The Long House, 64 Duck Street, Sutton Veny. Warminster. BA12 7AL

The Long House sits in a lovely position on Duck Street, a highly desirable, peaceful no-through lane on the edge of Sutton Veny. The long, painted frontage gives a hint of its cottage origins, but little indication of just how much space lies behind it.

Step through the front door and the house opens into a substantial and very comfortable family home, with just over 2700 sq ft of accommodation, six bedrooms and a wonderfully private garden tucked away at the rear.

Dating from the 19th century, The Long House was originally three or four cottages which included the village sweet shop and off-licence. The cottages were brought together in the 1990s when the house was also extended and the detached garage added.

The result is a home with two distinct but complementary sides to its character. The original house retains thick stone walls, flagstone floors, substantial fireplaces and a wonderful sense of history. The contemporary extension has created an open plan and sociable living space that works so well for modern family life.

The current owners have lived at The Long House for 20 years and raised their family here. During that time, they have continued to improve the house, replacing the windows with hardwood double glazing, updating the bathrooms and cloakroom, improving the kitchen and completely rebuilding the terrace. This is a house with character and history, but it is also comfortable, practical and very easy to live in.

Downstairs

The front door opens into a large central hall where the flagstone floor immediately introduces some of the character of the house. Glazed doors at the rear bring in plenty of light and give a glimpse of the terrace and garden beyond.

On one side of the entrance hall is the main sitting room, a wonderfully comfortable room with a large open fireplace at its heart. French doors open directly onto the terrace, making this a room that works equally well with the doors open on a summer’s day or when the fire is lit during the colder months.

On the opposite side of the hall is the snug. Previously used as a formal dining room, it is now a cosy second sitting room. Fitted bookshelves and a large open feature fireplace give it a very different feel from the main sitting room - somewhere to read or simply retreat from the busier parts of the house.

From the snug, a stable door leads through to the kitchen and into the more contemporary part of the house. The kitchen opens into the large family living and dining space beyond, creating a wonderfully sociable area for everyday family life and entertaining.

Wide folding doors between the kitchen and the adjoining family room allow the two spaces to work almost as one. There is plenty of room for a full dining table as well as a relaxed seating area and a wood-burning stove provides a focal point at one end.

Bi-fold doors open onto the terrace and create an easy connection with the garden. With the doors folded back, the kitchen, dining and family space flows naturally outside - something the current owners have particularly enjoyed when entertaining family and friends.

The kitchen is a handmade Plain English™ company kitchen and has more recently been updated by the current owners with new worktops, flooring, underfloor heating, taps and extractor, together with a central island incorporating breakfast-bar seating and a built-in wine chiller. A substantial cooking range provides two ovens and plenty of hob space.

A useful utility room and cloakroom complete the ground-floor accommodation.

Upstairs

The first floor provides six bedrooms and three bathrooms, including two en suites.

In addition to the principal and guest bedrooms, there are four further bedrooms, offering plenty of flexibility for family life. One is currently used as a study but could easily become a sixth bedroom, depending on whether you need space for children, visiting family and friends or working from home. These bedrooms are served by a family bathroom.

The principal bedroom sits at one end of the house and feels quite separate from the remaining bedrooms. It is an impressive room with a vaulted ceiling, large shuttered windows and a walk-in wardrobe. The adjoining en suite has been finished as a contemporary wet room with twin basins and underfloor heating.

The principal bedroom enjoys lovely views over the garden, while the remaining bedrooms look across towards St Leonard’s Old Church and the fields beyond.

At the opposite end of the house, the large guest bedroom has the benefit of its own en suite shower room. The guest bedroom benefits from windows on both sides, taking in views over the garden in one direction and towards the church and surrounding countryside in the other.

The Garden

One of the surprises of The Long House is just how much outside space is tucked away behind it.

The gardens and grounds extend to approximately a quarter of an acre and feel wonderfully private. Rather than one large expanse, the garden is divided into several distinct areas, giving different places to sit, entertain, garden or simply enjoy the surroundings.

There is a substantial paved terrace which has been completely rebuilt by the current owners and incorporates low-voltage ambient lighting. The sitting room, central hall and family living space all have doors opening onto the terrace which makes it feel very much like an extension of the house. It also catches the last of the evening sun and so is a great spot for outdoor entertaining.

Steps lead up to the main garden, where a level lawn is framed by mature trees, hedging and established planting. Crab apple and apple trees sit alongside an ornamental weeping pear and weeping laburnum and roses, shrubs, herbs and mixed hedging add colour and interest throughout the year.

At the far end of the garden there is a separate vegetable-growing area and another seating spot next to the Crane ™ summerhouse which catches much of the morning sun. The summerhouse has lighting and a limited 240V electricity supply provided via the solar panel on the garden shed.

It is a garden with enough space for children, dogs, entertaining (and even the occasional game of croquet), but without feeling overwhelming to look after. There are different spots to follow the sun throughout the day and the owners particularly love the birdsong, the sense of privacy and long summer evenings spent on the terrace.

Garage, Studio & Parking

A driveway at the side of the house provides private off-road parking and leads to a detached garage. An EV charger is already installed on the driveway.

The large garage has a similarly spacious room above. Accessed via an external staircase, this first-floor room is a bright and surprisingly versatile space, with power and lighting, a rooflight and a stable door overlooking the garden. Currently arranged as a studio and workspace, it could equally suit a home office, gym, hobby room or somewhere for teenagers to have a little independence from the main house.

Its separation from the house is particularly useful for anyone working from home - close enough to be convenient but sufficiently removed to provide a genuine distinction between home and working life.

Life in Sutton Veny

Part of the appeal of The Long House is not simply Sutton Veny, but its particular position within the village.

Duck Street is an idyllic no-through lane on the edge of the village leading out towards the surrounding countryside. The owners describe it as a friendly and supportive place to live, where horses regularly pass the kitchen window and even the ducks occasionally make an appearance on Duck Street.

Close by is the atmospheric St Leonard’s Old Church. Although it is not visible from the house, it is only a short distance away and has been a special part of village life for the current family - their son was christened there and the church continues to host an annual service in the summer.

Sutton Veny has a strong village community with a village hall hosting regular events, an annual flower show and weekly produce stall, as well as a children’s playground and an excellent, thriving village primary school. There are livery stables at the end of Duck Street and the surrounding villages offer plenty of lovely country pubs within easy striking distance. Duck Street has its own traditions too, with neighbours gathering for mulled wine on Christmas Eve and paper lanterns illuminating the houses at Christmas.

For those who enjoy being outdoors, there are plenty of walks from the village. Footpaths lead across the fields towards neighbouring Tytherington, while the track from the end of Duck Street leads towards Bests Lane. Further afield are Great Ridge, Battlesbury Hill and the Imber Range Path, while National Cycle Route 4 can be joined from the bottom of Duck Street.

The village pub, The Woolpack, is under new ownership, and will be reopening soon.

Warminster is close by for everyday shopping, supermarkets (including Waitrose) and a mainline railway station with a journey time to London of just over 90 minutes. The A36 is easily accessible from the village, providing straightforward connections to Salisbury, Bath and the surrounding Wiltshire and Somerset countryside.