The Rookery, Stratford Road, Dedham, Essex, CO7

This exquisite country home had been part of the local landscape for centuries and has been the residence of the current owner's family for over a hundred and fifty years. "The estate was purchased by my great great grandfather but the family didn't move here until after the war. At some point in the 16th century we believed it was commissioned by the Calvary as the paddocks are full of musket balls.

At the front, a glass covered veranda offers a seat in the sunshine and a large half glazed double doors leads into an expansive entrance hall where you immediately notice the beautiful oak floorboards that are a constant feature throughout the property. Further down the driveway are the original stables with loft and a double garage.

Off to the left of the hall you find yourself in the drawing room, a beautifully proportioned room with high ceilings, parquet flooring, an open fireplace and floor to ceiling sash windows that flood the room with natural light." and there is also a bay window with central doors that open out to stone steps that lead down to the front terrace.

The entrance hall leads to a corridor where the main stairs rise to the second floor, and at the end a pair of gothic arched French doors open to a patio with a vine covered pergola at the side of the property. Just off this corridor to the left is the snug, another well-proportioned room with a central fireplace and useful bookcases and cupboards.

At the other end of the corridor, steps lead up to an inner passage where a circular staircase leads to the second floor and then up the attic, and from this passage a door also takes you through to the dining room. Heavily beamed and with the original redbrick fireplace, this room is full of character and is perfect for large family gatherings. To one side of the fireplace a door opens into a study that has views out across the garden to the side of the property and is a peaceful retreat if you need to work from home. To the other side of the fireplace another door leads into the family kitchen, a fabulous space that comprises a stone floored outer kitchen, a walk-in larder and a large sunny main kitchen with a Rayburn, a butler sink and a number fitted cupboards. The kitchen has a door out to the rear garden and also one to a small courtyard tucked away in the centre of the property.

A third staircase off the kitchen winds up to the second floor where you have in total seven bedrooms and two bathrooms. Three bedrooms look out over the front of the property, including the master bedroom, a stunning room with huge sash windows and a central fireplace, and this has a smaller bedroom just off it that would be ideal for a younger child or would make a fabulous dressing room or large en-suite. The other room to the front is the guest suite, which has French doors to a balcony where you can enjoy stunning views across the meadows and the oaks that line the driveway. The L-shaped landing, which is accessed via all three staircases and looks down into the courtyard, leads round to the other four bedrooms, all doubles and with period features such as cast-iron fireplaces, exposed beams and large sash windows that flood the rooms with light. There are also two further rooms in the attic, offering you an abundance of space and flexibility in terms of accommodation.

The property is nestled within approximately 10 acres of paddocks, pasture and mature gardens, including a wonderful walled garden that once provided not only the family, but also surrounding hotels and markets with home-grown produce.

The main garden is to the rear, and here an expansive lawn stretches sway from the house with well stocked beds offering colour and interest. A mix of trees provides dappled shade on a summer's afternoon and there is a small stream at the bottom to cool your toes. To one side there is also an orchard, where apples, pears and plums make for rich pickings come the autumn, and along the drive a number of outbuildings, including the original stabling which has two boxes and a tack room, offers great potential for equestrian use.

TENURE - Freehold
COUNCIL TAX - G
LOCAL AUTHORITY - Colchester

SERVICES
Mains electricity, water, private drainage

WHATS NEARBY
The Rookery enjoys an accessible and highly convenient location on the Essex/Suffolk borders between the picturesque villages of Dedham and Stratford St Mary. The surrounding Dedham Vale and Stour Valley contain some of the most scenic countryside in East Anglia, made famous by the well-renowned painters Constable and Gainsborough. These are areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty as well as protected environmentally sensitive areas. Dedham itself provides a good and interesting range of local shopping and recreational facilities together with a primary school. The historic town of Colchester some six miles to the south west provides an extensive range of shopping, educational, recreational and commercial facilities.

WITHIN EASY REACH
The main A12 dual carriageway is easily accessible, providing a direct link to London’s M25 motorway, East Coast Ports and the Midlands (via the A14). Main line rail services run to London Liverpool Street Station from Manningtree station, which is just 3 miles to the east, in approximately 50 to 60 minutes and from Colchester in 50 to 55 minutes approximately.