Pylle, Castle Cary

PORTMAN HOUSE,

PYLLE, CASTLE CARY, SOMERSET, BA4 6TA

Castle Cary Station 4 miles, Bruton 6 miles, Wells 8 miles, Glastonbury and Wincanton 11 miles.

Guide Price £900,000 to £950,000

The house offers a reception hall, drawing room, sitting room, side hall, cloakroom, cellars, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, pantry, utility room, WC, downstairs bathroom, an adjoining Skittle Alley/barn with bar and storeroom.

Upstairs there are 4 bedrooms, 2 have ensuites, and there is a dressing area, and a very fine family bathroom.

Outside, double, timber, electric gates, open to ample parking in front and beside the house. Outbuildings include a covered garden tractor store, traditional stable, 4 chalet-style bedrooms with ensuite shower rooms. All set within just under an acre of private grounds, including the gravel driveway, terraces, a large lawned rear garden and side kitchen garden.

Location

Conveniently located for Castle Cary, with its mainline train station, and surrounded by open countryside, this attractive and versatile property lies within the historic hamlet of Pylle which has facilities including a garage and Jon Thorner's farm shop and café, both are within walking distance. The Bath & West Showground is just a couple of miles away.

Description

An extremely handsome, historic (but not listed) Georgian, Blue Lias home with unique charm, authentic features including timber floorboards, shutters and fireplaces. This exciting property offers masses of further scope to extend into the Skittle Alley if required.

Portman House (1760) was the home of one of the estate managers for the Portman family. In later life, the house was the Portman Arms Inn until 2007.

The current owners have adapted the layout to take advantage of the charming rural views with bespoke, artisan features adding warmth and character, shifting the narrative from past to present. The interiors feel inviting and imaginative, embracing a rustic French farmhouse aesthetic with a curated palette of reclaimed and repurposed local materials, expertly blended with contemporary comforts.

Accommodation

The central, double, front doors open to a generous reception hall with a dual aspect and decorative, half-wall, painted panelling throughout. The original timber floors are illuminated by sunlight from a large bay window in this generous, bright and welcoming entrance.

To the left, the drawing room is also dual aspect with a matching bay window and honey coloured timber floors. An open fire offers warmth in the winter months.

The tiled and panelled central hallway leads through the property to the rest of the living accommodation.

To the right of the hall is a door to the cellars, beside this, stairs rise to the first floor and beyond these a large cloakroom has plenty of space for hanging coats and storing boots.

The cellar is ideal for storing wine and other items that prefer to be cool. There are double timber doors out to the gravel drive.

Beyond the drawing room is a sitting room which has a door to a side hall with exterior door to the driveway.

On the right of the hall a stylish glazed, oak-framed concertina door opens to the dining room. Beyond this the kitchen/breakfast room has large sliding, glazed, French doors take advantage of the attractive views over the adjoining farmland.

The kitchen is an eclectic mix of bespoke, handmade units, and repurposed antique fittings. The worksurface is repurposed cheese boards, and the herringbone timber clad wall has been handmade to retain the character of the timber. A double Belfast sink is very practical, and there is plenty of space for a table and chairs beside the French doors. A high specification induction hob has 5 rings and an extractor above.

Steps lead down to an exceptionally spacious and appealing pantry with painted wooden shelving, tongue and groove cladding, a Corian work surface with seamless double sinks below a large window with rural views. In addition, there is a double oven and hob and space for a dishwasher and fridge/freezer.

On the left an exterior door leads to the gravel courtyard on the south side of the building.

The utility room has space for a washing machine and separate tumble dryer and provides access to a downstairs bathroom and separate, second WC.

At the rear of the kitchen, a door opens to a corridor which leads to the attached Skittle Alley.

Upstairs there are 4 bedrooms. One has an ensuite shower room and one has an ensuite bathroom, and an interconnecting dressing area. The family bathroom is exceptionally attractive with wet room style tiled shower area, freestanding bath, washstand with marble top, and bespoke taps complete the look.

Skittle Alley

This is a magnificent space which provides scope for various uses. Previously this building has had PP for a spectacular kitchen/dining room with mezzanine floor and sliding glass doors to the north. It currently retains the original skittle alley flooring and an ornate bar area with drinks taps, beer cooler, and sink. The building has a vaulted, beamed ceiling and has huge scope for further development.

Outside

Electric timber gates opened to an expansive parking area in front of and beside the house.

To the south of the house is a covered garden tractor store and enclosed storage area beside a traditional stable. Beyond this are 4 chalet-style, bedrooms with ensuite shower rooms (previously B&B permissions limit occupation of holiday cottages to 28 day stays as a maximum). One has disabled access, currently used as a consulting/treatment room.

