Marlborough, Wiltshire

Dudmore

DUDMORE LODGE

Dudmore Lodge is a Grade II Listed farmhouse dating from the early 19th century, but with late 16th Century fragments. A date stone on the property reads 1833 and 1835 and is believed to refer to the Church Family, who acquired the property in 1793. The Farmhouse is on the site of a hunting lodge of the Aldbourne Chase and commands far reaching rural views.

KEY FEATURES

The property has been subject to a sympathetic and authentic renovation project, with a charming blend of original features and modern day living, it enjoys the benefits and convenience of being close to the thriving village centre location, yet is discreetly and very privately positioned. The property is timeless in its appearance, decorated neutrally using a period colour board.

The grounds are expansive and many of the original farm buildings remain, sitting alongside an ancient water source, the views are enviable and far reaching across the Wiltshire countryside. In all extends to over 11 acres.

Aldbourne is a much sought-after Wiltshire village, and it is not hard to see why with the historic church overlooking a picturesque village green and public house, surrounded by beautiful cottages and houses.

Aldbourne lies within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is surrounded by glorious countryside. The village benefits from two excellent grocery shops, a post office and deli, two public houses and an outstanding primary school.

Ground Floor:

The main entrance hall is at the centre of the house and all of the elegant reception rooms are flooded with natural light from wooden sash windows, a large double aspect kitchen/family room is very much the heart of the house. A sitting room, study, dining room and large utility/boot room with downstairs cloakroom complete the ground floor. Quirky additions include a secret door to the party cellar! Adjoining the kitchen but accessed from outside are 2 stores and a garage.

SELLER INSIGHT

What is your favourite room of the house and why?

All the rooms in the house have their own particular charm and all the first floor bedrooms have sublime views. If I did have to pick a favourite, it would be the Lighthouse Bedroom (yellow). When I purchased Dudmore Lodge in 2009, only one of the windows in that room was there, the other having been bricked-in to avoid tax. Opening that up revealed the view to the south, across the threshing barn, stables and skillings and down into the valley beyond. There is barely a house in sight. The existing window looks east across the fields and lets in such a beautiful dawn light. Together these two aspects create the lighthouse effect. This bedroom also has a superb en suite bathroom, including a luxuriously deep Drummonds bathtub, perfect for a long soak after a bracing walk across the fields.

What do you love most about the house and why?

What I love most about the house is its feel. It feels so comfortable, so welcoming, so full of positive energy. A lot of this can be attributed to the wellproportioned rooms and south facing aspect, but it’s more than this. I know that the previous owner, Betty Gentry, loved not only animals but also a jolly good party! The walls of the house must be infused with her sense of fun. The other things of course are the little details: the fact that, until my purchase, the house had not been at all modernised. Consequently, the original tall Georgian skirting boards remain, as do the floorboards. The windows are made with sturdy 1800’s pine, the fanlights still contain their original glass. The Dairy floor is of the original brick. All these subtle features combine to create that palpable magic.

What do you love about the local community?

I have lived in a few places around the country - London, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Durham, Somerset, but nothing compares to this part of Wiltshire and the Aldbourne community. Not only do we have the quintessential village green and village pub, overlooked by its Norman church (the pub was built to keep the workers refreshed as they built the church; it is the setting Vodafone chose for its 2018 Christmas advert https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=pepqeZGo1u0). We also have a post office, another pub serving excellent food, and even a Co-Op (open 7am-10pm seven days a week), to say nothing of the village’s award-winning brass band, the village cafe, and wonderful community and annual events. It is a thriving village which is only a mile down the road (seven minutes by bicycle, and you can free wheel all the way). The walk from the house to the village green, across the ancient Ridgeway, takes less than an hour. It is stunning.

* These comments are the personal views of the current owner and are included as an insight into life at the property. They have not been independently verified, should not be relied on without verification and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agent.

KEY FEATURES

First Floor:

The 6 bedrooms are all spacious and charming, with the main providing a dressing room and ensuite bathroom, 2 further ensuite bedrooms and a family bathroom serving the remaining 3 bedrooms. All have views of the wonderful surrounding countryside.

KEY FEATURES

Outside:

The property is approached via electric gates, with walled gardens providing privacy. A garden surrounds the immediate house and is mainly laid to lawn, the grounds then extend in front of the house to an original courtyard of farm buildings, with additional both original and later addition farm buildings and an ancient water source..

INFORMATION

Location: Aldbourne is one of the most popular villages in Wiltshire – historic, beautiful, with a thriving community.

Set in spectacular rolling countryside, there are many footpaths and trails locally to explore, including The Ridgeway national trail which passes nearby. Barbury Castle, an ancient hill fort, provides far-reaching panoramic views of the area. The nearby village of Ramsbury has its own brewery as well as The Bell public house serving excellent food and drink. Just six miles away is the thriving market town of Marlborough, which has a high street packed with boutique shops alongside national retailers such as Waitrose.

Regular direct rail services from Hungerford and Swindon to London Paddington are a short drive away, with the fastest services taking just 49 minutes. Junctions 14 and 15 of the M4 are also close at hand.

Local Authority: Wiltshire Council

Council Tax Band: H

Tenure: Freehold

Guide price £5,250,000

This plan is for illustrative purposes only, measurements are approximate and not to scale Outbuildings are not shown to scale or orientation Produced by Lightfall Dudmore

Agents notes: All measurements are approximate and for general guidance only and whilst every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy, they must not be relied on. The fixtures, fittings and appliances referred to have not been tested and therefore no guarantee can be given that they are in working order. Internal photographs are reproduced for general information and it must not be inferred that any item shown is included with the property. For a free valuation, contact the numbers listed on the brochure. Printed

FINE & COUNTRY

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EDWARD TAYLOR

DIRECTOR - MARLBOROUGH AND DEVIZES

01672 511 211 | edward.taylor@fineandcountry.com