For Sale6 Bedroom Property in Orznash Oast, Gillridge Lane, Crowborough, TN6 1UR£1,850,000

If living the rural idyll is your ultimate dream, this beautiful converted oast house and attached barn could be the answer. Located in a small enclave of converted farm buildings towards the end of a private lane, this characterful family home nestles in circa 7.5 acres of grounds and a paddock, surrounded by farmland and the countryside in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Sweeping through the entrance to a very spacious driveway bordered by lawn you have your first view of this superb residence with its roundel oast and cowl and attractive barn. The drive leads to a charming oak framed three vehicle garage with a pitched roof and dormer windows and incorporates a first floor studio/gym while another pitched roof building includes two stables, a hay store and a tractor shed. The stone section of the main building is believed to have originally been built around 1780 with the brick barn and roundel being constructed around 1880. Reminders of the origins of the property can be seen in the charming period features that include a plethora of exposed beams. These can be found in many of the rooms including the conveniently located dual aspect office that is just inside the front door and immediately accessed from the hallway where you will find a corridor with storage cupboards and a downstairs WC, washbasin and shower room. The doors throughout the house are solid oak. There is a dual aspect snug with a raft of fitted bookshelves and a Jotul log burner you can cosy up to on a cool winter’s evening, while the elegant light and bright triple aspect circular living room in the oast features a charming brick surround fireplace with a wood mantel as a focal point. It also has a door to the terrace with full height side windows providing extensive views across the garden and beyond. A spacious dining room is just the place for those more formal supper parties and Christmas celebrations and, for ease of catering, it has direct access to the large, modern but country style kitchen/breakfast room. This is designed for anyone who enjoys entertaining and is the ‘hub of the household.’ It includes Spanish marble flooring, a four oven Aga, Farrow and Ball painted shaker style units with blue pearl granite worktops housing a built in oven and combi microwave, a dishwasher and an American style fridge freezer. There is a large central island/breakfast bar with a gas hob and French doors to the impressive pitched roof conservatory with French doors to the terrace. This light and spacious room makes an excellent additional seating and dining area. Adjacent to the kitchen is a utility room and stairs down to the amazing large wine cellar with a wall of wine storage facilities - so just the place to store your favourite Bordeaux or bubbly. Beyond the snug at the other end of the property on the ground floor you will find a double bedroom and ensuite bathroom that is ideal as a separate guest room. Alternatively this room and the snug could make an ideal annex for family members. The rest of the sleeping quarters are on the first and second floor. On the first floor there is a fascinating landing with a vaulted and beamed ceiling with access to two family bathrooms with baths and separate showers and four double bedrooms including a circular triple aspect room in the roundel. While on the second floor there is another vaulted and beamed ceiling landing, including a small study area, with an arched entrance to a triple aspect circular double bedroom in the roundel with spectacular far reaching rural views. Outside there is a large sandstone terrace for outdoor entertaining that is bordered by swathes of lawn large enough for a game of badminton or croquet and is interspersed with beautiful trees and shrubs and leads to a charming lake and a wrought iron gate that opens into the large paddock. The perimeter of the grounds includes high trees and stock fencing while much of the garden is surrounded by close board fences, 2m fencing and nearer to the house there is high-quality estate fencing to keep the deer out of the garden. What the Owner Says: "We moved here nearly 30 years ago with our four small children and had the joy and privilege of being able to complete and enhance the conversation of the oast and barn. It has really been a rural paradise and we shall be very sad to leave but, as the children have now all flown the nest, it is time for us to downsize. We shall have very happy memories of our time here, of when the children were young and enjoyed playing hide and seek in the woodland areas, riding their ponies in the paddock and entertaining friends and family. We even hosted two weddings in the paddock, among other events, and the caterers were delighted to have access to such a lovely kitchen in which to prepare the food. The oast is located halfway along what is reputed to be the longest bridlepath in East Sussex. There are numerous public footpaths close at hand, plus the benefit that as neighbours of Penns Estate, (adjoining the property) it is possible to obtain a six-month walking or riding permit, subject to the agreement of the Estate Office, giving miles of countryside walks for those keen to explore the area further. It is very quiet, peaceful and secluded and much of the time the only sounds you hear are bird songs or the occasional stag call, in season. The grounds and garden are truly ‘wildlife central’ and are filled with a wide variety of feathered friends and furry animals. In the garden there are several unusual trees and shrubs which we planted over the years, plus a small orchard of mixed apple varieties. Pear, quince, currants and gooseberries add to the flavours available. Despite the distinctly rural tranquillity of the location, it is only a couple of miles to Crowborough, which is the largest and highest inland town in East Sussex with delightful historical buildings. It includes Waitrose and other supermarkets, a selection of independent shops, a community cinema and a variety of pubs and eateries. There are recreation grounds such as Goldsmiths with its swimming pool, boating lake and miniature railway as well as golf, tennis and football clubs and annual events such as the Guy Fawkes Night celebration and a carnival as well as a Christmas and summer fair. A dry ski slope is available at Bowles Outdoor Centre in Eridge and rock climbing close by. While you can go sailing and enjoy other water sports at Bewl Water and riding and walking in nearby Ashdown Forest. There are also a number of good primary schools in the town and the local Beacon Academy secondary school is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, as is Uckfield College. The mainline station at Crowborough has trains to London Bridge that take just over an hour while trains from Tunbridge Wells can be in London Bridge in 44 minutes. There is also an excellent road network with the A26 close by for access to the A21/M25. Historic Tunbridge Wells is within easy driving distance and includes theatres, a cinema complex, a wide range of high street stores and independent shops, the famous Pantiles and a wide variety of restaurants, cafes and pubs. There are also excellent schools including Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, the St Gregory’s Catholic School as well as Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar School and Skinners Grammar School. You will also find first class private schools in the area including Rosehill, The Mead, Kent College, Holmewood House and Beechwood prep and secondary school". * These comments are the personal views of the current owner and are included as an insight into life at the property. They have not been independently verified, should not be relied on without verification and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agent.