The Hermitage, Staunton, GL16

Originally constructed in 1902, this distinctive and beautifully presented country residence is set on the edge of this popular and active village. Set in 2.98 acres of outstanding designed and manicured grounds and gardens, a paddock, outdoor menage with extensive outriding nearby. There is a luxury indoor leisure and swimming pool wing and a guest cottage. The central cobbled courtyard entrance accesses a large, open fronted garage. Monmouth, the major road networks, the renowned schools and the outdoor amenities in the Royal Forest of Dean, are all within easy reach.

The exterior has a combination of a painted render, exposed local cut stone and painted original brickwork with inset wooden windows, some with leaded lights and doors all set under plain tile and clay double Roman tile roofs. It has been restored and well-maintained and tastefully and sympathetically extended to link with a restored 2 up, 2 down cottage and the recently constructed leisure suite. Original internal features include a combination of panelled, vertically boarded and French doors, moulded skirtings, architraves & picture rails. Vaulted ceilings with exposed beams, coved ceilings, ceiling roses and a combination of clay, quarry, oak and pine boarded flooring. Oil fired central heating with radiators throughout.

The formal front entrance to the property is across a stone path and up steps to the;

FRONT PORCH:: With a panelled front door and leaded light glazing on three sides, quarry tiled floor with matwell and vaulted ceiling with exposed rafters. Door into;

FORMAL DINING ROOM:: 5.68m x 4.25m (18'8" x 13'11"), Window to front with window seat and two small windows to back. Central fireplace with marble surround and slate hearth. Pair of small serving hatch doors into kitchen/breakfast room. Door into:

SITTING ROOM:: 5.47m x 4.88m opening to 6.16m (17'11" x 16'0" opening to 20'3"), Into three-sided bay window with inset glazed door out to paved side sun terrace and window to front with window seat. Central fireplace with oak surround and mantel, inset marble hearth and wood burner. Door into:

SNUG:: 4.39m x 3.92m (14'5" x 12'10"), Pair of glazed doors out to back terrace and garden. Window to side overlooking the sun terrace. Fireplace with painted wooden surround, slate tiled hearth and inset wood burner. Off the Dining Room is the;

CENTRAL HALLWAY:: With stairs and winders up to first floor, turned newels and unique shaped wooden balustrading. Pair of doors into storage cupboard under. Pair of French doors into:

BACK PORCH:: 3.18m x 2.46m (10'5" x 8'1"), Glazed on three sides with bespoke U-shaped bench window seating. Boarded, vaulted ceiling with triangular glazing at high level. From hallway through door into:

"L" SHAPED OPEN PLAN KITCHEN/BREAKFAST AREA:

KITCHEN AREA:: 2.86m x 3.90m (9'5" x 12'10"), Window to back with honed marble sill and "U"-shaped worktops with upstands, inset one and a half bowl ceramic sink with mixing tap, ceramic hob with oven set under and extractor over. Feature ceramic tiling up to matching pine panelled cupboards and drawers, built-in Neff dishwasher, underside of matching wall units with a pair of glazed cabinets and open display shelving. Internal window to side into utility room. A 1.8m wide arched opening leads into:

BREAKFAST AREA:: 3.03m x 4.28m (9'11" x 14'1"), Picture window to front. Recess with inset two oven Aga with bespoke cabinets with drawers and cupboards set on each side and wooden mantel over. Opposite are full height fully shelved cupboards with sliding panelled doors at high and low level. Matching pine wall units at eye level with under lighting. Set in the corner is a bespoke pine settle with storage under seat. Recess with serving hatch. Door into fully shelved pantry. From kitchen down steps to:

UTILITY ROOM:: 2.00m x 3.08m (6'7" x 10'1"), Window to back & side overlooking courtyard. Vaulted, boarded ceiling, painted bespoke cupboards set under wooden and slate worktops with inset Belfast sink. Tall storage cupboard. Matching boarding up to dado rail height to walls. Through wide door with louvres at high level into:

"L" SHAPED BACK HALLWAY:: With doors into;

COLD STORE:: COLD STORE: Small window to side, slate coal slab & pine worktop with space for fridge under and shelving at high level. L-shaped back hallway. Window & external door out to central courtyard parking area. Pair of doors into cloaks cupboard with hanging rail at high level. LAUNDRY ROOM: with space and plumbing for washing machine and tumble dryer, shelving at high level. "Boulter" floor mounted oil boiler providing domestic hot water and central heating. CLOAKROOM: window at high level to front. White Victorian style suite with low-level WC, wall mounted flush box, wall mounted basin and ceramic tiling to all walls up to high level with feature dado tile. External door out to a yard at the front of the house with a door into a OUTSIDE WC and a door with steps down to the CELLAR.

