Turnerspuddle, Dorchester, DT2

THE WAREHAM FOREST AND PIDDLE VALLEY PROVIDE A PERFECT SETTING FOR THIS IMMACULATELY PRESENTED C17th COUNTRY COTTAGE AND GARDEN.

Enjoying the tranquil surroundings of the Wareham Forest and Piddle Valley, this picture perfect listed C17th cottage was first restored by the previous owner in the 1990’s and as well as making improvements to the structure, the roof was taken off and completely rebuilt. In 2017 our clients acquired the cottage and set about refurbishing the interior and using their design flair and eye for detail they have created a comfortable and stylish home surrounded by a beautiful garden. Stepping into the main reception area there is an exquisitely presented drawing room on one side and a dining room on the other, both with open fireplaces, with a wood burner in one and a gas ‘look alike’ wood burner in the other. At the other end of the cottage there is a fabulous country style kitchen and living space. The sitting area has an inglenook fireplace with another woodburner and there are steps down to the bespoke hand built kitchen with a large central island, quartz work surfaces, limestone flooring and French doors out to the garden. Stairs in the family room take you up to a comfortable arrangement of three double bedrooms and two luxuriously appointed bathrooms. The main bedroom is particularly impressive with a walk-in wardrobe/dressing room and large ensuite shower room. As part of the refurbishment the services were all upgraded or replaced and a new oil fired heating system was installed. The Ridings also has the advantage of an excellent outbuilding with a twin garage and workshop, and a beautifully kept garden of over three quarters of an acre both of which contribute to making this truly impressive cottage a wonderful country home or a perfect rural retreat in a peaceful and beautiful location.

Extending to about ¾ of an acre the gardenis is nicely laid out and beautifully kept, overlooking the Piddle Valley to the front and backing onto open fields. Coming off the lane there is a wide gravel forecourt with plenty of parking and a gate in the cleft fence takes you onto a path round a rose garden and up to the wisteria clad front of the cottage. Two large well maintained lawns are surrounded by mature boarders and planted with a wide variety of native and exotic trees and shrubs. Between the two lawns, with access from the kitchen, there is a large, paved terrace and alfresco dining area with neatly clipped box hedges and borders. The far side of the garden is kept more naturally and private from the rest of the garden, it is a perfect spot for a shepherd’s hut or yurt. To one side of the parking area there is a very impressive brick and tile roofed outbuilding which currently comprises a twin garage, a separate workshop or office and a large attic storage space with a retractable ladder.

The Ridings is situated off the quiet no through lane leading to the tiny village of Turnerspuddle. Apart from the pretty parish church there are no services in the village, but it is only a short drive (2 miles) back in to Bere Regis where there is a local shop and post office, doctors’ surgery, a pub and a petrol station. There are more extensive shops and amenities nearby in Wareham and in under half an hour you can be in historic Blandford Forum, the county town Dorchester or the retail parks around Poole. The beautiful countryside around Turnerspuddle forms part of a National Landscape area (formerly and AONB), there are lovely walks and bike rides straight from the front door and a great many other opportunities for sport and recreation with nearby attractions ranging from Athelhampton House to Monkey World and Bovington Tank Museum, along with some excellent golf courses, water sports in and around Poole Harbour, and Studland Bay and walking and riding in the Wareham forest over the Purbecks, and along Dorset’s renowned Jurassic Coastline. Despite being well off the beaten track communication links are very good. Easy access onto the A31 and A35 at Bere Regis make it an easy commute to Dorchester or across to Poole and Bournemouth, and a quick link on to the M27 takes you further afield to Southampton and Portsmouth and on up to London via M3 (avoiding the traffic, about 2 ½ hours). There are mainline railway stations nearby in Wool and Poole (London Waterloo about 2 hours).

Property information
Tenure: Freehold.
Services: Mains electricity. Private water supply and drainage (package treatment plant). Oil heating.
Broadband and Mobile: Ecellent boadband (FFTP) and reasonable mobile coverage.
EPC: Exempt (listed)
Council Tax: Band G (charge for 2026/27 £4,459.09).
Agents Note; photos taken summer 2023.