North Street, Milborne Port, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9

Set back from North Street behind mature hedging and wrought iron railings, Cross House as its name implies is just a stone's throw from the crossroads at the centre of the village. Built of local limestone with Bath Stone dressings, the house dates from the 18th century and was probably thatched originally. It then underwent significant alterations about a century later when the thatch was replaced by clay tiles and today is an attractive and impressive example of a significant family house of the period. It is Grade II listed and has retained many original architectural fittings including tall, wide sash windows, working shutters, stained glass in the drawing room's bay window, several elegant, open fireplaces, timber floors and finely moulded timber joinery and ceiling plasterwork. Today it is beautifully presented and has clearly been well maintained over recent years. Several years ago, the house was divided into three flats. Almost all traces of the division have now gone but the top floor could easily be used as a self-contained flat for a family member or to generate a secondary income. All the rooms in the house are of a good size with excellent ceiling heights. The ground floor contains four reception rooms, with the two main reception rooms facing south west to catch the best of the afternoon and early evening light. The kitchen/breakfast room is at the back of the house with tall windows looking out onto the walled garden and with direct access to the terrace when dining outside. It has ample room for a large kitchen table and is equipped with handmade, painted timber units, a Belfast sink and an Everhot electric range cooker with four ovens. Upstairs there are a total of seven/eight bedrooms spread over two floors. The principal bedroom faces east and south and has French windows opening out onto a large roof terrace overlooking the garden, plus a large, ensuite/dual access bathroom that leads through to a large dressing room/occasional bedroom. The other three bedrooms on the first floor share the family bathroom. The remaining bedrooms are on the second floor and share a good-sized shower room.

Cross House can be approached on foot from North Street via an ornate wrought iron gate set in an archway attached to one side of the house or by car down a shared driveway leading to a parking area for two cars. Opening onto the parking area is a large, double garage with a side door to a paved terrace that leads to the kitchen/garden door. Extending out to the rear and one side of the house is the property's walled garden, where a combination of high stone walls, mature trees and shrubs provide a sense of complete privacy. The garden is designed to be easily maintained with a level lawn at its centre, two mature apple trees, several other mature trees and walls adorned by climbing shrubs and roses. There is a further pedestrian gate with access from the walled garden onto North Street.

The property is situated in the heart of the attractive village of Milborne Port, which is surrounded by lush countryside on the banks of the River Gascoigne, a tributary of the River Yeo. The village is a thriving community with excellent amenities including a church, primary school, GP surgery, village hall, two pubs, two restaurants (one incorporating a takeaway fish & chip shop), garage/post office and several shops including a Co-op convenience store, newsagent, chemist, butcher. The nearby Abbey town of Sherborne can meet most day-to-day needs with a wide range of shops including a Waitrose supermarket and local businesses including dental and veterinary surgeries. Sherborne also has a mainline railway station on the West of England Main Line with services to Waterloo (2.25 hours) and Exeter Central (1.25 hours). In addition, the Bournemouth, Bristol and Exeter are all about an hour and a quarter away by car. The wider local area also offers a wide choice of schools for children of all ages. These include The Gryphon School for state secondary education along with three highly rated independent schools are in Sherborne plus Leweston, Hazlegrove, the Bruton Schools, Hanford and Port Regis from the independent sector.