Lower Godney, Nr. Glasonbury

LOWER GODNEY HOUSE,

LOWER GODNEY, WELLS, SOMERSET, BA5 1RZ

Glastonbury 4 miles, Wells 6 miles, Bristol Airport 19 miles, Bristol, Taunton and Bath 25 miles

Charming, romantic period farmhouse with generous accommodation, a detached cottage, outbuildings and grounds of approx. an acre, in a private setting on the edge of a rural village with a pub, tearoom, bakery and thriving arts community, near Wells and Glastonbury.

The house, sympathetically restored by the previous owners (professional architectural restorers), includes a central reception hall, 3 reception rooms, a farmhouse kitchen, rear hall, utility room, shower room, 5 bedrooms, and a large family bathroom.

Outside there is plenty of parking on a gated drive, 3 workshops, a wood store, a lean-to workshop, garden room, potting shed, tool shed, chicken run and timber greenhouse. The gardens are mature and varied with lawn, kitchen garden, woodland, meadow and river frontage. The grounds extend to appox 1 acre.

The Cottage has an open plan living room, kitchen/dining room, a ground floor bedroom and bathroom and a mezzanine bedroom and shower room.

Description

Lower Godney House is a rustic, period farmhouse, dating back, in its original form, to c1700 with later additions. Features, which have been retained and enhanced include the staircase, the rather special Butler’s Pantry in the rear hall as well as shutters, window seats, exposed beams.

The blue lias flagstone floors throughout the ground level have been re-laid on damp-proof membrane, lime plaster has been used to allow the house to breath and the whole exterior re-rendered and lime washed. Since 2006, this extensive work has also included complete restoration of the roof, as well as renewal of all services. The result is a wonderfully romantic retreat where modern comforts combined with the charm of past times, stripping back the complexity of daily life, soothing the soul with the simple delights of peace, privacy and nature.

In addition, a detached Cottage offers further accommodation or potential for income in various forms.

Location

Tucked down a ‘no through road’ the property sits in grounds of approx. 1 acre, traversed by the River Sheppey. Opposite the house is a large, community playing field, with play equipment and sports nets. The village holds a summer fete in the field.

Godney is a small, rural village, well away from any busy roads, between Wells, Wedmore and Glastonbury. Surrounded by agricultural land and nature reserves it is known for a thriving arts scene, excellent pub, tea rooms, popular local bakery and village hall.

Accommodation

The front door opens to a central reception hall which runs straight through to the rear of the house, providing an attractive line of sight to the rear garden.

To the right is a library/study and a sitting room, to the left is a dining room and the kitchen opens seamlessly from here. All the reception rooms have log burning stoves, window seats, shutters, flagstone floors, there are also attractive, painted built-in cupboards and shelving, offering plenty of storage solutions, in keeping with the style of the house, and a secret, tiny staircase ascends to the first floor from a discreet doorway in the corner of the library.

The kitchen/breakfast room has a classic rustic farmhouse aesthetic with painted cupboards with marble work surface. A double Belfast sink, integrated Fisher & Paykel double, drawer dishwasher, and under unit fridge are modern comforts concealed within this traditional façade. There is plenty of space for a table and chairs and a handsome and practical Everhot range takes centre stage (available by separate negotiation).

The rear hall has an exterior door which opens to the driveway. In the rear hall there is a large boiler cupboard with shelving for linen and additional shelving in the hallway. To the right is a utility room with space and plumbing for a washing machine, tumble dryer and American fridge/freezer.

To the left of the hall is a spacious, ground floor shower room.

Upstairs there are painted timber floorboards throughout the 5 bedrooms and family bathroom. 4 of the rooms are large doubles and the bathroom has a freestanding bath, separate shower cubicle and airing cupboard.

Outside

A traditional 5 bar gate between handsome stone gateposts, opens to a gravel drive where there is plenty of parking for several vehicles. Outbuildings are accessed from the drive, and they include 3 workshops, an open sided workshop and wood store.

The gardens are mature, enclosed and private, they wrap around to the south side of the property and include a chicken run, kitchen garden with greenhouse, potting shed and tool shed, a lawned garden with terrace and garden room, river frontage, a bridge to the fenced meadow and copse beyond. A haven for wildlife with otters, kingfishers and moorhens busily doing their thing. A wonderful feature is the stone steps that lead down to the River Sheppey, ideal for a morning dip!

The Cottage

Blue lias stone, detached cottage (fully restored) with inglenook fireplace – is currently used as a holiday let. It has an open plan living room/kitchen/dining room, a bedroom beyond has an ensuite bathroom and upstairs is a mezzanine floor with a bedroom and shower room.

Tenure and other Points

Freehold. Not listed. Mains water and electricity. Private drainage. Oil fired CH and HW (compliant oil tank). New oil boiler in main house and cottage.

Starlink high speed internet with hardwired commercial grade Unifi wifi throughout the house, cottage and grounds.

Council Tax Band F. EPC rating F.

About the Area

The village of Godney (including Lower Godney) lies well away from busy roads in the area between Wells, Glastonbury and Wedmore.

It is within the catchment area of The Blue School in Wells and there are also the excellent private schools close by- Wells Cathedral School and Millfield.

The village has a very busy community centred on the village hall with many local activities. There is also a good local pub and a popular “Tea Rooms”. Immediately available from the village are footpaths bridleways and droves which give access to the beautiful surrounding countryside. It is usual to see swans, herons, deer and other wildlife within or on the fringes of the village. In the December issue of Country Living the Somerset Levels were considered one of “Britain’s Best Wild Places”.

Over the last fifteen years Godney has attracted a very interesting and varied collection of residents in addition to the local village and farming community. These include artists, architects, industry recognised musicians, lecturers, barristers, business people, historians and genealogists, (Time Team), environmentalists, antique restorers, a few titled individuals. All seem to fit in well to this small community and village which have developed along the banks of the River Sheppey.

Wells is the smallest city in England (population 10,000) lying in beautiful countryside between the Somerset Levels and the Mendip Hills. The major towns of the area being Bristol, Bath, Taunton and Yeovil are all within commuting distance. Castle Cary and Highbridge are the nearest train station with fast links to London. There is a central market place (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 throughout history and further back into the times of legends. There was a Celtic monastery here by 500AD which, during the next 1000 years evolved into one of England's wealthiest and most influential abbeys. The town grew up alongside the Abbey and by the 18th century had received a charter and had become a manufacturing and trading centre. Today it’s a thriving market town and a major tourist venue, welcoming thousands of visitors each year. Medieval Glastonbury - designated a conservation area - clusters around the evocative ruins of the Abbey.

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