A detached family house in a rural location with extensive ground floor accommodation incorporating an annex suitable for extended family, home business or self contained flat. Many period features and much exposed timber work. Gardens and grounds of about one third of an acre.
| Situation and Description | 'Batts Close' is believed to date back to the 16th Century having a fascinating history and well known in the area as a former smugglers retreat as detailed in Richard Platts book 'Smugglers Britain'. Substantially constructed of stone and cob under a thatched roof, the house, which has been described as looking like a chocolate box cottage, has been extended in more recent years and retains an immense amount of character with many panelled rooms and much exposed timber work. The dining room in particular is of exceptional charm having a bath stone fireplace with lovely timber surround incorporating old English marquetry. Many of the internal doors are also in timber having cottage latches and there are exposed timbers to many of the ceilings. LPG central heating is installed and the double glazed Everest windows have attractive leaded light.
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| . | Conveniently situated on the fringes of the popular village of Offwell 'Batts Close' is close to the A35 Lyme Regis road and is only minutes away by car from Honiton and the A30 dual carriageway which provides a fast and easy links to the City of Exeter and M5 motorway. In addition to supermarkets and local facilities Honiton has a main line railway station where trains to London Waterloo can be boarded. The nearby village of Offwell has an excellent community shop and the primary school has been described as outstanding in recent Ofsted reports.
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| . | The fitted kitchen and breakfast room have an extensive range of modern fitted units providing storage and incorporating integrated appliances together with an electric cooking range in addition to the oil fired Aga cooker.
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| . | The ground floor suite, which has been used as a grandad annex, provides additional and versatile accommodation that could very easily be used as a self contained annex if required by incorporating the adjoining utility room which is already fitted out as a kitchen. Most of the principle rooms look out across the attractive meticulously maintained cottage gardens with feature dovecote together with many mature trees and colourful flower beds.
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| THE ACCOMMODATION WITH | APPROXIMATE MEASUREMENTS COMPRISES.
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| Entrance Hallway: | Heavy studded front door opening from the entrance porch with outside light. Double central heating radiator. Wall light. Leaded light window overlooking the entrance forecourt. A panel door opens to the ground floor suite and an archway opens to the inner hallway from where a staircase rises to the first floor landing above.
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| Sitting Room: | 12'2\" x 15'9\" (3.7m x 4.8m). Into wide west facing bow window with central heating radiator. French doors with leaded lights open onto the adjoining terrace providing direct access into the garden. Further leaded light window with seat overlooking the entrance forecourt. Exposed ceiling timbers and a Minster fireplace enhance the character of this lovely triple aspect room.
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| Dining Room: | 15'1\" x 11'6\" (4.6m x 3.5m). A well proportioned double aspect room with great charm and character having panelled walls and with a particularly attractive bath stone fireplace with heavily carved mantle shelf and timber surround with fine old English marquetery with further linen fold and carved panelling above depicting the words 'faith, hope and charity'. Leaded light windows to front and rear elevations both with deep display sills. Two fitted wall lights. Double central heating radiator. Polished parquet floor and exposed timbers to ceiling. Display alcove beside the fireplace with fitted book shelves.
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| Breakfast Room: | 23'11\" (7.3m) x 9'6\" (2.9m) narrowing to 7'7\" (2.3m). In the entrance lobby which has a stone flagged floor and with an old ships door providing direct access into the utility room. The breakfast room enjoys a double aspect with leaded light windows and stable door opening onto the adjoining paved terrace which again provides direct access to the garden. Ceramic tiled floor. Part panelling to dado rail height. An extensive range of fitted cupboards with display shelf and glass fronted display cabinets over. Oil fired Aga cooker in white with attractive tiling over. Additional fitted dresser unit with display cupboards. This room opens into
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| Kitchen: | 15'1\" x 11'2\" (4.6m x 3.4m). Open plan to the adjoining breakfast room and having the same tiled floor, this bright and spacious room also has two leaded light windows. The fitted units are in a farmhouse style and have matching timber facings with high gloss laminate working surfaces. Inset white porcelain sink with mixer taps. Cooker recess fitted with electric range cooker having double oven and six halogen plates. High capacity extractor canopy over. The integrated units incorporate a dishwasher and refrigerator. There are also vegetable baskets and display shelves. Large peninsular unit having fitted cupboards and drawers beneath wide working surface. Five fitted wall lights. Recessed spotlights to ceiling. Central heating radiator.
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| Utility Room: | 10'10\" x 9'6\" (3.3m x 2.9m). Fitted with a range of modern units having matching facings. This utility room could be incorporated into the adjoining ground floor suite to provide a self contained annex. Sink unit with vegetable tidy and mixer taps inset into wide working surface with cupboards and drawers beneath together with space, plumbing and points for washing machine. Two further base units also with cupboards and drawers and fitted store cupboard. Extractor fan. Ceramic tiled floor. Spotlights to ceiling. Leaded light window. Central heating radiator. Built in shelved cupboard. Oil fired boiler for domestic hot water and central heating concealed in a corner beneath working surface. A panel door opens to an inner hallway which leads through from the ground floor suite and has built in cupboards and central heating radiator.
