The Church House in West Anstey benefits from a superb location, offers plenty of gardens and three bedrooms. It also wouldn't look out of place on the cover of the magazine.
One of the great plagues of working at Country Life magazine, specifically the Country Life Online Property Desk (CLOPD), is that you quickly gain an eye for how much, roughly, you think a property might be worth. This is not to belittle the inherent skill of the relevant agent in finding the correct valuation, but rather just understanding that even though it seems ridiculous that a castle and estate in Scotland might be the same price as a four-bedroom home in London, that is just the way things are.
A similar view of the front of the property, but with more flowers.
As a result, my eyebrows were raised when I first laid eyes upon The Church House. For sale with Savills at a guide price of £795,000, the property seems, to me, nothing short of perfect. Gaze upon the wisteria-clad stone façade. Feel the warmth of the church tower in the background. Three chimneys! Almost an acre of grounds! A mile south of Exmoor! And three bedrooms to boot. What’s the catch?
The sitting room, with its double-aspect views.
The catch is that there doesn’t appear to be one, at least from what I can see online. The property is a freehold, sits in the village of West Anstey, and is listed Grade II. Set over two floors, the accommodation totals some 2,600sq ft of space, which includes a detached workshop and store.
The delightful farmhouse kitchen. How about that for an Aga setting.
Inside, the property is a symphony of period charm, with exposed beams, flagstone floors and two fabulous inglenook fireplaces. As well as the three bedrooms which occupy the first floor, the ground floor also boasts a dining room, spacious farmhouse kitchen and a sitting room. The house also offers a substantial flagstone patio area for al fresco dining, should the weather suit.
A view down the garden, with the stream in the foreground and the rolling countryside beyond.
The gardens are no let-down either. Beautifully landscaped and planted extensively, they provide colour throughout the year and also boast a stream that runs through the lower section and feeds through to a pond. The aforementioned terrace also provides plenty of pleasant views to the south and west, while there is a small copse of woodland included in the sale too.
The master bedroom suite.
Location-wise, it doesn’t get much better than this. The property sits just below the Church of St Petrock in West Anstey, and within a Dark Skies area. There are plenty of good walks and bridleways on the Two Moors Way, for those looking to explore the local area.
Even the garage/wood store is tastefully hidden away in some trees.
Amenities-wise, the nearby village of Knowstone offers a Michelin-starred restaurant, the Masons Arms, while the glorious village of Dulverton is five miles to the east. There you will find plenty of pubs, shops, restaurants, and other local amenities. I would know as I have been there and it’s great.
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