Property description

A unique one off opportunity to purchase a fantastic period house with its own private nature reserve. If you had ever dreamed of walking out of your back door and into your very own wholly owned wildlife reserve, then The Malt house is exactly what you have been waiting for. Set on the edge of the New Forest National Park, the property is a 400 year old detached four bedroom thatched cottage which is presented in immaculate order. The cottage has all one would expect from a New Forest home, as along with its four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and shower room, there are 3 receptions rooms, kitchen/breakfast room and conservatory. To compliment the house are pretty cottage gardens, as well as a paddock with stables and an array of garaging and outbuildings. However, beyond all of this is the 'jewel in the crown' with over 37 acres of prime wildlife habitat, which has been reclaimed from the original gravel pits. In fact the reclamation scheme has won national awards for being the best in the UK. The range of wildlife on show is utterly stupendous, as it is attracted by a range of habitats including the lake, still areas of ponds and grasslands. In just one visit we saw Great Crested Grebes, Egrets, Kingfishers, Oystercatchers and Shelducks, however any list would be incalculable as the seasons and days change.

Without overstatement, this is one of the most important properties to have become available in recent years and we thoroughly recommend viewing at your earliest opportunity.

The House
Believed to be over 400 years old, the property is not Listed and has in recent years undergone complete refurbishment, and is now presented in stunning order, and offers fabulous accommodation over three floors including a striking Entrance Hall/Reception which has a beamed vaulted ceiling, Living Room with log burner, Dining Room with inglenook fireplace, Sitting Room, Kitchen and Breakfast Room, shower room, along with a large Conservatory. On the first floor there is a lovely triple aspect Master Bedroom with a fantastic En Suite Shower Room, a further two Double Bedrooms, Family Bathroom and then stairs lead up to a fourth Bedroom on the second floor.

Outside
The house is set within very pretty cottage gardens which offer a high degree of privacy. There is a large sweep in driveway that leads to a substantial in tandem double garage, along with numerous stores. The formal gardens then lead into a paddock, which links the house with the main grounds and lake. The paddock has two stables and a large store. From the paddock the grounds then open out into the lakes and its surrounds. There is a small jetty and lakeside cabin, which enjoys all the mod cons, and gives a fantastic vantage point to enjoy the lake and wildlife. The main highlight of this property are the lakes which were created from redundant gravel pits. The development of the lakes has been on-going for the last 8 years with a conservation management plan in place in conjunction with the planning authority. The management has been so successful that the scheme was nationally recognised as being the best in the UK, and has won a national award. The idea was to create a mixture of habitats which encouraged as many species as possible, and the results are of national significance.

Situation
The property is situated along a country lane in the small village of Ibsley in the New Forest. Ibsley Common is nearby, along with a fantastic local farm shop at South Gorley. There are a further wide range of local amenities and facilities in the nearby towns of Ringwood (3 miles) and Fordingbridge (4 miles). To the north, the Cathedral city of Salisbury (14 miles) offers an extensive range of leisure and recreational facilities. Communications are excellent with mainline rail services to London Waterloo from Salisbury (85 minutes) or Southampton Parkway (from 66 minutes). Access to the motorway link via the A31 at Ringwood, is only 10 miles from junction 1 of the M27, linking with the M3 to London. Southampton and Bournemouth airports are both within easy driving distance (25 miles and 11 miles respectively). The New Forest provides wonderful opportunities for a variety of recreational activities, especially walking, sailing and riding. A whole host of other leisure activities are available along the south coast at various centres including Poole, Bournemouth, Southampton, Christchurch and Lymington.

Property Features :

• Entrance Hall
• Kitchen/Breakfast Room
• Sitting Room
• Dining Room
• Living Room