A Sense Of Place Little Stonham | Stowmarket | Suffolk A SENSE OF PLACE This historic, attached, period family home, approached by a concealed driveway in the village of Stonham Parva, is a Grade II listed former rectory. An imposing property, it began life in the 15th century and is of the traditional ‘Wealden’ open hall construction type. The crown post supporting the roof (originally visible from the ground but now located in the loft) is still coated in the soot from smoke of bygone centuries. The vendors have photographs which interested viewers are welcome to inspect. The property was extended in the late 18th and mid 19th centuries by the addition of the drawing room with bedroom above at the southern end of the building and the kitchen with rooms above at the northern end. Full of many attractive period features and set in approximately 1.25 acres of mature gardens, this characterful building boasts three reception rooms (all with original shutters), kitchen/breakfast room with Rayburn cooker, dual aspect principal bedroom with en-suite, five further bedrooms, a family bathroom and a versatile converted attic room. It is thought that the last residing clergy member here was one Reginald ‘Shrapnel’ Shrubs who presided over the nearby church of St Andrews, Mickfield. Sadly this church is no longer in use, which is also true of the local historic 14th century church of Stonham Parva itself. he present owners came upon the property dual aspect room to bask in natural light and show through an advert in ‘The Sunday Times’ in 1997 off its beautiful detailing in all its Georgian glory! Twhilst looking to relocate from London. “At the When the vendors bought the property, very little time, our children were young, and we were keen to had been done in this room; a failed attempt to give them more space than our city home provided.” reveal a non-existent inglenook fireplace had been Still needing to make the commute though, it was completely abandoned. Taking inspiration from the important to be situated close to the station and Georgian and Regency periods, they set about giving with Stowmarket (just six miles away) providing it the stunning facelift you see now. ‘We sourced an direct trains to the capital it was the perfect solution. original Georgian fireplace all the way from Yorkshire, “As a mother, it also allowed me to focus more of my and in commissioning the mantelpiece we copied time on raising our family, as I was able to stop full- the style of the decorative woodwork and roundels to time work.” In addition to the younger members of the windows and the door frame. Towards the other the family, our vendors also wanted comfortably to end of the house is the dining room, where another accommodate an older parent, which they did with handsome fireplace draws the eye. In the kitchen and ease. As you enter the driveway, the house reveals breakfast room, light comes in from both the front itself with a gleaming bright facade and beautiful blue and the rear aspects keeping it bright and welcoming accenting door and windows, reminiscent of iconic, throughout the day. The current units have stood traditional Mediterranean homes. You will notice also the test of time, but the room has been kept fresh a sizeable pond to the front of the property; this is with the addition of splash-back tiling, and there is the smaller of two ponds, the other being located an electric oven and modern hob to complement at the rear. It is thought that originally the ponds the Rayburn cooker.“ As well as being a pleasure to were part of a moat which surrounded the building cook on, the beauty of the Rayburn is that it ensures - a not-uncommon feature of the construction of the kitchen is always lovely and warm.” There is also buildings of that period. The clay that was dug out a useful pantry and a convenient cloakroom that has in excavating the moat was used in the construction recently been up-dated. Further storage space is (wattle and daub) of the building; it is likely that this afforded by a cupboard under the staircase. was the case here. The staircase brings you to a long landing from which Past And Present the six bedrooms are accessed. At the far end, there The front door (c.1800) leads to a hallway that then are stairs up to the principal bedroom which sits runs along the back of the building, giving access to above the drawing room and shares its dual aspect the sitting room and drawing room to the right and natural lighting. With two windows to the south and the kitchen and dining room to the left, as well as the one to the west, this room has a very romantic feel staircase leading to the first floor. The sitting room is about it and features beautiful timber floor boards wonderfully cosy, with its exposed beams, inglenook and an en-suite consisting of shower, toilet and ‘Jack fireplace and wood-burner, but it is also filled with & Jill’ sinks. Next to the entrance to the bedroom is light from its two sash windows, which, like the other another staircase that gives you access to a converted ground floor reception rooms, retain their original attic room, which could easily become another shutters. “One of the things we love about the house bedroom if required. Moving along the landing, is the way it relates to the garden. The sash windows the next bedroom is currently being utilised as a are large and placed fairly low which, when you are dressing room. The middle two bedrooms are similar seated, allow you to see right into the garden, and in dimension but have very different characteristics, not feel separated from it.” with the slightly larger of the two benefitting from a wash basin. Moving to the end of the landing takes Next to the sitting room is the drawing room which you to the fully-tiled family bathroom, and the fifth is probably the most impressive space in the house and sixth bedrooms (one facing the front of the with its show-stopping fireplace! Another sash house and the other facing the back). window faces to the front, but it is the full height French doors, opening to the south, that allow this Idyllic Location Back downstairs, there is a choice of two doors to take you into the back garden, where a sitting area just outside the kitchen provides the ideal spot for relaxing and taking in the splendid views across the pond and into the woodland beyond The whole landscape has a very natural feel to it, and the tall mature trees, a mixture of deciduous and evergreen, stretch up high in to the skies above, giving a sense of much larger, grandiose park land. The garden is without a doubt a stand-out feature for our vendors. “Being here really gives me a place to get away from it all. This was particularly true after a long day’s commute to the capital; it was so good to come home to – it was even better on the days when I could work from home and look out into the garden at the same time.” It is this feeling of space both inside the house and in the garden that has been so important. “When we were both working, we were able to have separate rooms to work from, and there are several in the house that are suited to this purpose. We find the whole house is very flexible.” There is a security system installed at the house. Without any need to use the car, there are plenty of good walks to enjoy. “We have had a dog now for just over a year, and you can easily go for a good half hour (or longer) daily walk around the nearby fields.” There is a pub nearby and also a Baptist church. Heading slightly further afield you are virtually equidistant from the quaint villages and towns of Debenham, Mendlesham, Needham Market and Stowmarket, which provide all necessary amenities, and the catchment schools are Stonham Aspall CEVA primary school and Debenham High School, which are both highly regarded. Nearby independent schools include Finborough School and Framlingham College, while in and around Ipswich are Ipswich School, St Josephs, Orwell Park, The Royal Hospital School, and Ipswich High School. Stowmarket station is six miles away, providing easy rail links to London (90mins) Cambridge (70mins) and Norwich (35mins). All measurements are approximate and quoted in imperial with metric equivalents and for general guidance only whilst every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy, they must not be relied on. The fixtures, fittings and appliances referred to have not been tested and therefore no guarantee can be given that they are in working order. Internal photographs are reproduced for general information and must not be inferred that any item shown is included with the property. These comments are the personal views of the current owner and are included as an insight into life at the property. They have not been independently verified and should not be relied on without verification and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agent. Registered in England and Wales, Company Reg No.10931078 Exquisite House, Alton Business Centre, Wherstead, Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom, IP9 2AX. EXQUISITE HOME At Exquisite Home, we offer a refreshing The more prestigious a property, the smaller the approach to selling or letting exclusive homes, number of potential buyers.