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BSPC FEATURE PROPERTY
A cleverly converted former smithy near Some homes have features that make them more conducive to summer living, while others clearly yearn for Christmas trees and winter evenings around the fire. And some – Millburn Smithy included – cater for both in equal measures. In summer, this superbly well designed converted smithy has just under an acre of garden ground and split-level decking extending from the living area to create the most stunning outside space for relaxation and entertaining. And when the temperature plummets, the benefits of double-glazing and high specification insulation kick in and the views of the surrounding countryside are best appreciated in front of the wood-burning stove in the lofty living space. Built in 1845 as a school for Duns Castle Estate, the building later became a smithy and in 2010 was converted and extended by the current owner in a project that stripped the existing building right back to the stone, enlarged it and literally created a new house within the walls of the former smithy.
The location is one that is hard to better – positioned in a picturesque and very private setting with the Mill Burn flowing nearby, yet only a five-minute/three-mile drive from the Berwickshire town of Duns.
The accommodation consists of a magnificent, almost 30ft long, open-plan living/dining/kitchen area with a rustic looking exposed stone wall and a wood-burning stove with space for storing logs around it.
Doing full justice to this site is a home that has been built and finished to an exacting standard using top quality materials, such as locally sourced hardwood flooring and oak kitchen units topped by inch-and-a -half-thick butcher’s block work surfaces and integrated appliances.
Adding to the wow factor is a high ceiling with exposed beams and bi-fold doors to the broad raised deck, which creates a spectacular indoor/outdoor flow when weather permits.
BSPC FEATURE PROPERTY
Duns is now a home for the future The ground floor’s split-level layout also incorporates a cloakroom off the entrance vestibule, three bedrooms and a large family bathroom that can also be accessed directly from a bedroom, while another bedroom has French doors to the garden. Upstairs, the first floor comprises just one room, a particularly spacious master bedroom with en suite shower room. Completed in June last year, the former smithy is not only a beautiful and very comfortable home – it’s also energy efficient and highly insulated, which is reflected in low annual running costs. The garden grounds are an added incentive, comprising lawns, woodland and abundant parking spaces, in addition to the split-level decking that spans two sides of the property and provides useful storage space underneath. The nearby market town of Duns offers a wide range of facilities and amenities, including shops, sporting and leisure facilities and schools – most notably the new Berwickshire High School – and with a bus pick-up and drop-off point next to the house, the journey to school and back is sorted. Millburn Smithy is an exceptional house, one that has age and character on the outside and a new interior and services on the inside. Combined with a location that is private and picturesque yet close to a high-amenity town, it makes this property a must-see for house buyers in this part of the Borders.
Millburn Smithy, Preston, Nr Duns, TD11 3TN Offers Over £325,000
Details on page 13
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