NewlandsSeafield Lane | Nr Alvechurch | B48 7HJ

NEWLANDSPerfectly positioned in a glorious rural location just twelve miles south of Birmingham city centre is Newlands, an elegant Victorian family home that boasts sixteen acres of gardens and pastureland. “We purchased the property twenty-four years ago and it was the land more than anything else that was the main attraction,” says Sheila. “We had horses back then and we liked the idea of being able to keep them at home and this property offered all the space we could possibly wish for.”

The main living space is laid out across two floors and has 4420 square foot of accommodation comprising of: Victorian Vestibule, Reception Hall, Three Superb Reception Rooms, a Breakfast Kitchen, Utility/Boot Room, Cloak Room, Storage Room and Cellar. Two separate staircases take you to the first floor where there is a Beautiful Master Suite with Bedroom, Dressing Room and Ensuite, a further Guest Suite with a Large Double and Ensuite and Two Further Double Bedrooms together with a Family Bathroom. Adjoined to the house is the Excellent Separate Two Floor Studio/Office/Annex and the Large Tandem Garage. The Grounds extend to some 2 Acres of Gardens with a Victorian Wall behind which is a further 14 Acres of Outstanding Pastureland.

Leading from the sweeping gravelled driveway, you arrive at the main entrance to Newlands, the original stone steps and vestibule adorned with a beautiful Wisteria lead to the impressive arched door and into the charming reception hall. High ceilings and original features blend well with the stylish décor and special touches such as the Victorian oil lamp lights that have been cleverly converted to electric and further enhance the period feel.

The whole house is lovely, but there are two rooms in particular that I’d say stand out,” says Sheila. “The winter lounge with its wood-burning stove is a wonderfully cosy room when it’s cold and miserable outside, and the summer lounge has French doors onto the garden, so it’s a very light and bright and the space can be extended outside when the weather is warm.”

The two main drawing rooms lead from the main hallway and are affectionately known as the “summer” lounge and the “winter” lounge by the current owners.

Overlooking the rear gardens and countryside beyond, with the most outstanding views, is the beautifully presented summer lounge with delightful décor, drapes and soft furnishings. The magnificent open fireplace offers a wonderful focal point to this relaxing room and has the most superb carved stone mantel and oak surround. With tall bay windows incorporating two French doors and a further side window the sunlight streams into this room from the South facing gardens beyond. Having direct access to the terrace, this rooms creates the perfect space to enjoy the views and outdoor access.

The winter lounge is equally as impressive and again has its own unique style and charm, boasting an outstanding stone fireplace with an inset log burner. The dual aspect windows with a large bay and side apex are all beautifully dressed in subtle attractive fabrics and colours, blending perfectly with the pale whisper grey to the walls. This delightful room is both warm and welcoming as well as superbly light and airy with wonderful views to the side and frontage of the property.

There is a useful cupboard leading off the hallway and a spacious, recently refitted, cloakroom - the contemporary suite and exquisite mosaic tiling have created a modern chic style to this most spacious ground floor wc.

Leading to the inner hallway is the access to the kitchen, cellar and third reception room. The formal dining room is another well-proportioned room for entertaining with friends and family. Dual aspect windows take in views to the courtyard and the frontage and the décor and design within this space is wonderful. The feature fireplace is used for display purposes and adds a further dimension to this lovely room which has ample space for accommodating large dining parties and celebrations.

The breakfast kitchen is thoughtfully laid out, beautifully presented and very well equipped for any keen chef or busy family. With high end appliances such as Fisher & Pakel dishwasher, a charming oil run Aga and Lunar fridge freezer, this room has space and versatility to create a lovely hub within the home.

A pleasant window seating and dining area to one corner is perfect for casual family dining and the lovely dresser adjacent adds to the charm and character. The centre island, with its double thickness granite worktop, has a multitude of storage options and power sockets, making it ideal as a useful workspace. Leading from the kitchen, the quarry tiled flooring continues into the excellent utility/boot room. A latch door offers ample storage for boots and coats and a further door leads directly to the rear terrace. There is also a door leading to the front courtyard giving access to the annex/studio. The utility comes complete with an excellent range of units, worktops, a large Villeroy & Boch Belfast Laundry sink and a Miele washing machine and tumble dryer.

Accessed from the inner hall, the cellar offers further potential to extend by having the space ”tanked”- at present there is a smaller room with an arched roof, making an ideal wine storage area and a much larger room, both of which have excellent head space.

