Watergate Lane, Bulford, Salisbury - 5 bed - £1,250,000 - Strutt & Parker - Salisbury

Property details

Bedrooms: 5

Property
The core of the house is the old 18th Century dovecot for Bulford Manor which was added to during the Victorian era to create a courtyard. The building has been converted over the years to create a house that is beautifully presented as well as being both adaptable and practical. The original dovecot now contains the reception hall and the library, the latter being a particularly comfortable and atmospheric room where the nesting boxes, built into the walls, are still visible. The principal reception rooms face predominantly west and are of generous proportions with high ceilings and large windows designed to take in views of the superb gardens and the river. The house has had the benefit of major improvements over thelast 10 years and is fully double glazed and very well insulated. In addition, the bedroom wing and the annexe are heated via a highly efficient Ground Source Heat Pump. There is also a conventional LPG boiler which provides heat and hot water for the main part of the house.

The Annexe
The annexe has its own front door and is comfortably secluded from the main part of the house. It contains a sitting room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom and has been let for the last eleven years. The annexe would make an ideal rental property, holiday let or self-contained apartment for a dependent relative.

Bed & Breakfast
The Dovecot currently has a very successful Bed & Breakfast business which has been awarded the coveted 5-star Gold accreditation from Enjoy England. The success of the business is largely due to the very comfortable rooms, the idyllic riverside setting and the proximity of numerous attractions including Stonehenge, Longleat, Salisbury Cathedral, Stourhead and the New Forest. The layout of the house lends itself superbly to the B&B business and, along with the annexe, provide a superb opportunity for additional income. The website for the Bed & Breakfast can be found at www.thedovecot.com

The Dovecot is positioned in a glorious, rural position at the end of a long drive near the village of Bulford. The Dovecot sits in the centre of its land, surrounded by gardens and paddocks, and is bordered to the west by the River Avon. There are exceptional views of the river from all the reception rooms, the master bedroom, and the kitchen/breakfast room.

The nearby village of Bulford has a historic core and contains a nursery, primary school and a pub as well as a garage and shop. The nearby town of Amesbury caters for virtually all daily requirements including several restaurants, high street shops and two supermarkets. For more sophisticated entertainment and shopping facilities, Salisbury lies approximately 10 miles to the south.

Communications are particularly good with the A303 lying just 1.5 miles to the south offering dual carriageway straight tothe M3 and London. Paddington can be reached in 70 minutes direct from Pewsey station 13 miles away while Grateley station 7.5 miles away offers a direct service to Waterloo in 80 minutes.

Walking and riding in the area are superb with a wide network of footpaths and bridleways running over much of Salisbury plain.

The area is renowned for its variety of excellent schools. Salisbury has grammar schools for both boys and girls aswell as a range of prep and private schools. The surrounding countryside provides further schools including Farleigh, Norman Court, Dauntseys and Marlborough.

Outside
The house is approached through a five bar gate which opens onto an avenue of mature trees leading to a large parking area adjacent to the carport. The house sits in the centre of its land with three large paddocks running to just under 3 acres. The remaining 3.75 acres forms the informal gardens which are mostly laid to lawn and planted with recent and mature trees. A small carrier of the Avon, fed by a large pond to the north of the house, flows through the garden. This, together with the River Avon beyond provide a picturesque feature throughout the year. The bank of the River Avon has been well maintained to provide 130 yards of single bank fishing. The Dovecot is arranged around a central courtyard which is beautifully planted with dwarf hedging and flower beds surrounding a central raised lily pond. The neighbouring property has a right of way over part of thedrive between points A and B as marked on the site plan on the back page. This access is in addition to the principal access totheir property

Outbuildings
To the south of the house is a traditional granary which has weatherboard elevations and sits entirely on staddle stones. The granary is Grade II Listed and as it offers useful space over two floors it could make a superb home office or play rooms subject to the usual consents. Power, light and telephone are connected. On the southern side of the drive there is a stable (7.34mx5.52m) which contains 2 generous loose boxes and feedstore. Adjoining the stable is a workshop (4.32m x 2.48m). Beyond the stable is a large barn (24.42m x 8.29m) which contains an internal loose box and could easily accommodate further loose boxes in the style of an American barn. Attached to the barn is a lockable garage (6.24m x 3.50m) which contains a gardener's loo.