Christmas Lane, Metfield, Harleston

A beautifully private Suffolk cottage offering generous, characterful accommodation, a superb sociable kitchen, and an established garden with far-reaching countryside views.

Property - Approached via the private driveway, the cottage reveals itself beyond a collection of mature trees and established planting, with a wonderfully light entrance porch providing an inviting introduction. In a manner entirely befitting its Suffolk setting, the current owners tend to enter through the rear of the property, where the heart of the home is immediately revealed in the form of the superb kitchen and dining room.

From the front porch, the accommodation flows into the generous snug/study, a wonderfully bright and versatile room centred around a fireplace with woodburning stove. A staircase rises to the first floor, whilst a door leads through to the inner hall and the principal ground floor rooms. The sitting room is equally light and appealing, enjoying a dual aspect to the front and side and with a fireplace providing a natural focal point. A second staircase rises from here, adding to the property's interesting and characterful arrangement.

Between the two reception rooms, the inner hall opens into a particularly useful lobby, with generous provision for coats, boots and everyday storage, whilst also offering the potential to create a discreet home working area. Beyond this is a useful utility room, leading in turn to a separate cloakroom which also houses the boiler.

The true centrepiece of the house lies to the rear. The impressive kitchen and dining room is a wonderfully sociable space, distinguished by its part-vaulted ceiling and a series of skylights positioned above the dining area. Windows to the rear and side, together with French doors opening directly onto the patio, draw in an abundance of natural light and frame the views across the garden. The kitchen itself has been sympathetically designed, with a handsome range of cream-painted cabinetry beneath timber worktops, complemented by attractive tiled splashbacks and integrated stainless-steel oven, hob and extractor. A generous walk-in pantry adds a particularly practical touch. It is a room with an easy warmth and informality, equally suited to relaxed family life or entertaining.

The first floor provides three generously proportioned bedrooms, each comfortably accommodating a king-size bed and benefiting from built-in wardrobes. The rear bedroom enjoys an outlook across the surrounding fields and farmland, whilst the ceiling height of one bedroom has been thoughtfully increased by the current owner, overcoming one of the more familiar constraints associated with period properties.

The principal bathroom is quietly elegant, finished in white and featuring an attractive leaded-glass window alongside skylights, a panelled bath, WC and wash basin. A separate shower room provides further convenience, with its own skylight, double-width shower, WC and wash basin.

Unusually for a property of this age and character, the accommodation throughout is notably generous in scale. Exposed timbers and beams feature throughout, complemented in places by areas of exposed brickwork, ensuring that the cottage retains a strong sense of its architectural heritage whilst providing a wonderfully comfortable home.

Outside

Set discreetly back from the road, the cottage enjoys a wonderfully private setting, screened by mature trees, established hedging and an attractive garden. A gravelled driveway provides ample off-road parking before continuing towards the timber garage, with iron gates opening through to the rear of the property.

It is here that the gardens truly unfold. A raised patio extends across the rear of the house and is accessed directly from the kitchen and dining room, creating a seamless connection between the interior and garden — particularly appealing during the warmer months when the house naturally lends itself to entertaining outdoors.

From the patio, steps descend to broad lawns, thoughtfully shaped with meandering pathways which lead through established borders of wildflowers, shrubs and mature planting. The result is an informal yet beautifully considered garden, alive with colour, texture and scent throughout the seasons.

A dedicated seating area overlooks the nature pond, providing a peaceful vantage point from which to enjoy the garden, whilst established hedging creates a natural sense of enclosure. At the far end, a timber workshop with power and lighting provides an excellent practical space for hobbies or storage, with two further garden sheds discreetly positioned along the left-hand boundary.

Location - Christmas Lane is located on the edge of the much sought after Norfolk/Suffolk border village of Metfield and within walking distance of the community-run village store. Metfield is charming, located within close driving distance of the towns of Halesworth, Diss and Harleston and as well as the shop there is an active village hall which has recently re-opened following refurbishment. Harleston is a vibrant market town, filled with historic buildings and an impressive array of independent shops, doctor's surgery, post office, chemist, delicatessen and several coffee shops. There is also a popular Wednesday market with free parking and the town of Diss benefits from a direct train line to London Liverpool Street in 100 minutes.

Services - Oil fired central heating. Mains water and electric. Drainage via Septic Tank. (Durrants have not tested any apparatus, equipment, fittings or services and so cannot verify they are in working order).

Local Authority - Mid Suffolk District Council
Tax band: D
Postcode: IP20 0JY
EPC Rating - D

Viewings - Viewing is strictly by arrangement with the vendors' agent Durrants, please contact us to arrange.

Aml Disclaimer - To comply with HMRC's regulations on Anti-Money Laundering (AML), we are legally required to conduct AML checks on every purchaser once a sale is agreed. We use a government-approved electronic identity verification service to ensure compliance, accuracy, and security. This is approved by the Government as part of the Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF). This helps us to protect all our client's interests by using the most advanced verification process to help prevent the impacts of money laundering alongside our internal manual policies and procedures while staying compliant with HMRC. The cost of anti-money laundering (AML) checks are £30 including VAT per person, payable in advance after an offer has been accepted. This fee is mandatory to comply with the regulations and must be paid before a memorandum of sale can be issued. Please note that the fee is non-refundable.