Seller Insight I’d describe the house as being a little basic when we came here and so we definitely took it on as a project, but we

could see that it had huge potential so we stripped it back and worked our way through and it’s now just lovely throughout. The layout and the footprint have remained the same but we had the roof repaired, floors were replaced, the kitchen and bathrooms were updated… you name it, we did it, but all of the work was done very sympathetically, so it’s still a house with a lot of character and charm. It was the land that brought us here, but the house has been a fantastic family home and a lovely place to bring up our children.”

“The setting is just lovely, and the fact that we have all this land means that the views are absolutely stunning for as far as the eye can see,” continues Sheila. “To the front of the house we have a large in-and-out driveway, but the majority of the land stretches out beyond the back of the property and consists of a very attractive walled garden that probably extends to around one-and-a-half acres and then the rest of the land is one huge field that we currently rent to a local farmer. It’s very peaceful here, incredibly picturesque and we enjoy a wonderful degree of privacy.”

“We’re surrounded by all of this stunning countryside and yet it’s so easy to get just about anywhere,” says Sheila. “Birmingham International Airport is only about 20 minutes away, and the M42, M40 and M6 are all within easy reach. We can access an array of well-served towns and can jump in the car and be in Solihull in 20 minutes and the city centre of Birmingham in around half an hour.”

“As well as the double garage, we also have another two-storey building that’s attached to the main house and which we’ve also renovated during our time here,” says Sheila. “On the ground floor there’s an office and on the first floor there’s another room that I currently use as a hobby room, but the space is very flexible in terms of its use.”*

* 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.

Moving up the main staircase with original Oak banister we reach the wonderful light and airy landing complete with its own library corner.

The Master bedroom is exquisite, superbly spacious and offers the most incredible views across the gardens, land and surrounding countryside. This light and airy room has a large window to the rear and a charming apex window to the side. As period features go in this property, the hard carved wooden headboard within this room is a very special piece indeed, and the beautiful décor, delicate drapes and furnishings in this room create an elegant finish to compliment the period features. Leading from the bedroom is the dressing room, offering splendid hanging and shelf storage, with 8 sets of wardrobes, 15 pull out shelves and storage above, together with tie rails and a trouser press. The ensuite is luxurious and offers the perfect balance between contemporary and classic. The smart wooden floor compliments the classic gold and lilacs featured within this room and the high end fixtures and fittings, gold towel rail, stunning mosaics and décor create a sense of opulence and luxury. There is a large shower cubicle with lovely mosaic tiling, a power shower head and four body jets, there is also a pedatsal sink with chrome mixer tapes and a chrome framed mirror above. The window to the side offers views down the private sweeping driveway and formal gardens and the lovely inset bath with mirrored walls offers the perfect place to relax and unwind.

Bedroom two is also very spacious, impressive and stunningly decorated. It currently houses a beautiful four poster bed and has lovely views to the side courtyard and beautiful Wisterias, and the second window offers views across the rose arbour and beyond. Recently refitted, this guest bedroom has a most luxurious modern bathroom suite and immaculate décor. The Villeroy & Boch large double shower with an oversized rain shower head and hand held hose, together with an inset wash basin with led cabinet above and wc, all contrasting beautifully with the large grey stone tiling and two towel rails, one period style and one contemporary.

Bedroom three is a further stunning guest bedroom decorated in pale greens lilacs and cream. This room also currently houses a four poster bed, demonstrating the size of room and height of ceiling, and has lovely views to the immaculate racing stables opposite.

Bedroom four is very neatly decorated and has triple fitted wardrobes, and although currently housing a single, it could easily take a double bed. The family bathroom, has a lovely suite has shutters to the window, modern spotlights, high ceilings and fresh, smart décor all perfectly .

Adjacent to the Laundry room and accessed from the main driveway is the beautiful old coach house which is adorned in the most stunning Wisteria and has been transformed into a superb two storey studio/office/annex. This is currently set up as a fabulous studio and hobby room to the first floor with 2 Velux windows and a stunning original arched window to the front. Downstairs has ample space for an on-site office or this building could very easily be used as a separate annex to the main house.