At the rear of the Skittle Alley is an additional garden store and beyond this the west facing, very private, rear garden, is surrounded by farmland on all 3 sides. The garden is laid to lawn, interspersed with newly planted trees (sycamore, horse chestnut, birches, blackcurrant and cherry) and previously used as a Caravan Club Certified Location with 5 pitches (and 4 electric hook-ups) for touring caravans.  The garden wraps around the north side of the Skittle Alley and house where there is a kitchen garden. Totalling just under an acre.

Tenure and Other Points

Freehold. Not listed. Mains gas, water and electricity. New boiler 2022. Separate boiler for chalet bedrooms. Private digester. Lapsed PP to convert barn into further accommodation. Council Tax Band D. EPC Rating E.

Historical Notes

Recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 as Pille ('the creek' from the Old English pyl or from the Celtic pwl). Part of the manor of Pilton at the time of the Domesday. Little remains of the old village barring the church (St Thomas à Becket, rebuilt in 1868 for the Portman family but a 15th-century tower from the earlier church remains) and Pylle Manor. The old name for the roadside section of Pylle is Street on the Fosse (the A37 follows the line of the Roman Fosse Way). The village was part of the Portman Estates, with William Portman living at the manor around 1737. The first William Portman (died 1557) was a Chief Justice and the son of John Portman. His family was long established in Somerset, having given its name to the former manor and present village of Orchard Portman, and he served as Justice of the Peace for that county from time to time. He was a barrister who was successful enough to be personally known to King Henry VIII. In 1532 he acquired 270 acres adjacent to the NW of the City of London, which estate stretching from today's Oxford Street to the Regents Canal, known as the Portman Estate, is still held by his descendants the Viscounts Portman.

Pylle railway station was on the Highbridge branch of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. It opened in 1862 and closed in 1966.

About the area

Situated in the hamlet of Pylle, well placed for road access down the A37 to the A303. The area offers an excellent farm shop, a church, café and several other businesses along the A37. In addition, the mainline station to London Paddington can be found within easy reach in the pretty town of Castle Cary. Other towns nearby are Bruton, Wells and Yeovil, whilst further to the north are the major centres of Bristol and Bath.

Wells is the smallest city in England (population 10,000) lying in beautiful countryside between the Somerset Levels and the Mendip Hills. There is a central marketplace (local markets twice a week), many medieval buildings including the Cathedral and moated Bishops Palace, a small but busy local shopping centre and a broad range of societies and activities.

Glastonbury's past and its present are linked with its dominant landmark, the Tor. It’s been a religious centre from the times of legends. A Celtic monastery evolved into one of England's wealthiest and most influential abbeys. The town grew up alongside the Abbey and is now a thriving market town and a major tourist venue. Medieval Glastonbury - designated a conservation area - clusters around the evocative ruins of the Abbey. Castle Cary is another delightful and historic town which lies to the east.

There are facilities and amenities in the surrounding towns to suit most needs and excellent state and independent schools including Strode College, Millfield, Wells, Cathedral, Hazelgrove, All Hallows, Downside, Sherborne and the Bruton schools.

Important Notes

Please see all the notes below – particularly the section referring to identity and AML requirements

Identity verification & Anti Money Laundering (AML) Requirements.

As Estate Agents we are require by law to undertake Anti Money Laundering (AML) Regulation checks on any purchaser who has an offer accepted on a property.

We are required to use a specialist third party service to verify the purchaser(s) identity.

The cost of these checks is £60 (inc. VAT) per person. This is payable at the point an offer is accepted and our purchaser information forms completed, prior to issuing Memorandum of Sales to both sellers and buyers and their respective conveyancing solicitors. This is a legal requirement and the charge is non-refundable.

Property Details

Roderick Thomas, their clients and any joint agents state that these details are for general guidance only and accuracy cannot be guaranteed. They do not constitute any part of any contract. All measurements are approximate, and floor plans are to give a general indication only and are not measured accurate drawings. No guarantees are given with regard to planning permission or fitness for purpose. No apparatus, equipment, fixture or fitting has been tested. Items shown in photographs are not necessarily included. Buyers must rely on information passed between the solicitors with regard to items included in the sale. Purchasers must satisfy themselves on all matters by inspection or otherwise.

VIEWINGS

Interested parties are advised to check availability and current situation prior to travelling to see any property.

All viewings are by appointment with the Agents.

Roderick Thomas, 1 Priory Road, Wells, BA5 1SR.

P.S.

A few extra comments.

Mortgages – we can help.

Bridging loans – We can help.

Moving house is complicated and stressful when a sale and purchase needs to be tied together in terms of finance and timing.

Sometimes we can negotiate an agreement to suit both sellers and buyers.

Sometimes a bridging loan can solve problems and remove stress.

Call us for information on any of these points