Country houses for sale

A ‘golden oldie’ for sale in Suffolk on the edge of a historic market town

The Old Vicarage is a mid 16th century property that has been remodelled to highlight its unique period features.

Tim Dansie of Jackson-Stops in Ipswich (01473 218218) is currently handling the sale of two immaculately renovated ‘golden oldies’ in Suffolk — Grade II-listed The Old Vicarage at Eye, on the Norfolk-Suffolk border, 5½ miles from Diss and 14½ miles from Stowmarket.

He quotes a guide price of £1.35m for the handsome timber-frame Old Vicarage at Eye, built, according to its listing, in the mid 16th century — but possibly much earlier — with a Georgian south front added for the Revd John Burgate in 1723, the whole remodelled in Victorian times.

It stands in 1¼ acres of well-timbered gardens and grounds next to the ancient parish church of St Peter and St Paul at the edge of this historic market town. Restored throughout in recent years, many of the rooms have been pared back to enhance original features, such as lime-washed walls and stone or wooden floors; other period features include panelled doors, sash windows with shutters and impressive fireplaces in the main reception rooms.

Recommended videos for you

In all, the former vicarage offers 5,314sq ft of well-organised living space, including three principal reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room/garden room, a study, seven bedrooms and four bath/shower rooms. The coach house provides garaging and storage, with a further bedroom above.

The Old Vicarage is currently on the market via Jackson- Stops for £1.35 millionsee more pictures, or enquire with the agent for more details. 

Eye, Suffolk: What you need to know

Location: Located in north Suffolk, four miles south of Diss and 17.5 miles from Ipswich.

Atmosphere: Eye is old medieval market town close to the River Waveney, complete with a parish church, castle, array of shops, pub and post office.

Thing to do: Living up to its market town name — there is an award winning weekly country market that sells fresh produce, breads and preserves. There are also a number of stalls that sell fresh fish from Lowestoft and fresh produce from Spain, every Friday. In addition to a fantastic range of shops (including a chocolatier, antiques shop and haberdashery), Eye also has a number of restaurants and cafes. The two nearest rail stations are located in the towns of Diss and Stowmarket, which have links to London Liverpool Street station.

Schools: There are several schools in the area, including St Peter & St Paul C of E Primary School in Eye and Hartismere School for secondary.

See more property for sale in the area.