Location

The property is located on a quiet country road on the outskirts of Hankelow, a small attractive village with local Church and large village green.

The larger village of Audlem is approximately 1.5 miles South. Audlem is an attractive, extremely well serviced award-winning country village, the centre of which is designated as a Conservation Area, well known for its Church dating back to 1279. Audlem has a medical practice, chemist, primary school, play group, three public houses and a range of shops. It is also the location of 15 locks on the Shropshire Union Canal.

The popular historic market town of Nantwich is about 7 miles away. Nantwich is renowned for its beautiful architecture and character and offers more extensive shopping facilities. The town of Crewe is approximately 10 Miles North.

Four major motorways which cross Cheshire ensure fast access to the key commercial centres of Britain and are linked to Nantwich by the A500 Link Road. Manchester Airport, one of Europe's busiest and fastest developing, is typically within a 45-minute drive of Nantwich. Frequent trains from Crewe railway station (10 miles North) link Cheshire to London-Euston in as little as 1hr 30mins. Manchester and Liverpool offer alternative big city entertainment. Internationally famous football teams, theatres and concert halls are just some of the many attractions.

(All travel times and distances approximate)

Description

One-of-a-kind renovated Mill with working water wheel and 450m-long riverside garden, set in an idyllic location in mid-Cheshire

Dating back to the early 19th Century and now Grade-II listed, the property originally operated as a working water-powered corn mill. The impressive redevelopment has incorporated and showcased much of the original mill mechanics including the original water wheel itself, which remains functional. The end result is a remarkable property; a piece of Victorian industrial history completely transformed into a comfortable, high-specification waterfront home, packed with truly unique features and positioned in a spectacular plot.

The property is accessed via a generous block-paved driveway which can accommodate at least four vehicles and backs onto the water. External stairs rise to a semi-circular raised terrace area with balustrade surround. East-facing, it's an excellent morning breakfast spot in the warmer months, with views both up and down the river. From the terrace, a door leads into an entrance hallway with cloakroom/W.C, and beyond this, spanning the full depth of the mill, is the open-plan kitchen/living/diner. The kitchen area occupies the rear section of the room, with a stylish Christians kitchen, generous island and premium fixtures and fittings including boiling water tap and Miele appliances. There is an adjacent breakfast area or snug with original open fire, while the front of the room is currently arranged as a dining area, external door out onto the large upper rear terrace, with fabulous views across the water beyond. A particular highlight is a circular section of toughened glass on the floor, exposing the retained machinery of the mill below. Beyond the dining area is a link-room, with staircases leading to the lower ground floor and up to the bedrooms on the first floor, under-stair study area, plus access though to the main living room. This double room was opened up by the current owners, now dual aspect with front and rear windows, offering generous, versatile living space. There is a feature log burner, solid wood flooring and additional access point to the upper terrace, extending the living space in the warmer months.

Downstairs, the property opens into a remarkable living space dominated by the vast iron and wooden apparatus of the wheel pit; the machinery once home to the millstones and connected to the water wheel itself. It's a spectacular room with barrelled exposed-brick ceilings, original beams and stone flooring, currently used as an additional living room and wine store. Two sets of solid English Oak doors lead to a well-equipped utility room and a spacious multi-purpose room, currently arranged as a studio/gym/cinema. An external door provides access to the covered lower rear terrace, home to the oil tank, various storage spaces including wood store, and of course the space under the Mill housing the water wheel.

The three double bedrooms are located on the first floor, along with an impressive family bathroom with Sandstone tiles, multi-function shower and raised bath. The two bedrooms at either end of the Mill are especially spacious, one with dressing room and one with en suite shower room. A spiral staircase rises from the West bedroom, providing access to four linked storage rooms with fitted shelving in the roof space.

The waterfront gardens extend to the front and rear. To the front, and the Southerly aspect, a glass summer house sits within landscaped box hedging, providing a wonderful sunny spot beside the water. To the rear, the garden stretches approximately 450m as a long strip of land running between the Mill Pond and river, culminating in an open area with a greenhouse with electricity and water supply, plus 15 raised beds and storage. There are operational sluice gates which allow residents to regulate the levels of the Mill Pond. In total the land extends to about 3.5 acres.