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| Shower Room: | A pretty cottage suite in white comprising low level WC and basin with cupboard beneath. Corner cubicle with Mira shower. Ceramic tiled floor. Extractor fan. Heated towel rail. Window to rear aspect.
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| First Floor Landing | Accessed from the hallway below by the turning staircase which has a leaded light window above the half landing. Further wide leaded light window with deep display sill. Central heating radiator. Part panelled walls and exposed timber work to ceiling.
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| Bedroom One: | 13'9\" x 9'10\" (4.2m x 3m). A double aspect room with three leaded light windows overlooking the gardens and grounds. Fitted vanity unit with tiled splash back and wall light. Fitted airing cupboard housing factory lagged copper hot water cylinder. Central heating radiator. Fitted wardrobes on either side of deep display sill with cupboards beneath.
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| Bedroom Two: | 12'6\" x 12'10\" (3.8m x 3.91m). Average
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| . | A slightly irregular shaped room enjoying a triple aspect with leaded light windows overlooking the gardens and grounds with deep display sills. Double central heating radiator. Range of fitted wardrobe cupboards and shelved cupboard extend along one wall. Exposed timber work to ceiling.
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| Bedroom Three: | 11'10\" x 9'2\" (3.6m x 2.8m). Plus entrance recess
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| . | Views over fields and farmland are enjoyed through a leaded light window. Double central heating radiator.
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| Bedroom Four: | 11'6\" x 8'2\" (3.5m x 2.5m). Central heating radiator beneath leaded light window with window seat which overlooks both the garden and lawn.
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| Bathroom: | 7'10\" x 7'7\" (2.39m x 2.31m). Modern white cottage suite comprising panel bath with tiled surround. Low level WC. Fitted vanity unit with tiled splash back and cupboards beneath. Central heating radiator. Fitted wall lights and spotlights to ceiling. Two fitted shelved cupboards. Extractor fan. High level window with marble sill.
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| GROUND FLOOR SUITE | This versatile and well fitted area is accessed from the main entrance hallway in addition to having a domestic hallway at the rear providing access through to the main kitchen and adjoining utility room which is already fitted out as a kitchen and could easily be incorporated into the suite enabling it to be used as a self contained annex.
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| Sitting Room: | 13'1\" x 12'6\" (3.99m x 3.8m). Another double aspect room with leaded light windows having deep display sills. Central heating radiator. Period style feature fireplace with timber mantel shelf and surround.
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| Double Bedroom: | 13'1\" x 10'10\" (3.99m x 3.3m). Central heating radiator beneath wide window with leaded lights overlooking the gravelled area beside the house. The extensive range of fitted modern bedroom furniture incorporates double fitted wardrobe cupboards in a period style.
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| Inner Hallway: | Built in store cupboard incorporating linen cupboard with slatted shelves. A further door connects through to the utility room/kitchen and also provides access through to the kitchen in the main part of the property.
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| Shower Room Two: | A white cottage suite comprising pedestal wash basin and low level WC. Large shower cubicle with wall mounted shower. Built in airing cupboard with slatted shelves. Ceramic tiled floor. Part panelled walls. Designer heated towel rail. Extractor fan. Double glazed window.
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| Outside |
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| Large Garage | Constructed in stone and timber under a corrugated roof with double timber doors opening onto a concrete hard standing beside the lane. The driveway with curved heel gate opens into the gardens also providing further space for parking.
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| . | The meticulously maintained gardens are laid out with ease of maintenance in mind mainly to lawns interspersed with colourful flower borders, mature shrubs and trees. A pergola draped with clematis forms a central feature together with a dovecot. A log lapped timber shed is cleverly concealed to one side and pathways lead around the house to the entrance forecourt and further gravelled areas screened by conifers. The paved terrace immediately in front of the sitting room and breakfast room enjoys a southerly aspect and is an absolute sun trap.
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| Cedar Chalet | Of log lap construction with a wide entrance, the chalet is positioned in the far corner of the garden fronting onto its own large paved patio. There are further timber sheds and a log store.
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| Services | Mains electricity and water, private drainage, oil fired central heating.
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| Historical Note | Jack Rattenbury the notorious East Devon smuggler is reputed to have lived at Batts Close during the 18th Century using the property as a smugglers retreat and for the storage of illicit contraband. Access to the coast was along a 'sunken lane' the house also has two glass bulls eyes just below the eaves in the western gable. These bottle bottoms were a traditional sign that the house owner was sympathetic to smuggling.
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