Sible Hedingham, Near Halstead

What We Say at The Zoe Napier Group

This is a fascinating property with a well-documented history and offering immense scope for the incoming buyer. The two ancillary/guest bungalows within the grounds must remain with the main residence, but the significant floor areas and extensive acreage offer a diverse range of opportunities.

What the Owners Say

Our parents loved this home. Our Dad was a builder by trade and loved continually growing the premises with two additional ancillary dwellings and park style grounds, containing literally 1000’s of trees. The lake is just sublime, especially during the high summer sunsets, but equally it brings differing scenes throughout the year.

History & Background

The property is an historic and important period village farmhouse, dating back in part to the early 15^th Century, with later additions over the centuries, to provide a substantial main farmhouse with three first floor double bedrooms and generous ground floor living containing three separate reception rooms.

The premises include two separate detached ancillary properties; one being the substantial two-bedroom guest annexe, converted from a former barn and a separate detached flint stone finish ancillary bungalow enjoying the vista across the pasture and down to the lake. In addition, there are other outbuildings including a good workshop, a detached home office, summer house cabin and storage with a sizeable yard area for parking.

The acreage has been well maintained and developed with well over 1000 trees on a former forestry scheme, combined with areas suitable for grazing which slope down to the wetland areas, where Willows grow amidst the magnificent lake.

The house itself has a well-documented history, with note to the stunning mural in one of the bedrooms, recorded by the Financial Times (back in 1978) to date between 1620 and 1640. The farmhouse would have originally formed part of a far larger estate.

Setting & Location

The property is situated in a charming conservation area, in an elevated position on the edge of the village, within Church Street, an attractive residential area close to open countryside. Opposite the farmhouse are a thatched cottage and a quaint old village pub with a small tearoom at the rear. The area is popular for both visitors and walkers, where a public footpath dissects the property leading through to tracks and open countryside.

An access drive leads past the farmhouse (with its enclosed garden) to a rear yard area, where there is a workshop, a large log cabin/summerhouse and the two spacious ancillary bungalows. Both properties enjoy and elevated outlook across theglades, pasture, and lake beyond.

The lake extends to over an acre offering tranquillity. It attracts a wide variety of nature from an abundance of water lilies to Egrets, Cormorants, Wild Fowl and in the surrounding woodland and water meadows are the frequent site of deer and general wildlife and birdlife including Woodpeckers and Cuckoos.

Sible Hedingham itself is the larger of the Hedinghams. Castle Hedingham features a Norman Castle close by and Sible Hedingham offers most local amenities including Hedingham (senior) School, a top rated (Good) school with sixth form. The village lies on the North Essex/Suffolk border, within daily commute of the City and with train stations at Braintree and Witham. Stansted Airport is approximately 25 minutes from the property (light traffic).

Agents Notes

• Please note that there are a combination of registered, unregistered, and numerous historic titles relating to this sale which the seller's legal advisor has in hand and will relay to the buyer's solicitor, alongside any ongoing obligation. Registered part under EX417235.
• The 'New Bungalow' has a section 106 which means it must be used and occupied to the extent that it is ancillary to and forms part of the existing dwelling in the occupation of one family and for no other purpose. And that the new bungalow cannot be disposed of without the disposal of the existing dwelling (main house). Both ancillary dwellings are a separately rated for council tax.
• The log burner in the main house would not meet current HETAS or building regulation approval and therefore is not considered safe to use.
• A public footpath runs east to west through the main driveway and beyond to a track leading out to the countryside.
• Aright of vehicle access can be gained via Wethersfield Road to the lower wet land and lake areas. A informal agreement for the Willows to be harvest to make cricket bats is currently in place.
• Zoe Napier Group operate the Propertymark protocol toolkit. Our client has completed a questionnaire (with appendix's where appropriate) which allows a buyer to make a more informed decision when deciding whether to purchase a property. This questionnaire is forwarded to all legal parties at the beginning of the transaction which is intended to help speed up the sale process.
• Local authority Braintree - Council Tax D
• Tenure - Freehold