Making the rural dream a reality

Carter Jonas in Chippenham has begun marketing a property that combines a detached house with a view, paddocks, a potential stable, a brook, a valley, and rural seclusion. It’s one of those constant dreams that people will always be ready to regale you with.

What they want is a house in the country, preferably on its own, with some land attached. Sometimes the dream extends to embrace a stream or a hidden valley as a desirable extra.

So how about if you were offered a detached house with a view, paddocks, a potential stable, a brook, a valley, and seclusion? Impossible combination? Not at all, says Vicky Iddon, of Carter Jonas in Chippenham.

And to prove it she can show you Beeks Mill at St Catherines, near Bath. This desirable property has all the essentials of most people’s dreams, and then some.

“It’s one of the hazards of an estate agent’s life that people will buttonhole you once they know what you do and tell you all about the property they want to find, the seclusion they desire, the land for some livestock, and a stream that allows relaxation at the waterside to be a feature of life,” explains Vicky. “They will also want a view and while the property is tucked away it probably shouldn’t be too remote.

“It is rare to find such a combination, but Beeks Mill does the job exactly that most people require of their hideaway. It does need some work to bring it up to date but this is hardly a drawback as most people seeking that dream realise extra expenditure is often necessary to make the property how they want it.

“With that in mind, we have set a very realistic guide price of £875,000. We also know we are going to get a lot of interest so are going through a best and final bids process that ends at Noon on Tuesday, July 21.

“I anticipate that we will be conducting a good number of viewings and that the result will be a number of serious offers to open at the deadline.

“Beeks Mill stands on a hillside above a valley and in its current configuration has six bedrooms arranged across the first and second floors. On the ground floor there’s an ample amount of reception space and the window seats that are a feature of several rooms reinforce just how great it is to sit in the property and absorb the view.

“The house is Grade II listed but has potential for extension, subject to consents. There is also a detached barn / stables that could be suitable for other uses and maybe form an annexe.

“In addition to its formal terraced gardens, Beeks Mill has several pasture paddocks that would be ideal for grazing horses or livestock and in all it extends to 5.93 acres. Alongside the brook as it descends the valley is a track that leads to St Catherines.”

For more information, email chippenham@carterjonas.co.uk.