented back to 1571. In 1736, the manor was passed to Richard Hoare, son of the founder of Hoare & Co private bank, and who was afterwards knighted and served as Lord Mayor of London. Descendants of Richard Hoare later owned the Stourhead Estate, of which Charnage Farm remained part until 1857 when it was sold to John White, a then tenant of the farm. The farm has remained in the White family until today.

Lot 1 - Charnage Farmhouse, buildings & land

Lot 1 presents the opportunity to purchase a period family home with a former swimming pool, equestrian facilities, views and land, plus extensive outbuildings with significant planning potential for further houses and/or holiday accommodation or other alternative uses. All in a popular and highly accessible rural location.

Farmhouse
Charnage Farmhouse is a stone & slate Georgian farmhouse (not listed) sitting in a wonderful position at the end of long, private drive which is lined with beautiful horse chestnut trees. The farmhouse has a symmetrical frontage including a central external stone porch which provides an inviting approach into the home. The older part of the farmhouse, believed to pre-date 1800, adjoins to the side.
The Porch leads into the Dining Room with a large feature fireplace, which in turn leads to the Living Room at the front of the house (with another open fire) and a Sitting Room at the rear of the house, with excellent views over the rolling farmland beyond. A corridor leads into the two-storey side extension and the Kitchen which is understood to have flagstones beneath the floor covering, and which in turn leads to a Utility Room, Cloakroom, Boot Room and Office. At the rear of the house is also a Conservatory overlooking the garden.
On the first floor a Landing leads to five double Bedrooms, two of which share a ‘Jack & Jill’ en-suite Shower Room comprising walkin shower, W/C and wash basin. There is also a family Bathroom comprising bath, walk-in shower and wash basin.
From the Landing a staircase rises to the second floor / attic space which is divided into four rooms which could potentially be converted into substantial additional accommodation.
There is also a useful Cellar, accessed via stairs descending from the ground floor.

Garden and grounds

The farmhouse has a level patio and a good size terraced lawn at the rear, providing plenty of space for a family. The views from the garden are a particular feature of Charnage Farmhouse, taking full advantage of the slightly elevated position, looking west across countryside and towards Mere, with impressive sunsets.
To the side is a walled former Kitchen Garden, with apple, pear, fig and walnut trees and a medlar tree plus vegetable and fruit beds. Within this area is also a former outdoor swimming pool.
To the south of the buildings is an outdoor manége with rubber surface and hardcore base, which sits next to a one-acre paddock. Lying to the west of the farmhouse and garden is a gently sloping pasture field of around 11 acres which is overlooked from the house. To the south is a 10 acre pasture field with separate road access providing additional grazing land.

Outbuildings

Near the farmhouse is a single storey stone and slate building overlooking the walled kitchen garden. It was converted some time ago into a pool house and changing rooms and would make an excellent ancillary cottage (subject to planning) providing guest or family accommodation. It has windows overlooking the kitchen garden and long reaching views to Duncliffe Hill to the south, in Dorset. Extending beyond is a range of garages, a workshop, 9 stables and storage buildings including a former coach house.

Farm buildings

There are two yards of farm buildings, one either side of the farmhouse drive. These range from open span steel frame buildings to traditional stone & brick barns and smaller single storey traditional buildings. There is a separate access from the highway into the lower yard, and into the higher yard from the field in Lot 2.

Planning

An initial scoping report has been commissioned to review the planning potential of the buildings at Charnage Farm. The outcome is considered positive for a small-scale development of houses. A copy of the report is available from the selling agent on request. Potential buyers are however encouraged to undertake their own due diligence.

Lot 2 – Arable & pasture farmland & woodland

In all around 91 acres, comprising around 30 acres of productive arable farmland, 38 acres of pasture farmland and a 22 acre mixed species woodland. There are several road access points into the land and mains water is connected. The land is Grade 3 and include lime-rich soils over chalk or limestone, permeable base-rich loamy and clayey soils and freely draining lime-rich loamy soils. Two of the fields are within the Nitrate Vulnerable Zone.
The woodland, known as ‘Chaddenwick Wood’ is an attractive, private parcel of mixed species woodland including oak, ash and beech among other species and which includes a former pheasant release pen. In Spring there is a delightful carpet of bluebells.

