THE BSPC PROPERTY GUIDE / FEATURE PROPERTY
Charm and character combine for a country house with a mill lade near Reston Built around 1850, this B-listed property will delight all those who favour old houses, beautiful gardens, abundant wildlife, and a peaceful and private setting that is rural without being remote. Mill Lade House is all of these and more, a charming property that mixes spacious accommodation with lots of quirky features including the old mill lade that meanders through the grounds. Tucked away down a quiet tree-lined lane half-a-mile from the village of Reston, everything about this house says character, from the tactile random rubble stone walls and twelve-pane windows (some with working shutters), to the unusual corner entrance, which is curiously topped by a turret room. Andrew and Lorna Blackie bought the property seven years ago and it was the combined attractiveness of the setting and the house itself that proved irresistible. “The gardens are heavenly and we loved the fact that the house has lots of quirky features, including two front doors, one of which still has the original bolt, which works perfectly,” says Lorna. In beautiful condition throughout, the accommodation includes a spacious drawing room, dining room, shower room, dining-sized kitchen and utility. Up stairs, the first floor has two very large bedrooms with an unusually large bathroom in between, the latter incorporating the three angled windows within the turret above the front door. Stairs continue up to the top floor, where there are two further double bedrooms, both with fitted wardrobes, timber lined walls, combed ceilings, latch -style doors and dormer windows to the front. Appealing features are abundant throughout. The drawing room has windows to the front and side (the latter with working shutters) and overlooks the garden and adjoining wild flower meadow.
The dining room has a stove housed in a brick fireplace and quaint windows, one incorporating a ‘bottle glass’ feature; the shower room window has leaded side panes, a mosaic-tiled floor and fully tiled shower recess.
Mill Lade is a natural habitat for wildlife – the lade is a haven for frogs but other species abound, including otter and deer that occasionally wander down from the adjoining field at the back of the property.
The cottage style kitchen is a delight, combining a painted wood-beamed ceiling, low-level astragalled window overlooking the mill lade, freestanding range cooker (original plumbing still insitu should a new owner want to re-instate an Aga), quarry tiled floor, and units with granite-style worktops and plenty of space for appliances as well as dining furniture.
The nearby village of Reston has a primary school, nursery, post office, shop and a restaurant/pub, while the larger towns of Berwick upon Tweed (10 miles south) and Dunbar (19 miles north) provide a wider variety of shops and other amenities. Reston is also only four miles from the Berwickshire coast, which is famous for its exhilarating cliff -top walks and sandy beaches.
The utility, which is housed in an earlier extension, is well equipped with dresserstyle cabinets, ceramic sink, built-in fridge and plumbing for laundry appliances. Mill Lade’s speciality is its windows and the deeply recessed timber-lined oriel window in the main first floor bedroom is particularly notable. This room also has side window (both have working shutters and woodland views), an ornate cast iron fireplace with decorative inlay, and a painted wood-beamed ceiling. Across the landing, bedroom two also has working window shutters and ornate cast iron fireplace, plus it has a large fitted wardrobe. The gardens surrounding Mill Lade are beautiful and of the well-matured variety, carefully planted with specimen trees and shrubs to create areas that largely take care of themselves. There is a sheltered rear patio, lawns with well-stocked borders, a rockery planted to provide year-round colour, a productive vegetable garden, greenhouse, garden shed, kennels – and the mill lade, which can be crossed by a bridge.
Mill Lade House Coveyheugh, Reston Fixed Price £370,000 Details on page 11
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