A Georgian farmhouse that's an 'absolute gem' in an ancient village on Salisbury Plain

‘An absolute gem of a Georgian farmhouse,' says agent Ed Seth-Smith of Savills. 'Utterly beautiful and full of character’.

And it's hard not to agree, because the house he's talking about is the Grade II-listed West Farm, for sale via Savills at £1.225 million, in the charming and ancient village of Knook, on the River Wylye and at the foot of Salisbury Plain.

Sitting at the foot of Knook Horse Hill and only a mile east of Heytesbury, it was built in the early 19th century and, thanks to sympathetic restoration, it is charmingly characterful throughout. In the 14ft by 16ft kitchen/breakfast room, for example, the original flagstone floor is still in situ and there is a black, oil-fired Aga for cooking and warmth.

This kitchen/breakfast room is sandwiched between a spacious utility room and dining room — ensuring that family life and dinner parties alike can move effortlessly from prep to plate. And there's a cellar below, accessed via stairs just across the hallway, for when you need to pop down to pick out another bottle of claret.

Additionally, on the ground floor, there is a sitting room — like the dining room, it has a curved bay window — as well as a drawing room and study.

The six bedrooms are all on the first floor, and unusually for this day and age none of them has an en-suite bathroom. That said, the principal bedroom does have a dressing room, and shares a wall with one of the smaller rooms, so it does feel that the layout could be changed fairly easily.

And speaking of making changes, the sellers already have permission in place to expand the house with a rear extension, which — according to the approved plans — would allow for a new kitchen and family room on the ground floor, as well as an additional guest bedroom (with en-suite bathroom) on the first floor.

West Farm comes with about 1¾ acres, mostly laid to lawn and dotted with fruit trees, which you pass through as you approach along a carriage driveway. An old brick pumping room has been turned into a very fancy shed, while just away from the main grounds is a timber-framed, three-bay garage with a room above.

If you need a bit more, outside space, further land is available by negotiation — among which is a walled garden nearby.

West Farm is for sale via Savills — see more details.