Upper Green, Higham, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28

An exceptional period family home, superbly set in grounds of just over 3/4 of an acre, with an excellent range of garden outbuildings and garages.

Entrance porch, dining hall, drawing room, sitting room/snug, study, kitchen/breakfast room, utility/pantry and a cloakroom.

First floor landing, master bedroom with en-suite shower room, four further bedrooms (one with loft playroom) and two-family bath/shower rooms.

Detached workshop & storeroom building, gated driveway, parking & triple bay garaging, lean-to garden machinery store, garden house & pergola alfresco dining area and mature private gardens, grounds and pond.

In all about 0.78 of an acre (sts).

THE PROPERTY
Willow Bank House is an outstanding family home of significant character and substance, originally believed to date back to around the early 1800’s. It is understood to have been extended to the side and the rear, creating substantial accommodation of over 2,700 sq ft. The house, which has not been grade listed, has been well maintained by the current owners, who have raised their children here over the past 44 years and it benefits from good ceiling heights and well-proportioned rooms in the main. Appealing character features include open and feature fireplaces, log burning stoves, exposed timbers and far-reaching rolling countryside views to the south/west, from the principal bedrooms to the front.

This spacious home is arranged well with the family kitchen/breakfast room to the rear, with the utility/boiler room leading off it, overlooking and opening to the wonderful rear gardens and with the three main reception rooms enjoying traditional sash window bays to the front. A path from the front personal gate leads to the front door which opens to the central dining hall. The drawing room to the side is a light room with windows to two elevations, characterful exposed ceiling timbers and chimney brickwork, with alcove display shelving to either side. To the other side of the dining hall, the sitting room snug is a wonderfully atmospheric room, again with windows to two elevations, a traditional fireplace with an inset log burning stove and display alcoves and shelving. A study benefits from independent doorway access from the rear garden and so can be visited without the need to go through the house.

The accommodation is arranged over three floors, with four main family bedrooms on the first floor served by two family bath/shower rooms and a convenient en-suite shower for the master bedroom, as well as excellent countryside views over the lane to the front. The top floor room can be used as a fifth bedroom accessed from the first-floor landing and there is separate access from the third bedroom, up a fixed stepladder, to a children’s loft room play space, with low pitched ceiling.

THE OUTBUILDING
Believed to have been built at the same time as the original dwelling, this detached brick, flint and clunch block outbuilding has a date stone with the date 1826. This building is currently used as a workshop and storeroom conveniently accessed to the side of the house.

OUTSIDE
The grounds of this wonderful home are a most appealing feature being mainly hedge and fence enclosed, well maintained and thoughtfully set out and arranged. To the front is a charming duck pond and there is a long gated gravelled drive leading down the side and around to the parking ‘courtyard’. Mature gardens surround the house, extending in all to around 0.78 of an acre.

Outbuildings include a useful triple bay garage with up and over doors to the front and a lean-to garden machinery store. There is also an excellent detached garden house with French doors, power, light and electric heating. The rear gardens are predominantly laid to lawn with a terraced area abutting the rear of the house with flower beds and borders and there is a delightful pergola alfresco dining area.

Agents note: It is understood that the eastern side of the garden, that was purchased by the current owners over 40 years ago, to add to the grounds, has a covenant restricting the land for use as ‘a private garden or paddock’.

LOCATION
Willow Bank House is well located in this peaceful semi-rural setting south of the A14 and standing on the southern outskirts of this attractive village, positioned in beautiful rolling countryside. The nearby towns of Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket offer a wide range of local facilities including shopping, hotels, restaurants, schools and leisure facilities, with nearby Barrow affording a village store and post office, primary school, doctors’ surgery, a well-regarded pub, a riding stables and country pursuits store.

More comprehensive facilities can be found in the cathedral town of Bury St Edmunds which offers a full range of schooling, recreational and shopping facilities, including the Arc shopping centre. Cultural amenities include the impressive Georgian Theatre Royal and The Abbey Gardens. The nearby centres of Cambridge and Newmarket are also both within easy reach and the international airport at Stansted is about 43 miles away where, in addition to air services, there is an express train service to London.

For road communications the A11/M11 is easily accessed via the A14 and for the rail commuter there are fast and regular mainline services from Cambridge and Stowmarket, with a link line station at Kennett (4 miles) for the Cambridge to Ipswich link line.

DIRECTIONS
From Bury St Edmunds proceed west on the A14, taking junction 40 signposted Higham. Follow the signs to Higham and proceed into the village taking the left-hand fork at the Memorial Green. Proceed into Upper Green and take the right hand turning signposted to Gazeley 1 mile. The drive for Willow Bank House will be found immediately on the right.

PROPERTY INFORMATION
Services Mains water & electricity. Oil fired central heating. Septic Tank private drainage.
Local Authority West Suffolk Council
Tenure Freehold
Council Tax Band F
Broadband Ofcom states speeds available of up to 1800Mbps
Mobile Signal/Coverage Yes - varies depending on network provider. Please visit www.ofcom.org.uk to check availability
Viewing Only by appointment with Jackson-Stops Tel: 01284 700535