Location

The Old Rectory enjoys a glorious, rural position in the village of Fifehead Neville, which is made up of largely period cottages and houses, a village hall and the pretty church of All Saints.

The village is rural and amongst some of Dorset’s most delightful countryside, where Dairy farming predominates.

The property is just 3 miles from the popular market town of Sturminster Newton, which has a weekly market, active arts centre, doctors surgery, supermarket, traditional butcher and delicatessen, cafes, pubs and dental practices.

The county town of Dorchester lies to the south and offers a wide range of facilities and other towns in the area include Shaftesbury, Blandford Forum and Sherborne.

Gillingham has a mainline station to London Waterloo (approximately 2 hours).

Racing is at Wincanton, Salisbury, and Bath; golf at Blandford Forum, Rushmore, Sherborne, Salisbury and Wincanton; theatres at Salisbury, Poole, Bournemouth and Bath. Walking, cycling and riding in this unspoilt part of Dorset.   

The property is within striking distance of the Isle of Purbeck, with its rugged coastline and the New Forest to the East. Poole and Bournemouth are within an hour’s drive.

The A303 provides access to the south west and London, via the M3.

Private schools include Bryanston, Canford, Milton Abbey, Clayesmore, Leweston, Sherborne and Sherborne School for Girls. Prep schools include Port Regis, Sandroyd, Hanford, Bryanston Prep and Clayesmore Prep. There is a primary school in Sturminster Newton (William Barnes Primary School). Sturminster High School and Gillingham School are both popular secondary schools.

Description

The Old Rectory was built in the mid to late 19th century with classically Victorian architecture. The house has light, spacious accommodation arranged over three floors and handsome, Marnhull stone elevations under a pitched slate roof. The house is largely in its original form with many of the rooms having delightful views over the lovely gardens and countryside beyond. On the ground floor are three elegant reception rooms with fireplaces, good ceiling heights, large sash windows and working shutters. To the rear of the house is the kitchen with AGA, pantry, store rooms, utility, cloakroom and cellar. On the first floor are four good bedrooms and two bathrooms. The second floor offers three further bedrooms, a bathroom and kitchen, having been used in the past as an apartment.   

Outside
A driveway from the lane provides ample parking to the west of the house, access to garaging at the rear and there is a five bar gate into the paddock. The gardens are a major feature of the property, with a large level lawn taking pride of place to the front (south) of the house, bordered from the lane by mature hedging and there are several mature specimen trees. From here are distant uninterrupted views to Bulbarrow Hill. To the east of the main lawn a mature hedge separates to provide access to a further splendid area of formal garden with a Parterre, patch for vegetable production and a fruit cage. Towards the eastern boundary is a further area with some fine mature trees, shrubs and borders. To the rear of the garden running east to west is a paddock in two enclosures and with separate access to the lane. In all the whole extends to about 3.47 acres

AGENTS NOTES: We wish to inform prospective buyers of this property that the seller is related to a Savills employee. A public footpath crosses the paddock to the rear.

Directions

From Sturminster Newton take the A356 towards Sherborne. About quarter of a mile from the traffic lights at Sturminster Newton bridge, turn left up Glue Hill signposted to Hazelbury Bryan. Follow the lane past the Plumber Manor Hotel, and after about 2 miles turn left signposted to Fifehead Neville. Proceed into the village and The Old Rectory will be found on the left beyond the Church.