From Central Hallway up stairs to;

"L" SHAPED FIRST FLOOR GALLERIED LANDING:: Picture window and small window with lovely garden views. Door giving access up to large, fully boarded, second floor attic space via a ladder styled staircase. Hot and cold-water storage tanks and central heating equipment set at one end. Window to back and triangular window to side at high level.

MAIN BEDROOM SUITE:

DRESSING ROOM:: 3.31m x 3.69m (10'10" x 12'1"), Two windows to front with garden views and window at high level to front. Three pairs of panelled and part glazed doors into fitted recessed wardrobes with hanging rails at high and low level and shelving and cupboards along one wall. Central cast iron Victorian fireplace with slate hearth. Adjacent recessed cupboard with shelf at high level. Door into:

EN SUITE BATH/SHOWER ROOM:: Window to back with attractive garden views and window to side. White suite with low-level WC, recessed flush box set into bespoke fitted L-shaped units with marble tops with inset vanity bowl and mixer tap. Matching central vanity unit with marble top, inset bowl and mixer tap with mirror over and shelf units on each side. Bath set into matching oak panelled recess with telephone taps and wall mirrors on two sides and shelving. Shower set into recess with pivot door and marble tiles from floor to ceiling. Mixer valve with fixed and adjustable heads. Door into airing cupboard with slatted shelving and hanging rail at high and low level. From dressing room up steps to:

BEDROOM:: 3.93m x 3.92m (12'11" x 12'10"), Window to front with garden views. Central cast iron fireplace with inset feature tiles and slate hearth. Bespoke recessed panelled cupboards on each side, one with bi-fold doors into television cupboard. Secondary door out to landing.

BEDROOM TWO:: 4.76m x 3.94m (15'7" x 12'11"), Windows to front and side with garden and far-reaching views. Bespoke protruding L-shaped wardrobes with two pairs of panelled doors, hanging rails and shelving at high and low level. Bespoke panelled drawers and glass top set into recess and matching drawers and pair of glazed doors into recess on the other side.

FAMILY BATHROOM:: Leaded light window to side. White suite with low-level WC with recessed flush box. Cast iron bath with chrome telephone taps set into recess with mirrors at either end and marble surround with upstand. Along one wall are bespoke, fitted drawers and cupboards set under, marble tops with inset oval vanity bowl, mixer tap with glazed fronted shelved cupboards on either side with arched central recess with mirror. Ceramic tiled floors. Two chrome ladder radiators.

BEDROOM THREE:: 4.38m x 3.96m (14'4" x 12'12"), Window to side with garden and countryside views and a pair of French doors out to Juliet balcony with wrought iron balustrading and attractive garden views. Protruding bank of bespoke wardrobes with two pairs of panelled doors with hanging rails at high and low level and shelving.

From Ground Floor BACK HALLWAY door into:

SNOOKER ROOM:: 5.63m x 8.34m (18'6" x 27'4"), With attractive overhanging roof with feature brick supports with windows, glazing and a pair of part glazed doors along the front out to the central cobbled courtyard and parking. Pair of doors into spacious, shelved storage cupboard. Through door into:

LEISURE KITCHEN:: 3.67m x 2.13m (12'0" x 6'12"), Part glazed stable door and window out to central walled garden with barbeque area. Two banks of Beech units with cupboards and drawers are set under marble work tops with inset Miele induction hob, circular stainless-steel bowl with mixer tap and matching upstands. Feature glass shelving set at high level, exposed beam and stone tiled floors running throughout the leisure suite.

CHANGING ROOM:: With recessed fully tiled shower unit, mixer valve with head on adjustable rail. Doors into two separate WCs with windows with frosted glass and white sanitaryware with low-level WC. Wall mounted basins and painted bordered ceilings throughout.