Lot 3 - Arable farmland

Around 26 acres of predominantly arable farmland. The land is gently sloping to the south/south west and has direct access off the highway. The land has a mains water connection. The land is Grade 3 has lime-rich soils over chalk or limestone. Much of the field is currently laid to a crop of miscanthus which will be included in the sale.

Lot 4 - Arable farmland

Around 61 acres of arable farmland across two fields. The land has direct access off the highway and a mains water connection. The land is Grade 3 has lime-rich soils over chalk or limestone and permeable base-rich loamy and clayey soils. The northernmost field is within the Nitrate Vulnerable Zone. Much of the two fields are currently laid to a crop of miscanthus which will be included in the sale.

Lot 5 - Pasture farmland
Around 18 acres divided into 3 fields, with roadside access. The fields would make an excellent grazing paddocks for horses or sheep, either stand alone or with Charnage Farmhouse. The land has mains water currently supplied from lot 1. Boundaries are mature hedgerows

General

Method of sale: Charnage Farm is offered for sale as a whole, or in up to 5 lots by private treaty.

Tenure: The property is sold freehold with vacant possession on completion.

Services: Charnage Farmhouse has mains water and electricity and private drainage to a septic tank. Strutt & Parker has not confirmed whether or not the private drainage is compliant with current regulations. Heating is oil fired central heating.
The farm buildings are understood to have three phase electricity.
Mains water is available to all lots. There are two existing mains connections. In the event of being sold separately lots 2, 3 and 5 may require new connections or sub-meters (at the buyer/s’ cost). The mains water line runs through Pimperleaze Road.
Mobile coverage and broadband: Information can be found here:
Miscanthus: Miscanthus is a hardy woody perennial and once established it is easy to maintain for the long-term producing an annual harvest lasting for up to as much as 25 years. Its roots help to improve soil quality and slow down flooding – stopping soil from escaping into rivers and streams, and the crop can be carbon negative, even taking into account emissions from planting, cutting & transport. It is harvested in early Spring and the current contractor would be pleased to continue their services.

EPC: F

Council Tax: Band G. 2025/26 payment £4,048.

Wayleaves, easements and rights of way: The property is being sold subject to and with the benefit of all rights including; rights of way, whether public or private, light, support, drainage, water and electricity supplies and other rights and obligations, easements and quasi-easements and restrictive covenants and all existing and proposed wayleaves formasts, pylons, stays, cables, drains, water and gas and other pipes whether referred to in these particulars or not. There are public footpaths over the land. Further details are available from the vendor’s agent.

Schemes: None.

Designations: Parts of the farm are in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ). The property falls outside of the nearby National Landscape (formerly known as AONB).

Holdover: Holdover may be reserved to allow the harvesting of growing crops.

Sporting, timber and mineral rights: All sporting timber and mineral rights are included in the freehold sale, in so far as they are owned.

Fixtures and fittings: All items usually regarded as tenant’s fixtures and fittings and equipment, together with garden ornaments and statuary, are specifically excluded from the sale. These may be available to the purchaser by separate negotiation.

Covenants and/or restrictions: There may be restrictions / covenants listed on the Land Registry Title deed, details of which will be made available by the vendors solicitors on request.

Plans, areas and boundaries: Any representation by the owner or agent is indicative only and should not be relied upon without clarification from a legal advisor.

Local authority: Wiltshire Council

VAT: Any guide price quoted or discussed is exclusive of VAT. In the event that a sale of the property, or any part of it, or any right attached to it, becomes a chargeable supply for the purposes of VAT, such tax will be payable in addition.

Health and safety: Given the potential hazards of a farm we ask you to be as vigilant as possible when making your inspection for your own personal safety, particularly around the farm buildings and livestock.

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Viewing: Strictly by confirmed appointment with the vendor’s agent, Strutt & Parker