Willow Barn Soulton Road | | | SY4 5RR WILLOW BARN

Willow Barn enjoys a lovely peaceful position in the hamlet of Lacon, a few miles from the of Wem and just 15 minutes by car from . It occupies a private and secure location in a substantial courtyard setting with two other converted barns and enjoys easy access to a range of local amenities, towns and cities. This handsome and spacious property, which features an impressive 20ft galleried dining hall, dates back to the early 1800s and was converted in 2002 – it has subsequently been upgraded and improved by current owners Duncan and Yvonne.

Situated just outside the pretty market town of Wem sits Willow Barn. This delightful property is part of a small development of barns backing onto farmland with Willow taking prime position, tucked away at the end, enabling a private, rural feel, but with all the benefits of being a five-minute drive from town. Willow Barn is believed to date from the early 1800’s and was converted in 2002. The property consists of a large family sitting room, downstairs cloakroom a wonderful dining and sitting area, a fabulous kitchen, home office, four bedrooms (two with ensuite) and a family bathroom. This wonderful home has an abundance of character and charm with exposed beams, oak flooring, vaulted ceilings and a beautiful galleried landing which is the centre of the home, with the stunning dining/sitting area below. The property comes with a large south facing garden backing onto farmland, outdoor storage, double garage, and additional parking for at least four cars. The property is finished to a high standard and has a warm and welcoming feel.

Wem is well known for its numerous small speciality shops including an old-fashioned iron mongers that sells everything, a weekly farmers’ market and a supermarket; there are several churches, a variety of eateries and a choice of good pubs. The Town Hall acts as a cinema, theatre, venue for ballet and other dance lessons, modern art gallery and café. The town also boasts a library, bank, post office, swimming centre, fitness suite, bowls, cricket, football and tennis clubs, as well as a range of professional services: Everything a thriving local community needs.

This lively market town with a strong community spirit is surrounded by a wealth of high achieving state and independent sector schools. It also has a train station offering realistic commuting distances to and onwards to London and Manchester. Shrewsbury, Shropshire’s characterful county town, is a short drive or train journey with easy access to the M54 and wider motorway network. Wem is surrounded by picturesque countryside and is great for long walks or bike rides.

The property is approached via a long shingle drive; a pretty path leads to the front porch area – a great place to store wellies and a lovely little seating area, the wooden front door leads into HALLWAY with its walk-in storage cupboard and spacious downstairs CLOAKROOM consisting of a white suite and another storage cupboard. The wooden floor flows through to: FAMILY SITTING ROOM - this is a wonderfully spacious room, great for entertaining or a cosy night in front of the large modern fireplace with brick surround, tiled hearth, and attractive wooden plinth making a wonderful focal point. French doors open onto a pretty patio garden.

Seller Insight

We’ve lived here for 14-years and were initially taken by the character of the property – a superbly built converted barn with a lovely feeling of history. The dimensions of the barn, its sheer volume and the wonderful use of space and light create a lovely living environment. The secluded but accessible countryside location is ideal for commuters and families,’ says Duncan.

Wem hosts a good range of amenities including a supermarket, library, doctors’ surgery, pubs and a small theatre; ‘the town has a real sense of community with plenty of some 56 specialist interest clubs and societies. There are 6 pubs, 6 restaurants, 4 churches, a wide variety of shops and a weekly farmer’s market,’ says Yvonne. There are excellent schools in the area, with the renowned Sir in Wem, and in the private sector, Adcote School, Ellesmere College and (alma mater of Charles Darwin), are all within easy reach. The area has a broad variety of sports clubs, including a thriving cricket club and golf clubs at and Hill Valley. Commuting to Manchester, Birmingham and is made easy by good access to motorway networks. Wem railway station has services to Crewe and Shrewsbury, which offers links to major cities, including London.

‘The garden isn’t overlooked, is very private and backs onto open farmland. We love the fact that we can walk the dogs across beautiful countryside surrounding just two minutes down the road, and less than ten minutes away are the woods and valleys of the Hawkstone hills.’

