Property description

With an attractive stone frontage overlooking the village street, Top House is a splendid Grade II listed period residence set within extremely secluded and private grounds in the heart of Cranford. The property dates from the early sixteenth century and retains many fine period features including oak beams, pretty stone-mullioned windows with original shutters, paneled doors and a magnificent inglenook fireplace. Later nineteenth and twentieth century additions have extended the house adding elegantly proportioned rooms with deep bay, sash windows overlooking an attractive courtyard patio, and more recently the property has been refurbished throughout to create a welcoming and stylish home that combines its historic character and charm with modern additions including a Conservatory with under-floor heating and a spacious Kitchen and Breakfast Room. Extensive outbuildings set around a rear courtyard include a lovely self-contained Coach House featuring a ground floor games room and bar, and a first-floor two bedroom apartment. The house is surrounded by around four acres of delightful gardens that include sheltered lawns and a secluded courtyard with a heated outdoor swimming pool and there is the further benefit of a 20 acre paddock, extensive stabling and a fully stocked trout lake at the far perimeter. With its lovely grounds and private setting, Top House is an impressive and welcoming village residence with extensive spacious accommodation in an excellent location.

THE HOUSE
Electric gates open into the side courtyard and there are entrance doors to the house from the courtyard, patio and the village-facing frontage.

Ground Floor - Entrance Hall
Entering from the patio, the front door opens into a sunny Hall which links the main reception rooms and has a lovely deep bay window. Stairs lead to the first floor.

Dining Room
This impressive room is ideal for entertaining, and has a high ceiling with intricate cornicing, as well as decorative paneling, dado rail, teak floors and a stone fireplace. There are windows on two sides of the house and a door connects through to the Drawing Room.

Drawing Room
The elegant Drawing Room has lovely proportions with tall ceilings and a deep bay window looking out over the patio. There is English Oak flooring and a fireplace with an open grate, and double doors open it up to the Conservatory.

Conservatory
This stylish space has windows on three sides with lovely views of the grounds, Travertine tiled flooring with underfloor heating and wide French doors opening it up to the garden beyond.

Cloakroom
With a white basin set in a marble-topped Roca vanity unit, and WC. A large cupboard houses the boiler plus space for household equipment.

Snug
A cosy room in the oldest section of the house, this has attractive stone-mullioned windows with original working shutters and a window seat, and a wood-burning stove set in a wide stone hearth. A door leads to the Office and Gun Room which has a window to the front.

Family Room/Entrance Hall
This splendid space is set in the heart of the sixteenth century part of the house, within what was probably the original Entrance Hall. The central feature is the magnificent inglenook fireplace whose immense cross-beam is reputed to have come from a ship of the Armada fleet. The ceiling has splendid original beams, there is a stone-mullioned window to the front and the handsome carved staircase leads up to the first floor. To one side a door leads to an inner vestibule and the front door, so the room could be used as an impressive Entrance Hall.

Living Room
A deep square bay window overlooks the patio and floods this attractive room with light. The stone fireplace has a gas flame-effect fire and there are fitted alcove cupboards with display shelving.

Kitchen & Breakfast Room
This splendid, welcoming space features a bespoke solid-oak painted Kitchen and a sunny seating and entertaining area within a recently added extension. Light floods in from windows to the front and on both sides and French doors from the seating area lead out to the courtyard. The Kitchen itself is fitted with a range of wall and base units with granite work-surfaces and include a double Belfast sink with mixer tap as well as a preparation butler's sink close to the oven. The gas-fired four oven AGA has a warming plate and four-ring gas hob, there is an integrated washing machine and space for a free-standing US style fridge/freezer. The practical stone flooring is by Fired Earth as is one of the island units; a second island sits within the main Kitchen area and both have seating.

First Floor - Landings
The splendid staircase leads from the Family Room past a large sash window with views of the garden, to the first floor Landing which serves the Master Bedroom Suite. The second staircase leads from the Hall to a Landing that links the first floor bedrooms, at the far end of which are stairs to the second floor and a back staircase to the Kitchen.

Master Bedroom Suite
The magnificent Master Bedroom has windows on two sides, Australian oak flooring and a pretty fireplace with Delft tiling. There is an impressive range of fitted wardrobes and lovely views over the garden. A door leads to the adjacent Dressing Room which has space for wardrobes and a deep sash window overlooking the patio. Along the landing is a Shower Room with tiled flooring, white Roca basin, WC and Monsoon shower and a separate Cloakroom with WC.

Bedroom Two
(far end of first floor over Living Room)A charming guest room overlooking the patio, with fitted wardrobes and a cast-iron fireplace.

Bedroom Three
A sunny room two windows, a pretty fireplace and fitted wardrobe.

Bedroom Four
With views of the garden, this has doors to both Landings and serves as link between each wing of the first floor.

Bathroom
With a white suite comprising raised Jacuzzi bath with mixer tap and hand-held shower, basin and WC. There is a window seat, tiled floor and heated towel rail.

Shower Room
With Monsoon shower, basin, WC and heated towel rail.

Bedroom Five
Steps lead to this spacious room with windows on two sides and fitted wardrobes.

Second Floor Suite - Bedroom Six
Attic stairs lead up to the spacious second floor Suite which comprises a stunning Bathroom with free-standing roll top bath with mixer tap, WC and basin, a sunny Bedroom with gable windows to the front of the house and a Dressing Room/Bedroom with a window to the front.

THE COACH HOUSE
The charming Coach House has been entirely refurbished to create a Games Room and Bar (with wine coolers and fridge) on the ground floor. Stairs lead to a stunning first floor apartment that is flooded with light from windows on all sides. The Living Room has a working fireplace and elegant high ceilings; the Kitchen is fitted with base units, a sink with mixer tap, electric oven and space for a fridge, and the Bathroom has a suite comprising corner bath, basin and WC. The main Bedroom has high ceilings and lovely beams and there is an adjoining single Bedroom.

THE OUTBUILDINGS
Set around the courtyard to the side of the house, are an extensive range of outbuildings. These include a vast Laundry Room fitted with two Belfast sinks and plumbing for two washing machines, as well as Garages with parking for up to three cars and a further open car-port. At the far side are Stables providing looseboxes for up to seven horses.

THE GROUNDS & PADDOCK
The lovely gardens are laid out with sunny patio areas around the house leading to wide expanses of lawns and are surrounded by a pretty spinney planted with many specimen tree varieties. A cobbled patio overlooked by the two wings of the house has a central decorative Koi pond with a fountain and lighting, and steps from here lead to a raised lawn where the thatched, open-sided Breeze House is ideal for entertaining and is shaded by a magnificent horse-chestnut tree at the side of the lawn. Beyond the courtyard is the heated Swimming Pool with space for seating, a covered Hot Tub and a changing room and alongside this is a further decorative natural pond. A tennis lawn has a Summerhouse to one side and a croquet lawn is bordered by mature shrubs and trees. The Paddock which adjoins the garden, is approximately twenty acres; it is fenced and has a water supply as well as Stables with stalls for up to six horses, a hay store and workshop. At the far end of the grounds is the fully stocked Trout Lake with seating to enjoy the wild-life and views.

Property Features :

• A CHARMING PERIOD HOME WITH A STUNNING INTERIOR AND EXTENSIVE SECLUDED GROUNDS, PADDOCK & STABLES
• Hall, Dining Room , Drawing Room
• Conservatory, Snug, Cloakroom, Study & Gun Room, Family Room
• Living Room, Kitchen & Breakfast Room
• Master Bedroom Suite, Second Floor Guest Suite