Thornford, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9

Trill House is a distinguished Edwardian house, built in 1906 of red brick under a slate roof, standing in mature gardens on the edge of the village of Thornford, close to Sherborne. Now in need of some modernisation and offering some very exciting potential, the property has remained in the same family since the 1940s. It retains an exceptional wealth of original architectural and decorative features, including high ceilings, cornicing, dado rails, stained glass doors, ornate fire surrounds with original tiles and mirrored mantels.

The entrance is framed by a stone portico leading to an impressive hallway with original parquet flooring and a fine staircase rising to the first floor. The principal reception rooms are beautifully proportioned, each showcasing the house’s period character. The dining room enjoys a double aspect with a bay window and ornate fireplace. Opposite, the drawing room features a grand fireplace with carved wood surround and mantel, matching wood cabinets, and French doors lit by beautiful stained glass leading into a bright conservatory.

The rear section of the ground floor has historically been used as an annexe with sitting room, kitchen, bedrooms and shower room, but offers excellent scope for reconfiguration into an open-plan family space. The kitchen includes fitted units, a blue two-oven oil-fired Aga and space and connection for a dishwasher. Adjacent is a utility room with additional storage, plumbing for white goods and access to the garden.

Upstairs, the principal bedroom is dual aspect with magnificent views towards Beer Hackett Church and Knighton Hill and featuring a splendid fireplace with Art Nouveau tiles and mantel mirror. There are four further bedrooms, all retaining their original fireplaces and most with built-in cupboards, together with a box room, bathroom and kitchenette. The second floor offers further accommodation currently with three bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen and store, ideal for extended family or guests. An attic provides additional storage and access to a rooftop viewing platform which gives 360 degrees views over the Dorset landscape.

Throughout, Trill House displays a sense of grandeur, light and authenticity rarely found in houses of its age and type.

OUTSIDE
The property stands within mature gardens and grounds extending to approximately 3 acres. Lawns sweep around the house, interspersed with ornamental trees including maple, ginkgo, wild cherry and yew topiary. An orchard paddock planted with specimen trees as well as fruit trees, including a mulberry, lies beyond, enclosed by post-and-rail fencing. The former grass tennis court could be reinstated or would provide an ideal location for a pool (subject to any necessary planning consents).

A driveway leads to a range of outbuildings, including garaging, a two-storey stable block with original flooring and open-sided agricultural sheds. Adjacent to the house are a wood store, original coal bunker and a utility, WC and wet room. The property benefits from planning consent for a small campsite, offering the opportunity to have perhaps some yurts or shepherds’ huts to create additional income.

COTTAGES
Two semi-detached Edwardian cottages, constructed of brick under slate roofs, sit within the grounds. Each provides a sitting room with fireplace and French doors to the garden, dining room, kitchen, downstairs bathroom, and three bedrooms upstairs. Both enjoy private gardens and lovely outlooks over open countryside.

The cottages are currently let but have also operated successfully as holiday cottages in the past. No.1 Trill Cottages has a gas hob and central heating, while heating and hot water at No. 2 is electric. No.2 benefits from a garage and store.

LOCATION
Trill House lies in very pretty country, close to the villages of Thornford and Yetminster. The centre of the attractive village of Yetminster comprises mainly period houses; indeed Pevsner stated that ‘the main street of Yetminster is as good a place as any in Dorset for learning the vernacular range in stone buildings from c.1580 to c.1790’. The village has a shop, pub, doctor’s surgery, hairdresser, tennis club and popular Old School Gallery and Café as well as a primary school and station on the Bristol to Weymouth line. Thornford is just three miles from Sherborne, providing a thriving community with a shop/post office, pub, primary school, village hall, bus service and Thornford Halt train station connecting directly to Yeovil and Weymouth.

Sherborne, renowned for its Abbey, historic architecture and outstanding schools, provides an extensive range of shops, cafés and restaurants, together with a mainline station to London Waterloo. The nearby A303 offers excellent road connections east to the M3 and London and west to Exeter, while local road networks offer access to Bristol and Bath.

SPORTING AND RECREATION
The surrounding countryside is ideal for walking, riding and cycling, with sporting opportunities including racing at Wincanton and golf at Sherborne and Yeovil. Sherborne itself is a cultural hub, with Sherborne Abbey hosting regular concerts and recitals, and The Sherborne, offering an arts and events venue set within the historic Sherborne House, central to the town’s cultural calendar. Beyond Sherborne, the Newt in Somerset and Hauser & Wirth in Bruton offer world-class gardens, dining and contemporary art.

The Dorset coast lies within easy reach, offering beaches, sailing and the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast for coastal walks and water sports. Beaches at West Bay and Eype are less than a 45 minute drive away.

EDUCATION
Local schooling is excellent, with Thornford Church of England Primary School within the village and The Gryphon School in Sherborne for secondary education. The area also offers a superb choice of independent schools including the Sherborne Schools Group (Sherborne School, Sherborne Girls and Sherborne Prep), together with Leweston, Hazlegrove, Perrott Hill, Port Regis, Milton Abbey, Bryanston and Millfield.