Combe St. Nicholas, Chard, Somerset TA20

Barley Hill Farm is a fine, essentially Victorian farmhouse, but understood to have much earlier origins, situated in a lovely rural setting off a small country lane. The house has spacious family accommodation with the well-proportioned, high ceilinged rooms with features such as decorative cornicing, dado rails and attractive fireplaces, typical of the architectural period. In addition a wing of the house comprises a self-contained annexe and there are also two separate detached cottages. Either side of the entrance hall with parquet flooring are the drawing and dining rooms, each with bay windows and woodburners and glazed doors from the drawing room open to the conservatory with French doors to the walled gardens. The study and sitting room also have woodburners and the fitted kitchen/ breakfast room has a door out to the walled gardens. On the first floor there are five double bedrooms with the principal bedroom with ensuite bath/shower room and second bedroom both featuring bay windows overlooking the gardens. There is a further guest suite with ensuite bathroom and a separate family bath/ shower room. The wing at the rear of the house forms the two bedroom self-contained annexe and beside the entrance driveway and parking areas, is an enclosed courtyard, either side of which the single storey former coach house and stables have been converted to comprise Stable Cottage with two bedrooms and Coach House with one bedroom.

The driveway accessed through stone pillars with ball finials leads around the lawned front garden to a large parking and turning area in front of/beside the house and adjacent to the large garage. To the west are two walled gardens, one incorporating a gravelled area with large hot tub and swim spa and a separate lawned garden with bbq cabin. To the other side of the house are lawned gardens with planted borders with a row of interconnected stone and brick arches separating the extensive wildlife gardens with various ponds, a wooden footbridge, and paved pathways/sitting areas which are fringed by mature plants, shrubs and trees. There is a wooded area to the rear with bluebells which adjoins the gently sloping paddock/orchard with mixed fruit trees including apple, cherry and mulberry. There is a separate rear access drive beside which is another garage, as well as an open-fronted implement store/ carport and a stable. Beside the garage are greenhouses and a vegetable garden.

The property is situated on the Somerset/Devon borders on the edge of the Blackdown Hills National Landscape area, just under two miles away from the village of Combe St. Nicholas. There is a good range of local amenities including two local pubs/restaurants, primary school, village shop/post office, village hall and parish church. For wider needs both Chard (4 miles) and Ilminster (4.5 miles) are close by and have a more extensive range of facilities, with the County Town of Taunton being just 11 miles away. There is a hospital and schools, including Richard Huish Sixth Form College and a choice of private schools. About 40 minutes drive away is the seaside, town of Lyme Regis and the World Heritage Jurassic Coast. There is quick access onto the A303 leading towards London and access onto the M5 motorway at Taunton. Mainline rail at Axminster (12 miles) with connections to London Waterloo (2.75 hours) and at Taunton/Castle Cary to London Paddington (1.75 hours/90 minutes).