Location

The Old Rectory is situated in open countryside on the edge of the small settlement of Little Barford. The larger town of St Neots is situated just to the north where there are good shopping facilities for everyday needs including a Waitrose supermarket. For the commuter St Neot's station provides fast direct services into London's Kings Cross station taking from 40 minutes and the A1 is 3.5 miles to the west or south which leads to the M25 and to London.

The high tech University City of Cambridge is 18 miles to the east and Bedford 12 miles to the south west. Excellent independent schools are found at Bedford, Kimbolton and Cambridge with local schooling in St Neot's.

Following the death of Nigel Alington in 2018 the Alington Estate, which surrounds the property, was sold to Lands Improvement, a master developer which is promoting the wider estate for the development of a Garden Community. At this point their proposals are being formulated through a public consultation process in advance of a formal planning application and further information can be found about the proposed scheme together with timelines for the consultation and planning process at littlebarfordgardencommunity.co.uk.

Major infrastructure improvements are planned and underway in the area including the dualling of the A428 from the A1 Black Cat roundabout eastwards to the Caxton Gibbet (due to complete in 2027). The East West Railway project is also underway which, when completed, will link Oxford and Cambridge via Milton Keynes & Bedford. The proposed eastern section of the route from Bedford is not yet started but current plans include a new station serving the local area at nearby Tempsford, south of Little Barford.

All distances and times are approximate.

Description

Dating from around 1865, The Old Rectory is a substantial property built of Cambridgeshire brick under a clay plain tiled roof. The house was comprehensively restored in the late 1990s with particular emphasis on the period details and it has well proportioned, light rooms with tall ceilings which flow well.

Further improvements have been carried out in more recent years which include the installation of very high-quality double-glazed timber sash windows, and more recent internal changes have resulted in the principal reception room having been further enhanced by opening it into an adjacent room creating a wonderful light and spacious room. The fantastic vaulted sitting area near the kitchen connects to the garden via the rear verandah and incorporates a mezzanine floor approached via a spiral staircase from the rear hall together with an adjoining utility room.

From the panelled entrance door, the wide entrance hall provides direct access to the main reception rooms. The large drawing room has a south facing bay overlooking the gardens with an open fireplace, and the dining room also has an open fireplace and exposed wooden flooring. The stunning Farmhouse style kitchen has a four-oven Aga cooker (not oil fired), a central island, Limestone flooring, and a range of wall and floor mounted shaker style units with Silestone worktops, a glazed butler sink together with other integrated appliances including a dishwasher.

At first floor, the principal bedroom has an en suite shower room together with an adjacent former bedroom which has been fitted out as a dressing room. Three of the five double bedrooms have adjacent shower rooms and there is also a large family bathroom with a central free-standing bath.

The conversion of the coach house into subsidiary accommodation has resulted in a large reception room which has been used as a home cinema and a second room, a well-proportioned gym.

The accommodation is shown in full detail in the attached floor plans.

The property has an in-out drive with remote controlled electric gates to the southern entrance with entry phone security. A winding shingled drive passes through the front garden which features several mature specimen trees including a Cedar of Lebanon, Wellingtonia and fir trees. The rear part-walled garden has been redesigned with some planting, deep flower beds, wild flower areas, further mature trees and clipped Yew hedging.

The rear veranda provides a shady place to sit and enjoy it all. A five-bar gate to the side of the house leads into a courtyard with barbecue area incorporating an outdoor sink, and from here there is access to the converted coach house. To the rear of this there is a cart lodge for the parking of several cars. In all about 2.37 acres.