SWIMMING POOL AREA:: 13.90m x 7.48m (45'7" x 24'6") average, The heated pool is 9m long x 4.2m wide, fully tiled in mosaic tiles with quadrant steps set at one end, Aquaflow at opposite end and an electrically operated cover. Set at one end is a matching bespoke, 8-person circular jacuzzi. The front wall has extensive glazing in oak frames with an external glazed door out to walled terraced garden and a pair of glazed panels adjacent. At the other end is an exposed stone recess with a shower with mixer valve and fixed head. There are feature exposed stone square columns and sealed, timber boarded apex and level ceilings and feature exposed trusses with a triangular window set at the end. In a corner of the room, is a natural stone waterfall feature. Door into CONTROL ROOM: with filtration units, air ducted filter system, oil fired boiler and consumer units. External door out to courtyard area.

From the leisure kitchen, door into linked:

COTTAGE:: This former 2 up, 2 down cottage, has been restored and modernised and linked but it has its own access at the front.

SITTING ROOM:: 3.62m x 3.91m (11'11" x 12'10"), Window to front. Wooden front door with glazed pane, shelved recess and central inglenook fireplace with exposed stone hearth and inset wood burner and original bread oven set to side. Stone spiral staircase up to first floor.

BEDROOM ONE:: 3.11m x 3.92m (10'2" x 12'10"), Windows to front and back. Door into recessed wardrobe with rail and shelf at high level, painted boarded floor.

BEDROOM TWO:: 3.95m x 2.85m (12'12" x 9'4"), Window to front and back. Shelving at high level on one wall. Ledged and braced doors.

OUTSIDE:: The access for vehicles is from the back lane which is shared only by four other owners. An automated, solid sliding entrance gate set within the stone boundary wall, leading into the central, cobbled parking and turning area.

EXTENSIVE CARPORT:: 7.17m x 8.31m (23'6" x 27'3"), Space for at least 3 cars and purpose-built and constructed in brick with a pitched, matching double Roman clay roof with overhang to front and useful garden furniture, attic storage space over accessed from external steps at the back. Fully boarded ceiling with downlighters, consumer unit and power and light.

WORKSHOP/BOILER ROOM:: 3.93m x 2.15m (12'11" x 7'1"), Separately set within the cottage at one end, window to front and ledged and braced stable door to side. Original cobbled floor, Belfast sink on legs and storage. Floor mounted Worcester oil-fired boiler.

GROUNDS AND GARDENS:: Totalling 2.98 acres, these have been impressively designed and laid out to compliment this impressive country house. The gardens are set on three sides with raised sun terraces set behind planted brick retaining walls as well as sculpted lawns bordered by a wealth of interesting shrubs and flowers together with interspaced mature trees. Set in one corner is an ornamental double fish-pond and waterfall feature. Strategically placed around the garden are a range of well stocked planted borders and many features, low level stone walls and external lighting. Behind a Beech hedge is an orchard with mature fruit trees including apple, plum and pear.

Beyond this is a ranch style fence alongside the independent gated, tarmac driveway leading to ample parking and turning. Alongside is the fenced, full size, professionally constructed and flood lit MENAGE. Adjacent is a STABLE BLOCK: Constructed in breeze block with a rendered exterior. Stable doors, windows and overhanging front with a concrete apron, two loose boxes and a tack room with external door and Belfast sink on brick supports. Near this entrance is a useful compost area.

The extensive PADDOCK is set up beyond with its top boundary being the top lane leading to The Buckstone.

Set to one side of the grounds is a path alongside the carport that leads up to the timber constructed "Wendy House" with an attractive verandah and a pitched Roman tiled roof. Glazing is along one side and windows either side of the central doorway. Adjacent is the Greenhouse alongside the vegetable growing area. Beyond is a gravelled sitting area set under a pergola and the path continues up to the equestrian section.

SERVICES:: Mains electricity. Oil fired central heating. Mains water. Septic tank drainage. Council tax band H. EPC Rating F.

DIRECTIONS:: From Monmouth take the A4136 towards Gloucester and The Forest of Dean. Stay on this road for approximately 4 miles and after the right-hand bend approaching the village of Staunton, turn right just past the White House restaurant. Shortly after at the "T" junction, turn sharp right up the small lane and at the end the vehicle entrance to The Hurmitage is on your left.

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