Bristol, Somerset

The Old Rectory

Hinton Blewett | Bristol | Somerset | BS39 5AN

THE OLD RECTORY

The Old Rectory is situated in the quintessential Somerset village of Hinton Blewitt. This beautiful Grade II Listed Georgian building, with wisteria growing over the exterior, occupies a private and peaceful elevated spot with wonderful outlook.

The historically significant Old Rectory is situated in the quintessentially English village of Hinton Blewett in Somerset. This gracious wisteria-clad Grade II Listed Georgian building occupies a private and peaceful elevated spot with fantastic views of the Mendip Hills. It has been extended and upgraded over the years, including a complete renovation project by the current owners to improve both the things you don’t see (plumbing, alarm systems, cellars, gutters, tree works, rebuilding of perimeter wall and rewiring) as well as the things you do (Farrow & Ball paintwork inside and out, new bathrooms throughout, an indoor pool and 2 new apartments). The house is now an elegant, impressive, warm and welcoming family home, combining classic Georgian period features including 7 fireplaces, with modern design and convenience. There are 8/9 bedrooms in all, 6 bath/shower rooms, 4/5 reception rooms, kitchen and pastry kitchen, a new 2 bedroom apartment on the top floor and a further luxury 2 bedroom self-contained apartment in the adjoining former coach house. The property includes a stunning indoor heated swimming pool, a walled courtyard filled with sweet smelling shrubs perfect for summer entertaining, and is set in pretty, mature walled gardens surrounding the house, giving a high degree of privacy.

KEY FEATURES

The Main House

The Georgian features, which are evident throughout, have been preserved and enhanced and include beautiful, tall, rare 28 and 16 paned sash windows with working shutters, high ceilings, flagstone floors and attractive working fireplaces in the three rooms on the ground floor and two of the bedrooms and a bathroom on the first and second floors. A 6 door Aga sits in the Inglenook fireplace in the kitchen. The modern bath/shower rooms have new fittings with high-quality finish.

A spacious entrance hall, with flagstone floor and elegant staircase leading to a galleried landing, gives access to the principal rooms.

The elegant and peaceful drawing room has two full length Georgian 28 pane sash windows overlooking the gardens to the front and side aspect, with recently laid solid oak flooring and covered radiators. The focus of this room is a stunning white marble fireplace.

A more informal sitting room with French doors to the garden can be found adjacent to the drawing room – it has a concealed pull-down double bed, allowing this room to be used as an additional ground-floor bedroom if needed.

Opposite this room is the library, fully lined with bookshelves, with original sash window with working shutters and a charming fireplace, making it warm and cosy as an office or tv snug in winter months.

In the oldest and central part of the house is an impressive beamed and panelled dining room again with flagstone floors and a working fireplace. Four doors lead through to the hall, back hall, back stairs, kitchen and breakfast room.

The back hall has another staircase with access to the back and upper floors of the house. Halfway up is a laundry room with plumbing for washing machines and ample space for hanging clothes with small window and sloping ceilings. There is also a downstairs cloakroom with WC and a large cellar with a huge safe door to a cupboard and plenty of space for storage. This has recently been treated for damp.

At the heart of the home is the beautifully traditional Smallbone kitchen with an impressive 6 door Aga (4 gas/2 Electric) sitting in an inglenook fireplace, with exposed stone walls and original feature bread oven. It has bespoke units and plate rack, painted in a shade of pale cream with granite worksurfaces and a one and a half bowl sink. The kitchen leads to the breakfast room which has ample space for a 12 seater table and a door to a sheltered fully walled rear courtyard, from which one can enjoy the scent of roses, jasmine and honeysuckle in summer.

To the rear of the main kitchen beside the breakfast room is a pastry kitchen with a further range of kitchen units, granite worksurfaces and an electric oven, a central island unit with round sink and oak flooring.

There is a door from the main kitchen into what was originally believed to be a carriage house, later used as a garage and now a home gym with a full wall of handmade lockable cupboards. This could easily be returned to use as a garage as the traditional doors are still in place. There is a door from this room to a long corridor providing internal access to the self-contained garden flat and the indoor pool.

SELLER INSIGHT

Having a blended family with several children and grandchildren, the current owners of this home were seeking a big house in the country – it had always been a dream of theirs to own a Georgian rectory. Georgian architecture is known for its focus on symmetry and order and rectories are often exquisite examples of this period. Bath was a city known to them and they wanted to be close to the city but located in the countryside. After searching and viewing a number of properties, it was this one that grabbed their attention.

