Ridlington, North Walsham, Norfolk, NR28

A charming home in a glorious setting.

Description

Peace and seclusion is a rare commodity, even in a rural county such as Norfolk. Heath Cottage, at the end of a meandering drive over heathland, is a wonderful example of how it can be found and enjoyed to the full. The setting is always at its best when the house at the end of the drive is a pretty one. This is certainly the case here, with a traditional brick and flint wall in front of a landscaped garden, framing the charming cottage of mellow red brick, clad with roses. A significant recent addition to the house, with sage green cladding, adds that appealing visual of old and new, combining to present a house in fine order.

A lovely surprise at Heath Cottage is the scale and openness of the interiors, yet with a cosiness one would expect. This is immediately apparent when entering into a welcoming entrance hall, with floor to ceiling bespoke cabinetry, that is spacious enough to also host a sitting area, and which is part open plan to both the kitchen and the living/dining room. The latter, which shares a double sided wood burner with the entrance hall, is a superb space full of natural light thanks to plenty of windows and a part glass gable end, with vaulted ceilings adding to the light and airy feel. Bi-fold doors open up to an expansive patio, on a flush floor level, with al fresco dining area and garden beyond, whilst a cosiness during the winter months is via the under floor heating and the wood burner, it is a room for all seasons. A seamless floor of flagstones runs through from the living/dining/entrance hall and continues into the kitchen, a very practical but often overlooked point. The kitchen gets the balance right of befitting a country cottage yet fulfilling modern living styles. Hand built, it has a large central island unit with integrated ovens and hobs, and a breakfast bar at one end, plenty of storage space, vaulted ceilings with veluxes, and a larder. It is a sociable, practical and stylish space that’s easy to live in. The ground floor continues with a multi purpose reception room, which has served as a bedroom, living room and a study. When used as a bedroom, it utilizes the ground floor shower/wet room, which can also serve to hose down muddy dogs/children or similar when returning from a rural walk.

Upstairs, the principal bedroom has bespoke wardrobes, double aspect views and lovely original floorboards. At the opposite end of the cottage is a further double bedroom, again with built in wardrobes. Both rooms are served by a stylish bathroom, with contemporary bath, shower and a lovely view out over the garden and woodland beyond.

Throughout the house, there are clever design points to maximise the ease of living at Heath Cottage, not to mention the use of as much space as possible for bespoke storage. The property is also connected to fibre broadband, ensuring fast and reliable internet for home working.

Gardens & Grounds
The gardens of Heath Cottage have been designed by The Common Gardener, and have been carefully curated to compliment the house to create a lifestyle but that can also be easily managed.

At the front of the house, in a south facing position, is the the partly walled landscaped garden. This is a glorious space, creating a complete sun trap, with attractive beds of herbaceous classics such as nepeta, lady’s mantle, hellebores, astrantia, many different grasses, alongside paths flanked with pretty erigeron, and raised beds for both herbs and soft fruit including gooseberry and raspberry. It is a wonderful space to enjoy and look out on from the house.

A picket fence opens up to lawns that sweep round the house from east to west, with boundaries of mixed hedging with meadowland or woodland beyond. Running the length of the back of the house is a raised patio, enhanced with outdoor lighting that’s fully integrated into an Alexa controlled system. This hosts an outdoor kitchen, with integrated bbq and wine fridge, and the outdoor dining and entertaining area, creating a brilliant area to make the most of the outside when the weather is compliant.

At one end of garden is the gym, a timber building with electric, which has also served as an office and could be utilised in many ways, with a productive greenhouse next to it. At the opposite end of the land is the gravelled parking and turning, with space for a number of cars, together with a double cart lodge providing excellent storage.

Within the garden, tucked away in one corner, is a beautiful shepherds hut that is available by separate negotiation. Expertly built, with a cosy interior including bed, sitting area, kitchenette and shower room, is is connected to water, electricity and drainage. It has been a useful asset to Heath Cottage, whether for staying guests or relatives.

Location

Heath Cottage is located in countryside to the south of Ridlington village. As with many Norfolk villages, the local community is centred upon the church and the village hall, which between them host a number of social opportunities including coffee mornings, Yoga, circuit training, Zumba, quiz evenings, book and gardening clubs and cinema evenings. This area of Norfolk is ideally situated between its famous coast, the Broads and Norwich. The locality provides a plethora of renowned gastro pubs including the Gunton Arms and the Ingham Swan and of course excellent sailing, bird watching and limitless countryside for walking and cycling.

There are two local railway stations nearby. Worstead (three and half miles) and North Walsham (five miles), both providing regular trains to Norwich and onward connecting trains to London Liverpool Street with a journey time of about one hour and 50 minutes, as well as the opposite direction to the coast at Cromer and Sheringham. The market town of North Walsham provides many amenities including a Waitrose supermarket, independent shopping, gyms, GP surgery, banking facilities, and primary and secondary education.

Square Footage: 1,854 sq ft


Acreage: 0.38 Acres

Additional Info

Services
Mains electricity & water. Private drainage. Air Source Heat Pump, Solar PV & 3 Tesla PW3 batteries. Fibre broadband.

Local Authority
North Norfolk
Council Tax Band D

Viewings
Strictly by appointment with Savills. If there is any point which is of particular importance to you, we invite you to discuss this with us, especially before you travel to view the property.

Important Notice
Savills, their clients and any joint agents give notice that:
1. They are not authorised to make or give any representations or warranties in relation to the property either here or elsewhere, either on their own behalf or on behalf of their client or otherwise. They assume no responsibility for any statement that may be made in these particulars. These particulars do not form part of any offer or contract and must not be relied upon as statements or representations of fact.

2. Any areas, measurements or distances are approximate. The text, photographs and plans are for guidance only and are not necessarily comprehensive. It should not be assumed that the property has all necessary planning, building regulation or other consents and Savills have not tested any services, equipment or facilities. Purchasers must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise.