Dorchester Road, Sturminster Marshall, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21

PRICE GUIDE: £1,200,000-£1,350,000.

An imposing 5 bedroom detached country house with an adjoining 2 bedroom annexe, double garaging and excellent parking, set in landscaped grounds of about 6 acres including a large lake and a stream.

Situated about 330m from the A31, this fine country residence has undergone a programme of extension and refurbishment, and offers a blank canvas for improvement, as some of the work is as yet unfinished, including bathrooms and a large basement entertaining room. A brick built former farm building also offers potential, subject to planning consent, for conversion.

Built in 1950, the property has been refurbished to a high standard in recent years. The adjoining home office could easily be reinstated as a self-contained 2 bedroom annexe. The house has mains electricity and water, LPG central heating (including some under floor heating to the ground floor), and a Klargester BioDisk Water Treatment Plant drainage system.

Sound and lighting have featured strongly in the refurbishment, including a Bang & Olufsen Link sound system, a Lutron lighting system, and a range of exterior sound and light features.

A magnificent portico entrance with oak double doors opens onto a superb central reception hall featuring a superb oak split staircase leading to a large galleried landing with a vaulted ceiling.

The hall has a plaster ceiling, and marble flooring (with under floor heating) which extends into both a walk-in coat room (which houses a Worcester gas central heating boiler) and an impressive cloakroom with marble slab walls and a Thomas Crapper wash basin and high cistern WC.

The re-modelled open plan living room features 2 open fireplaces, a built-in window seat, and French doors to the rear garden terrace. Engineered oak flooring (with under floor heating) continues into the Oak Room which was built by Prime Oak, and features a vaulted ceiling, exposed beams and bifold doors to a garden terrace. Stairs lead down to a large basement entertainment area with engineered oak flooring, under floor heating, and bifold doors to a lower terrace.

There is a separate formal dining room, and a kitchen/breakfast room with Travertine floor, an extensive range of units and granite worktops, a floor-to-ceiling double larder cupboard, Calor gas Aga with electric companion, Belfast sink, integrated dishwasher, built-in Gaggenau fridge-freezer, and French doors to the garden. Travertine flooring extends into the separate utility room which includes a pressurised hot water cylinder, Belfast sink, space and plumbing for washing machine and tumble dryer, and further gas central heating boiler.

Off the kitchen is a rear lobby with doors to the front and to the annexe. The annexe comprises 2 bedrooms, sitting room and kitchen (with Vaillant gas central heating boiler), and the former bathroom (which could be reinstated) is now a store room with WC and wash basin. There is an independent door access to the front.

The grand oak staircase leads to a large galleried first floor landing with floor-to-ceiling windows and doors to a front balcony.

Bedroom 1 is a large double room with dressing area, French doors to a balcony, and a spacious en suite bath/shower room which has been prepared for the installation of a luxury bathroom suite but remains in an incomplete state.

Bedroom 2 has fitted furniture and an en suite bathroom, and bedroom 3 has fitted furniture, woodblock flooring and an en suite shower room. Bedroom 4 has an incomplete en suite shower room, and bedroom 5 has a lovely view over the rear garden. The family bathroom comprises bath, bidet, wash basin, WC and linen cupboard.

Henbury Grange is approached from the A31 via a driveway of approximately 330m (shared with 2 bungalows, Henbury Manor and Henbury Heights). A brick pillared entrance with electric gates leads past an original farm building with stable door and attached woodstore, offering much scope for conversion. The house also has a brick built detached double garage.

The gardens, which offer complete seclusion and enjoy a southerly aspect, extend all around the property and have been landscaped. A large stone terrace wraps around the property from the side to the rear, and there is a lower terrace complementing entertainment activities in the basement.

There are extensive lawns, a stream running through the grounds, and a 2.7 acre Spring Coppice. Directly in front of the property there is a lakeside terrace where provision has been made to create an outside kitchen/entertainment area. The terrace overlooks the lake created by our client, with a central island and an ornate 7m high waterfall feature. It has been stocked with common carp, mirror carp, tench, roach and golden orfe, but has now become overgrown and requires cultivation.

The grounds amount to about 6 acres in total.

Agents’ Note: An additional 26 acres are available by separate
negotiation.

Agents’ Note: We understand that an area of land to the south side of the house was formerly part of the 100-acre Henbury Manor Farm House (Henbury Grange) estate, and it is unclear whether an agricultural tie still exists.

SOUND AND LIGHTING:
• Bang & Olufsen Link sound system throughout the hall, lounge, oak room, dining room, kitchen and principal bedroom, with interior and exterior speakers
• Lutron lighting system throughout the hall, lounge, oak room, basement and principal bedroom
• Victorian streetlamps to the last 35m of the drive, and the parking area
• Floodlighting over the parking area, the rear garden and the end of the house overlooking the stream and Spring Coppice
• Electricity supply to about 8 large trees in the Spring Coppice to give the facility to create a woodland walk
• Approx 30ft Christmas tree in the parking area with electric supply for Christmas/party lighting
• Internal and external security system including a 360º zoom camera controlled by a joystick in the house
• Lake lighting system – ground level floodlights around the lake and under individual trees on the island, tree-mounted lights around the lake – ground level lights on both sides of the 7m high waterfall – lighting system to the Lake View patio (along with LPG supply to the outdoor kitchen area)
• Power supply to the listed areas switch-controlled from the house
• An exquisite 24-bulb ‘Maria Theresa’ style chandelier illuminates the entrance hall, beautifully enhanced by Swarovski Aurora Borealis crystals. Please note: While matching wall lights are present to complement the chandelier, the Swarovski crystals have not yet been attached, and are still in their original delivery boxes

Location:
Sturminster Marshall has a lively village community with First School, parish church, village hall, recreation ground, maypole green, golf course, post office/shop, pharmacy and 2 pub/restaurants. There is easy access to the A350 and A31 providing good road connections to Blandford Forum, Dorchester, Poole and the market town of Wimborne Minster. Dorchester, Poole and Bournemouth all have mainline rail links. Bournemouth Airport is approximately 11 miles away, and the beautiful beaches of Poole and Studland are within about 12 miles. The area offers straightforward road access to both the Jurassic Coast to the west, and the New Forest to the east.

Directions:
From Wimborne, proceed west along the A31 towards Dorchester, passing The Coventry Arms on the right hand side and St Huberts Church on the left. Before reaching the Roundhouse roundabout, turn left onto the brick pillared driveway leading to Henbury Heights and Henbury Manor. Proceed to the far end of the private driveway and on to Henbury Grange.