“It was the massive, beautiful Georgian windows that I first fell in love with, but this property has so many incredible features it was hard to take it all in. The Georgian grandeur is evident in the seven original fireplaces, high ceilings, sweeping staircases and panelling in the dining room, the oldest part of the house. Then there is the walled gardens – I just felt this home was perfect.”

The property has historical significance and was once owned by the Rees Mogg family. In a letter written by Lord William Rees Mogg in 1998, he stated: ‘The dining room at Hinton Blewitt belonged in the Middle Ages to the Abbey at Bristol which, at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries, was turned into the Cathedral. Although the garden walls of the Rectory have been rebuilt, they seem originally to have been Medieval. You will find that we repeated a Gothic arch, which had been built into a part of the wall which was falling down. In a previous owner’s time, a Medieval gold coin was found in a flower bed. I think there is a Medieval priests house built somewhere inside the building and contain(ed in) the present dining room.’

The owners have undertaken extensive work on the rectory, spending around £750k on refurbishment and improvements to create a stunning period property that retains original features whilst providing for modern-day living. The extension was once used to house an extensive car collection, complete with underfloor heating. Built off the coach house, it felt more like a car show room. This has since been converted by the current owners to house an indoor pool. There is also a flat at the top of the property and a luxury two-bedroom apartment, which provides separate living accommodation for a nanny, relative or even an Airbnb opportunity.

The sitting room is one of the owners’ favourite places to relax, with the big windows flooding the room with sunlight – it has a elegance to it yet retains a homely feel. It is a peaceful place to sit, especially when the log fire is lit on those colder evenings. Another well-loved room is the library, which is “fully lined with bookshelves with a grey marble fireplace that’s slightly too big for the room. Cool in summer and cosy in winter when I light the fire – it is a book lover’s paradise.”

The rectory sits on a little under an acre of land, mainly laid to lawn it is surrounded by ancient walls on three sides. The breakfast room opens onto the walled courtyard, a lovely place to sit and eat having been planted with an array of fragrant roses. The garden also has clever lighting that creates a magical setting as the evening draws in, whether you are entertaining or having a quiet night to yourself.

There is an award-winning traditional old pub in walking distance, which is popular with the locals – and we can recommend their delicious food. It is only a five-minute drive to Bishop Sutton, where you will find a Post Office, supermarket and a beautiful farm shop. There are several other villages around but Wells is just 5 miles away and Bath and Bristol are both in easy reach. Bristol International Airport is approximately 10 miles away.

“I will probably miss most the huge sacred Yew tree that sits outside my office window and casts shade in heatwaves, I’m sure my two goldies will miss it too. I will also miss my kitchen; it is a traditional kitchen with a massive Aga set into a fireplace, it’s where we gather when we have friends around. We have made some wonderful friends here too, and we know they will make the new owners feel as welcome as they have us.”*

* 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.

First Floor

The superb Master Suite includes a dressing area as well as a Victorian style bathroom with bespoke vanity unit, ‘his and hers’ round basins, double ended free standing Victorian style bath on feet, and a high-level WC. This dual aspect bedroom exudes Georgian splendor, with two full length 28 pane Georgian sash windows with working shutters, allowing the natural light to flood in and giving far-reaching views over the surrounding countryside. Additionally, there 2 large double bedrooms with high ceilings, one of which has an original fireplace and an adjoining room with beams and skylight, which would be suitable as a large dressing room, studio, office or nursery. There are 2 bathrooms, one of which has a full wall of fitted wardrobes and another fireplace.

Second floor

On the second floor is a beautiful double bedroom with stunning views and another original fireplace. It also has its own large and impressive bathroom on this floor with walk in shower and feature bath.

Third Floor

Tucked away on the third floor is another apartment, with a newly installed navy galley kitchen, with Neff hob and oven, integral fridge, cupboards and new shower room, ideal for use by a nanny, teenagers or private office. The windows are smaller, but the views are probably the best in the house.

