Hopkiln Cottage Mumfords Hill - Blackmore End - Essex

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1 Hopkiln Cottage Mumfords Hill - Blackmore End - Essex

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3 Step Inside Beauty All Around Located in the pretty hamlet of Blackmore End, this unique property was originally an oast house, used for dying hops as part of the brewing business, and is now a wonderful four-bedroom family home. Surrounded by an acre of gardens and grounds that afford uninterrupted views across open countryside, it is beautifully tranquil, and the interior is bursting with characterful features such as exposed beams and inglenook fireplaces. One of a Kind The current owners have lived at the property for the past fourteen years, buying it as a restoration project as the oast house was partly derelict at the time. It was split into two cottages and the oast, or hop kiln, was fairly run down. We knocked the cottages through to make one large property and pretty much refurbished it from top-to-toe, putting in new wiring, plumbing, windows and doors. The property dates in parts to 1750 and is quite unique for East Anglia as oast houses are few and far between. It has been restored to a very high standard and the gardens that surround it contain a wonderful mix of mature trees and shrubs as well as a productive vegetable garden. It is set well back from the lane, fronted by post and rail fencing, and a sweeping driveway leads to a newly built double cart bay that has a storage above and a log store to one side. Charming Character The front door leads into the snug, which is perfectly positioned to the centre of the property and is dominated by an amazing inglenook fireplace with a wood-burner inset. There is a large cupboard under the stairs for coats and boots and this room also has gorgeous exposed beams to the walls and ceiling, immediately giving you a sense of the heritage of the property. We tend to use this room more in the winter months as it a lovely cosy space, especially if you just want to tuck yourself away with a good book in front of the fire. To the left, you go through to another reception room, again with a magnificent fireplace and exposed timbers, and in here a spiral staircase winds up to the master bedroom above. We currently use this as a study, but it could be used as a formal dining room or even a self-contained area for family members if you it needed to. Family Central! To the right of the snug, a door leads to a small lobby where you find the main stairs, a back door to the garden and also a door through to the family kitchen. This is a magnificent open plan living space that unites the kitchen with the breakfast room and sitting room. In the kitchen area there is a tiled floor and fitted units to three sides that offer excellent storage and practical work surfaces as well as hiding a number of integrated appliances. This is open plan to the breakfast room, where a solid oak breakfast bar has room for six stools to be drawn up and is where much of day-to-day family life takes place. It is a very sociable area as there is always someone perched at the breakfast bar, especially at weekends when breakfast continue all morning and the kettle is always on. Off here is a useful utility with a sink and room for other white goods, such as the washing machine and dryer.

4 In the Round The breakfast room is also open plan to the sitting room, where comfy sofas are gathered around another wood-burning stove, and this in turn flows through to the dining room. When we redesigned the property, we wanted to create a living space that would suit family life. It is so versatile as we can use the space as we want it and have changed this over the years to suit the needs of the children. The dining room is in the oast house and so there is a lovely curve to the walls, and double doors have been added so you can throw these open and invite the outside in. Upstairs, there are four bedrooms, three doubles and a large single, and three bathrooms. The master is accessed vi the spiral staircase and is a beautiful room with characterful beams and a large ensuite shower room. The main stairs lead up to the other rooms, a double with an ensuite that has a luxurious walk-in shower and a large walk-in cupboard, which has a door through to the master that can be used if required. The remaining double is in the rotunda of the oast house and so the ceiling goes right up to the apex of the oast, making it very light and airy, and like all of the bedrooms it commands wonderful views out across the surrounding countryside. A Rural Idyll The doors from the dining room open to a sunken south-facing patio that is a lovely sheltered area for summer dining and entertaining and is edged with a mix of flowers and banks of lavender so is wonderfully fragrant in the evening. The acre of grounds encircle the property and the lawns are dotted with mature trees such as walnut, ornamental cherry, crab apple, maples, eucalyptus and an unusual metasequoia tree. There is also a pretty summerhouse, various well-positioned seating areas for taking in the views, and a barn that has planning for conversion to a 2-3 bed annexe if anyone is looking for a project. One of the things the current owners will miss most is the peace and quiet and delightful rural setting. It has been a great place to bring up the children as they have had so much freedom and we never had to worry about them making too much noise. A network of footpaths provides interesting walks, especially if you fancy a drink at one of the local pubs halfway round, there is a good choice of both private and state schools in the local area and it is only ten minutes from a mainline station and the A120. Agents Notes: All measurements are approximate and quoted in imperial with metric equivalents and for general guidance only and whilst every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy, they must not be relied on. The fixtures, fittings and appliances referred to have not been tested and therefore no guarantee can be given that they are in working order. Internal photographs are reproduced for general information and it must not be inferred that any item shown is included with the property. For a free valuation, contact the numbers listed on the brochure. Registered in England and Wales. Company Reg. No Registered Office: Essex Country Properties Ltd. 15B Regatta Quay, Key Street, Ipswich, Suffolk IP4 1FH

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