Location

Gardens
A distinctive set of electric oak gates, between pretty flint walls, opens to the gravelled parking and turning area, with space for many cars and boats.

The gardens are a wonderful part of life at Barnwell, and have been carefully curated to provide different areas to enjoy throughout the day. First impressions on arrival are defined at the front of the house by clipped box topiary, smart yew hedging, Olive trees, well stocked beds, lovely old apple trees and wrought iron gates. It is a pleasing aesthetic.

To the east of the house is a wide paved area, ideal for al fresco breakfasts, with paths leading to a charming kitchen and cutting garden in a sheltered position, with raised beds and cold frames, with gravel terrace and seating area providing a place to relax and admire the green fingered efforts.

The gardens then open up to the south of the house. A paved terrace directly adjoining the open plan kitchen/dining/living area is a complete sun trap and great for relaxing and entertaining, with the scent climbing roses around you. Steps softened by pretty erigeron, lead up to gently sloping lawns with well stocked beds providing seasonal colour, and a summer house perfectly placed for evening sun.

The gardens, like the buildings, have been well maintained and improved to create a balance between ease of maintenance and interest.

Binham is deservedly one of the most popular of the traditional brick and flint villages lying just inland from the North Norfolk Coast and still retains everyday facilities including a village shop, public house ‘The Chequers, and the fantastic café/farm shop ‘The Parlour and ‘The Little Dairy’, set beside the priory in traditional farm buildings, serving excellent local food and selling local dairy produce with a cheese vending machine, raw milk and coffee. The priory church of Binham, a former Benedictine priory with some impressive monastic ruins and the fine priory church with its splendid 13th century west front, is within view of the house. The village has some wonderful foot path routes across the countryside, giving direct access all the way through to the coastal village of Stiffkey, with the renowned ‘Stiffkey Stores’, the Red Lion pub, and wild marsh walks.

The picturesque Georgian town of Holt is about six miles and is renowned for its award winning restaurants, boutique shops and other excellent amenities. Holt is also the home to Greshams Preparatory and Public School. Beeston Hall Preparatory School is further along the coast between Sheringham and East Runton. The North Norfolk Coast, much of which is classified as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has excellent beaches, good sailing and bird watching facilities.

The cathedral and university city of Norwich is about 25 miles to the southeast and has a thriving business community and is a regional centre for shopping and cultural activities with its renowned theatre. Norwich has a mainline railway station with regular trains to London Liverpool Street with a journey time of approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes. Norwich Airport is situated to the north of the city.

Description

Barnwell is a property of exceptional quality. A wonderful collection of a fine principal house, a self-contained annexe, barn, garaging, studio, and charming gardens, this is a lifestyle home that can evolve and adapt to many living styles. Furthermore, Barnwell is presented to the market in excellent order, with the current custodian’s consistent investment during their ownership providing a property in it’s prime, with all the foundations for the next owner to simply enjoy.

The house is a fine example of a village home. Space, light and comfort are a given throughout, alongside plenty of character and well-presented interiors, with open plan areas together with cosy rooms. At the heart of it all is an outstanding kitchen/living area/dining room, with vaulted ceilings and quadruple aspect allowing for plenty of natural light. At one end of the 35 feet long room is the kitchen, with obvious quality thanks to cabinetry by Neptune, thick oak and granite worktops, a large central island with breakfast bar, 4 oven electric Aga (with efficiency aided by the new Solar PV system), and integrated Siemens and Fisher Paykel appliances. The kitchen is a stylish and practical backdrop to the living area in the centre of the room, whilst a dining area is at the opposite end. Glazed doors lead directly out to the south facing terrace.

Throughout the house there are wide corridors linking all the main rooms. A charming living room has a grand farmhouse feel, with feature fireplace with modern woodburner, bespoke shelving unit, and glazed doors to the south facing gardens. A central reception room currently used as a family room, provides great flexibility for future use. A future proof asset to the house is a spacious double bedroom, cleverly positioned to be away from the hustle and bustle of the main living areas, with built in wardrobes and en suite shower room. Completing the ground floor is a downstairs WC and all-important boot room and utility, essential for country living.

The feeling of light and space is immediately apparent upstairs too, with a sitting room that benefits from tall and wide windows in a feature gable, providing the most wonderful views over neighbouring meadowland and for miles across Norfolk countryside. A principal bedroom is off this, a spacious room with double aspect, and plenty of built in wardrobes and well fitted en suite bath/shower room. The second bedroom is another fine double bedroom, with built in wardrobes and en suite shower room, with a further two bedrooms are served by the family bathroom.

During the current ownership, the improvements have ranged from structural upgrades and maintenance to the recent addition of a high tech solar PV, with battery storage, making this a house of scale with excellent cost efficiency.

Annexe, barn and outbuildings
The property is the beneficiary of a brilliant range of additional buildings to the main house, making for excellent adaptability and lifestyle attributes. The annexe, a traditional brick and flint building, comprises a spacious open plan area as a bedroom/living are/kitchenette with triple aspect, and en suite shower room. Whilst currently arranged as an annexe, if could easily become a wellness area, gym, expansive studio or perhaps a little more nuanced such as golf simulator.

The barn, another attractive brick and flint building with vaulted ceilings, is complete with a shower room and could therefore be utilised in many different ways, much like the annexe. Both buildings have their own electric heating and both are in excellent condition.

A purpose built triple garage sits to the east of the expansive parking and turning area. Oak frame and solid brick, under a pantile roof, the garaging include oak panel doors and electric roller doors, with stairs up to a studio above the garage, with WC and velux windows providing good natural light – an ideal work from home space or perhaps a model railway. The garage includes an EV charger.

A distinctive set of electric oak gates, between pretty flint walls, opens to the gravelled parking and turning area, with space for many cars and boats.