HOMES Enjoying a look around Fineshade, a truly unique country home near Stamford.

A HOME FOR SOMEONE WHO ENJOYS The Finer Things

This month’s property leaves other homes in the shade. It’s a stunning country home set in leafy woodland, a former Augustinian priory with a Grade II listing and 19 acres of parkland…

THE DETAILS Fineshade Abbey, near Stamford

Location: Stamford seven miles. Provenance: A stunning Country Residence, listed Grade II, set within approximately 19 acres of mature parkland, complete with panoramic views, picturesque lake and two ancillary cottages. Rooms: Four receptions currently arranged as living kitchen, dining room, drawing room, garden room.

Guide Price: £2,575,000.

Find Out More: King West, St Mary’s Street, Stamford PE9 2DE. Call 01780 484520 or see kingwest.co.uk. n PROVERBIALLY an English person’s home is their castle. Except that in the 12th century, the motte and bailey fortification of Castle Hymel (built by the Engayne family) was demolished, and in its place, an Augustinian Priory was established. So in this case, an English person’s home is in fact a stableblock in the grounds of a former priory… but what a residence it is! Fineshade Abbey nestles within 19 acres of parkland, on the edge of Fineshade Woods, and carries a Grade II listing. That priory was renamed Fineshade Abbey and in 1749 a new property was built on the site which was owned by Colonel Monckton from 1759. The family built the estate’s stableblock in 1848 and sold the property to Charles d’Anyers Willis in 1928, then in 1955 the Georgian mansion on the site was demolished. The stableblock was converted into a private residence in the late 20th century, retaining the name Fineshade, and for the last ten years it has been the country home of its present owners.

Fineshade Abbey is beautifully presented with exposed stonework, beams, trusses and high ceilings. Italianate in style and with the family’s coat of arms over the main archway, the property is constructed of local stone under a slate roof, crowned by an octagonal stone cupola with a clock and weathervane.

The property comprises four reception rooms currently arranged as a living kitchen, formal dining room, and drawing room with library area, as well as a garden room.

For a property of its age, Fineshade lends itself very well to 21st century family life, with an expansive open-plan living kitchen at its heart. It’s a kitchen designed by Clive Christian, with a cream Aga, wooden island and premium-branded appliances, as well as a large fireplace with log burner and with views over the courtyard and dining terrace for the summer months; the living kitchen really is a space for all seasons.

The ornate drawing room, again with its access to the dining terrace through double doors, displays an imposing stone surround fireplace with large log burner.

To the end of the room is beautiful, dark wood shelving creating a library, with a reading nook and a door behind which leads to the guest wing and clock tower.

A formal dining room also has a large fireplace and the same character as the living kitchen thanks to exposed stonework and beams, whilst the garden room has views over the south-facing terrace and is located adjacent to a boot room, cloakroom and utility room, further adding to Fineshade Abbey’s practicality for modern family life. >>

>> To the first floor is a guest bedroom with dressing area and en suite, with an additional guest bedroom suite and two further bedrooms each with en suite bathrooms. The master suite has also been fitted out by Clive Christian with the designer’s trademark Corinthian columns and detailed carved wood. Fineshade Abbey also comprises two additional properties in the form of Bumblebee Cottage, located north-east of the cupola and comprising a kitchen with first floor sitting room, two bedrooms and bathroom. Walker’s Pass is also self-contained with a living room and kitchenette, two bedrooms and a shower room. There’s a large gym to the north elevation of the property with fitness equipment positioned to enable its owners to look out as they work out, plus a first floor sauna. There’s a heated garage and showhouse too which, with its double doors positioned between the former stable’s colonnades, is ideal for displaying a collection of classic cars or as a space for those who want to create a large office or studio. To the south-facing aspect, there’s a mirror pond and terrace with herbaceous borders and many climbing plants including grandiflora magnolias and a variety of roses. Beyond the formal gardens are paddocks, a lake and of course, Fineshade Woods which provide plenty of privacy in a manner which is impressive without being overbearing and peaceful without feeling too secluded. The current owners are hoping to remain in the area, but with the family having come of age and Fineshade Abbey providing such substantial accommodation, they’re looking for new custodians for a country home which is an absolutely unique proposition in the area.

The property is currently marketed with estate agents King West, with a guide price of £2.575m and viewing strongly recommended. Evidence may no longer exist that Fineshade Abbey was once in the grounds of a medieval castle, but even in the 21st century, it remains very much fit for a king or queen! n

Above: Fineshade Abbey is set within 19 acres and carries a Grade II listing. The property is on the site of the original Augustinian Priory. Previously a motte and bailey castle stood on the site.

n Hambleton Grange, Hambleton

Guide Pride: £3,500,000

A bespoke built, award-winning, contemporary home, Hambleton Grange is uniquely characterful and handsome homes and recently took Gold in the Best Luxury House category of the What House 2021 awards ceremony.

www.pelhamjames.co.uk

n Wrights Lane, Wymondham

Guide Price: £875,000

A substantial and superbly built, iron-stone & brick home with expansive and beautifully-presented accommodation, sitting on a generous plot in a quiet backwater of this popular rural village.

www.jamessellicks.com

n Pond House, Uffington

OIEO: £1,250,000

An exemplary contemporary, family home sits in the heart of the village of Uffington. Entrance hall, reception room, family room and study, with with bedrooms and two en suites.