‘We’ll miss the house which has been perfect both as a family house and as a home for the two of us. We’ll be sad to leave the area and the local people who are very friendly, and we’ll also greatly miss Shrewsbury. We‘re moving to the West Country to be nearer our children.’ *

* 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, should not be relied on without verification and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agent. An impressive 20ft high galleried DINING AND SITTING AREA is the real heart of the home - this wonderful space is showered in light and is a great place to sit and read or host a dinner party; the exposed beams above this space are truly impressive. The oak floor continues into the large: The dining hall has a real wow factor; it’s triple height and double aspect, with twelve windows flooding the room with light – in fact the whole house has a sense of light and space, with no corridors. We love the semi-professional open-plan kitchen – it’s an excellent place to entertain while cooking on the bespoke central island. The views through the large round window in the master bedroom are stunning: just countryside stretching away to the distant hills with no buildings visible.’ here is wonderful as it’s a great place for entertaining and it’s easy to accommodate a large number of people.’ KITCHEN AREA - once again a wonderful space with wooden painted base and wall units and African Walnut work surfaces - an impressive central island hosting a stainless-steel Range double oven with triple gas hob and a stainless steel and glass extractor fan above. The island also offers a spacious seating area/breakfast bar with useful shelving for cookery books and storage for wine. A stainless-steel double sink and matching work surface are situated beneath a window with delightful views of the rear garden; there is also an integrated dishwasher and fridge. A great kitchen for entertaining.

UTILITY – with storage cupboards to reflect the kitchen plumbing for washing machine and dryer and side door for outside access. STUDY – a good sized room with wooden flooring, storage cupboard and excellent loft storage above; a side door opens onto the front courtyard, making this a useful area for home working. From the dining hall, a wooden staircase leads to a wonderfully large galleried landing flooded with light, with a vaulted ceiling and exposed beams; it is a delightful space.

MASTER BEDROOM – With vaulted ceiling, exposed beams, cottage style window to the side and large circular window overlooking the rear garden with views of the countryside beyond. A pretty room with ENSUITE including walk-in shower, WC and hand basin set in a vanity unit, heated towel rail and tiled floor.

BEDROOM TWO – once again with vaulted ceiling and exposed beams, with large circular window overlooking the front garden and a cottage style window overlooking the side. ENSUITE incorporating walk-in-shower, pedestal hand basin and low flush WC, a good size space. BEDROOMS THREE AND FOUR are both positioned at the other end of the landing with tall windows overlooking the side gardens. Both rooms are generous doubles and encompass the delightful character that flows throughout the rest of the property. FAMILY BATHROOM – this is a lovely room with a white suite, roll top bath, tiled floor, walk-in shower, pedestal hand basin and low flush WC, heated towel rail, vaulted ceiling and exposed beams. OUTSIDE – Attached to the property is a double garage with gravelled driveway with additional parking for at least four cars, a pretty lawned area and entrance path. To the rear there is a large private garden well stocked with mature hedging and trees, backing onto open fields and offering a wonderful private rural feel. To the sides are a large stoned BBQ terrace area sitting in a substantial courtyard and a walled patio with pretty climbing shrubs to the other.

Willow Barn is an impressive, characterful, light and well-finished property with rooms of good proportions set in delightful surroundings. It is a fantastic proposition and will make a wonderful home.

Directions When approching from Shrewsbuy take the A49 to Whitchurch, ignoring the signs to Wem. Take the left-hand turn opposite Hawkstone Golf Club sign. Continue to the T junction, turn left, go past Soulton Hall on your left. Continue until you see the ½ brick wall on the right with evergreen trees, turn right after this wall, before the double storey white house. (Please note if using SatNav, please use SY4 5RR).

Services We understand that mains watr and electricity are connected. Private drainage.

Viewings Strictly via Fine & Country Shrewsbury

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Agents notes: All measurements are approximate and for general guidance only and 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 it must not be inferred that any item shown is included with the property. For a free valuation, contact the numbers listed on the brochure. Printed

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