Leigh, Ibberton, Blandford Forum, DT11

A PERFECT COMBINATION OF LOVELY COUNTRY HOME, A GOOD HOLDING OF LAND, ADDITIONAL COTTAGE AND OUTBUILDINGS ALL IN A LOVELY RURAL SETTING. Kitford Cottage is a perfect combination of a comfortable family home, separate cottage and a good holding of land in a wonderful location with a fabulous views. Situated in the lovely countryside just west of Okeford Hill and Bulbarrow, and with no immediate neighbours, Kitford Cottage has been home to our clients for about 10 years. The two original cottages were merged in the 60's to create one more generous house which with subsequent extensions and alterations now extends to about 2,200 sq/ft. The accommodation is attractively presented throughout and now comprises an entrance hall, dining room and sitting room in the original house with a smart galley style country kitchen opening into the fabulous oak framed garden room which has a wonderful outlook. A cloakroom and utility room complete the ground floor and upstairs there are 3 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a study on the landing. The existing accommodation is nicely supplemented by a spacious modern open plan one bedroom annexe, and there is still potential to further enlarge the main house and put up more outbuildings, subject to the required consents. All in all, Kitford Cottage provides one of those rare opportunities to buy an already excellent country house which has lots of potential and is in an outstanding rural location that is both quiet and private. Extending to about 4.75 acres the garden and paddock are an important feature of the property, with the house being in a slightly elevated position, giving it a lovely view across the garden towards Bulbarrow. Well off the beaten track, the house is approached off the lane through a five-bared gate with the cottage, garages and a gravel parking area in front of you. The drive runs on down to the rear of the main house through a largely informal garden that is laid to lawn but interspersed with mature borders, wildlife areas and a variety of fruit trees. Immediately behind the house there is a productive kitchen garden and from here the lawn wraps around the house and runs down to the Devilish Brook on the boundary. Kitford Cottage is approached off quiet back lane between Ibberton and Fifehead St Quintin, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale and to the west of Okeford Hill and Bulbarrow. This is a very rural location, but it is by no means isolated and there are local pubs, village shops, post offices and primary schools a few miles away in Okeford Fitzpaine and Hazelbury Bryan, and nearby Sturminster Newton has a Co-op grocery store and Harts of Stur (a renowned kitchen, hardware and garden store). The historic Georgian town of Blandford Forum is only a 20 minute drive away with its busy market square, M&S Food Hall (Ocado), Tesco, Lidl and Homebase superstores and, 20 minutes in the other direction the attractive Abbey town of Sherborne is perfectly located on the West Country mainline; the station has regular fast trains to London, Waterloo (about 2 hrs), and there is a Waitrose as well. Set in the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) the village is surrounded by lovely countryside for walking, cycling and riding with professional livery nearby. In not much more than 45 minutes you can be on the beach at Studland or Lulworth or walking along the world-famous Jurassic Coast. Easy access onto the A31 makes commuting to Dorchester or Poole and Bournemouth very straightforward, and a quick link on to the M27/M3 or the A303/M3 means London is only about 2 hours away by car. This part of Dorset has also become popular because of a number of independent schools; Bryanston, Sherborne, Milton Abbey and Knighton House (prep) are on the doorstep. Canford and Clayesmore, along with both Hanford and Port Regis (prep) are nearby. All mains electricity and water are available at the property. Private drainage (septic tank). Oil fired central heating and hot water. Good Broadband.