Blooming Inspiration

You can see this radiant floral fabric on display in our showroom, featuring blooming clematis and fresh figs in a tree of life design. The artistic and hand-painted delicate style will transport you to sunnier climes.

A luxury Afternoon Tea is now pre-bookable at our Hayloft Coffee Shop - £20 pp. Call 01780 753351 to book.

Showroom and Coffee Shop

Open Monday to Saturday 9am-4.30pm

The Stables, Copthill Farm, Uffington, Stamford PE9 4TD

Call 01780 757946

info@huntersinteriors.co.uk www.huntersinteriorsofstamford.co.uk

Photo courtesy of Manuel Canovas.

Better Bathrooms, Kitchens & Studies with SHEEWATER HOME

Design-led products, and advice you can trust thanks to 20 years of experience in the industry. Peter Copestake is the name you need to know if you’re looking to improve your home. This month sees the third anniversary of SheeWater Home, providing quality bathrooms, kitchens and studies...

Words: Rob Davis.

BUILDING BACK BETTER… it’s a government buzzword at the minute, but it’s also what Peter Copestake decided to do back in June 2019. This month represents the third anniversary of the bathroom expert making his business totally independent after spending many of his previous 20 years in the industry working as a franchisee for a national bathroom retailer. “The previous company had around 160 branches and it was one of the best-known names in the industry. Its products were good, if quite conservative, and as a franchisee instead of an employee, I was much more invested in the business and much more committed to my customers than an employee.” “When that company’s national brand ceased to exist, though, it provided the opportunity to take my decades of experience and contacts in the industry and create a new independent business that could offer a wider range of products, one that could be design-led and enable me to hand-pick the ranges I believe offer the best combination of quality and affordability.” The move would also enable Peter’s business, SheeWater Homes, to offer a greater provision of kitchens and studies, enabling him to transform other rooms in customers’ homes. Today, in terms of time, designing then supplying and installing bathrooms occupies much of Peter’s time, since that’s where much of his provenance in the industry remains, but he also offers a number of shaker and traditional-style kitchens from Leicestershirebased Gaddesby Kitchens, and also highly contemporary kitchens from German-brand Störmer. “Three years on we’ve a business that specialises in being customer-focused, design-led, and remains totally independent, loyal only to its clients, and interested only in offering them what my experience has proven are the best brands.” “We’re sufficiently independent to offer clients good advice without having sales targets or corporate interests to satisfy. I’ve always believed that trying to sell a bathroom or kitchen is futile. If the customer is in the showroom or makes a telephone enquiry, they’re already expressing an interest, and so trying to sell to them is just putting pressure on them, during a process which deserves careful consideration, not salesmanship.” “Instead, we just advise and facilitate. By just listening to what a customer wants, offering advice in terms of the products, the fitting, by offering transparency and a collaborative design process, we’re making the journey towards a new bathroom or kitchen easier and more satisfying… there’s no better way than that to secure a customer’s business.” SheeWater Home is based at Peterborough’s Boongate retail development, in 2,800ft2 premises which shows off 20 different installations. There’s a range of accessories from porcelain and ceramic tiles including Porcelanosa ranges, as well as different examples of freestanding bathroom furniture and different work surfaces and appliances for kitchens. The showroom is full of clever ideas, underwriting Peter’s belief that the industry is now offering products of unprecedented quality and design. A ceiling light fitting with Bluetooth speaker functionality, or a bathroom cabinet with internal socket for charging electric toothbrushes or slam-proof soft-close shower cubicle doors… all designed to make life more convenient day to day. “We offer 3D design with photorealistic visuals and we can supply and fit, or supply only, with a list of experienced local installers. In doing so, we try to ensure that our customers have access to good project management, because having a job that’s well co-ordinated is always worthwhile.” “In terms of how we’re priced too, there are certainly cheaper ways to achieve a new bathroom and there are more expensive ranges available. But what we provide is affordable luxury, with products that we trust in terms of their quality.” “In doing so, we’re confident that the service and the products we provide are based on making sure customers are always satisfied with their new bathroom, en suite, cloakroom, kitchen or study.” n For a free, no obligation, strictly no-pressure selling discussion about your project, SheeWater Bathrooms is based on Newton Way, Boongate, Peterborough PE1 5PJ. Call 01733 590209 or see www.sheewaterhome.com.