The Carriage House

This has been converted by the current owners in 2023 into a stunning self-contained apartment, with luxury finish and is currently used as guest accommodation. The main reception room has a high vaulted ceiling with Velux windows, a central woodburning stove, modern chandelier pendant lighting and sliding glass doors onto a cobbled terrace. Open plan to this is a stylish kitchen also with sliding glass doors, finished in a muted dark grey shade with modern light grey quartz surfaces, an American style fridge/freezer and an eye level Neff electric oven. The main bedroom also has sliding glass doors to the courtyard. The bathroom has a modern feel with luxury freestanding bath, wall mounted curved vanity unit with basin and WC. There is a private entrance, through the utility room (with washing machine and microwave and bespoke cupboards) to the pool. An area of the garden has been fenced off (with moveable fencing), allowing guests to use pool, courtyard and garden in privacy.

Swimming Pool

This stunning room has a mirrored ceiling creating a feeling of double height and space. The 7m L shaped pool is 1.2m deep throughout and was installed by the present owners in December 2021/22. It has an electric retractable cover, Wi-Fi speakers, WC and changing room/shower area.

The Garden

The mature and carefully tended gardens are beautiful, from the flowering daffodils, spring flowers and magnolias on the lawns and in the beds, to the Wisteria clad main house, and the many roses and shrubs in the courtyard and back garden. It is a wonderful place to relax with family and friends. Sitting in just under an acre of land, the impressive gravelled driveway has ancient posts leading the way to electrically operated iron gates with secluded gardens on all sides, walled to three with fencing and shrubs to the fourth. There is ample parking for a dozen or so cars. There are a number of large trees providing shade in summer including a ’sacred yew’ believed to be on a lay line to Glastonbury. It is certainly a magical place to sit on a hot day. There is a children’s play area to the rear kitchen garden and access to the pool. Plans have been drawn up for a new children’s play area and formal Italian patio garden for the rear of the property which may be available to potential purchasers.

At the rear are a number of storage sheds including those housing the boilers for the house and pool.

Location

The Old Rectory lies at the centre of the small, picturesque village of Hinton Blewett, next to the historic church of St Margaret’s and a ‘stone’s throw’ from the well-regarded pub, the Ring o’ Bells. The village green, known as The Barbary sits outside, opposite the pub. Occasional fetes and gatherings take place there as they have for centuries.

Historical Significance

Quote from a letter written by Lord William Rees Mogg in 1998 (original available)

‘The living at Hinton Blewett belonged in the Middle Ages to the Abbey at Bristol which, at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries, was turned into the Cathedral. Although the garden walls of the Rectory have been rebuilt, they seem originally to have been medieval. You will find that we repeated a gothic arch which had been built into a part of the wall which was falling down. In a previous owners’ time, a medieval gold coin was found in a flower bed. I think there is a medieval priests house built somewhere inside the building and contain(ed in) the present dining room’.

The panelling in this room was copied in 1990’s in George 1st style. It goes on to mention Rectors who lived in the house, some of whom are buried in the church next door.

Other information

The area is renowned for the quality of its schools. Primary schools include those in neighbouring villages Bishop Sutton, East Harptree and Clutton. State secondary schools include The Blue School in Wells and Churchill Academy School. In the independent sector are Wells Cathedral School, Millfield School and King’s Bruton. A wider variety are available in nearby Bath, Bristol and Sidcot.

There are a wide range of outdoor pursuits available including walking in the Mendip Hills and nearby Cheddar Gorge, sailing & fishing at Blagdon and Chew Valley Lake, a Site of Special Scientific Interest as well as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are also tourist attractions like Longleat and Wookey Caves, Bath races and rugby, Golf clubs, horse riding, local spas and gyms, steam trains, festivals and events.

The property is conveniently located for travel, 9 miles north of Wells, 13 miles from Bristol and 15 miles from Bath. Access to the M4 motorway network at junction 18, (approx. 23 miles) and access to the M5 at junction 21 (approx. 17 miles). Regular train services to London Paddington can be found from both Bristol Temple Meads (from 104 minutes) and Bath Spa (from 84 minutes). Bristol International Airport is approxima tely 10 miles away.

Key Features

• Freehold

• Mains gas - boiler for house and new separate boiler for pool

• 4 electric water heaters

• Mains Water

• Mains Drainage

• Steel reinforced external security doors

• Council Tax - Bath & North East Somerset: Band H

• EPC Rating E

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 27.03.2023

FINE & COUNTRY

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SUE SADLER MNAEA

SOPHIE CLESHAM

Melbourne House, 36 Chamberlain Street, Wells, BA5 2PJ

01749 608 333

01761 252501