OUTSIDEOne of the most outstanding features of Newlands has to be the incredible grounds surrounding it. With around 2 acres given over to stunning South facing private gardens and a further fourteen acres of beautiful natural pastureland the outdoor space is worthy of the beautiful grand residence that occupies it. From the front of the property a wrought iron railing separates the grass verges and deep borders filled with a wonderful array of mature trees and shrubs such as Oak, Beech, Lilacs and Laburnum. The long sweeping gravelled driveway continues around the front of the house where Rhododendrons, Peonies, Hydrangeas and Berberis all fill the borders with colour and the wonderful collection of large stone toadstools perfectly fringe the driveway all the way to the second gated entrance. There are also six charming Victorian street lamps converted from old gas lamps to electric, lining the sweeping driveway.

The terrace begins to the side of the property just past the main front entrance and the large Cotswold stone patio extends right around to the rear. There are steps down to the lower terraces creating lovely seating areas and a lovely wooden arbour to the main terrace offers a shaded area with a fabulous mature delicate pink rose covering the entire frame. There is also the charming Victorian white wooden storm porch to the rear which still displays the original stained glass panels.

To the end of the patio is a high Victorian wall and doorway through to the hidden inner courtyard. Ideal as a log storage area and garden stores, this also has useful back access to the garage. Lilly of the Valley blanket the patio area here and a mature evergreen Jasmine and Cherry lead down to the superb greenhouse. Newly erected around four years ago to replace the original, this Alton hardwood greenhouse is a wonderful addition and has a full irrigation system, mature Grapevine, running through and gravelled flooring with an inset terracotta tiled central pathway, ample tool storage and plenty of workspace for potting. There are also doors opening to both ends to allow a breeze to pass through.

There are large well maintained lawned areas to the gardens and an array of wonderful trees and shrubs throughout, including Copper Beech, Maple, Twisted Hazel, Azaleas, Buxus, and Apple trees. One of the main focal points of this marvellous garden has to be the superb ornamental Koi pond with its four large stone flags to each corner. There are a large number of beautiful mature Koi within the pond and it is maintained with a full pump and filter system subtly located nearby.

Leading from the end of the pond is the equally impressive central arbour heavily adorned with some exceptional mature Clematis Montana and Laburnum, creating a wonderful walkway through to the lower gardens.

This has been a fantastic family home for the past twenty-four years and we’ve made some wonderful memories during our time here,” says Sheila, “but now that the children have flown the nest we feel that it’s time to downsize. In terms of what I’ll miss most, I’d have to say absolutely everything.”

Formal Buxus hedges surround a second smaller wood framed greenhouse and the lawns continue down towards the rear of the garden. A further large terrace with a wooden arbour, adorned with a magnificent lilac Wisteria, offers a wonderful shaded area to enjoy the views towards the house. There is also a most charming stone carved apple and brass leaf sculpture inset into the patio. Behind the arbour the lovely old Victorian high wall separates the garden from the pastureland beyond. To the centre of the wall, two tall stone pillars and a wrought iron gate offer direct access to the land and lovely mature borders fringe the garden with Roses, Burberis and Orange Blossom interspersed with Azaleas, Harebells and Montbresia.

As the garden continues round Beech trees mingle with Fir trees and a perfectly maintained high Holly hedge screens an Oak and Copper Beech lined walk-way back up to the top garden where the compost and vegetable patches are cleverly screened away from the main garden. The fenced vegetable patch offers the perfect place for any green fingered gardeners, with several raised beds, lots of compost and peat heaps and a quiet seating area. There is also an old English and quite rare Medlar fruit tree which the present owners have used to make Chutney with.

Coming back to the main driveway the second five bar gate houses a control panel which the vendors installed some years ago at great expense to have a fully automated water irrigation system with five areas across the entire garden allowing them to leave the garden at any time to water itself. This system is fed through to the vegetable patch, main borders, formal garden beds, patio areas and front driveway borders. They are also able to control the outside lighting and house floodlights from here. The driveway leads down to two further five bar gates allow that access to the main 14 acre field, thus allowing the farmer direct access without encroaching on the main driveway.

Alvechurch is a large village and civil parish in the northeast of the county of Worcestershire. Lying in the valley of the River Arrow, the village is located between the city of Birmingham, (17 km / 11 miles to the north), Redditch (8 km / 5 miles to the south) and Bromsgrove (9.5 km / 6 miles to the west).

The parish is mentioned in the Domesday Book. In the 13th Century the Bishop of Worcester built a palace in the village, and a weekly market and an annual fair were established. The Bishop’s Palace was pulled down in the 17th century, the only remnants being part of the moat and a yew tree which formerly stood in the palace grounds.

The village has a number of medieval half-timbered buildings, as well as a plethora[citation needed] of Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian buildings. The church of St Laurence dates back to 1239.

LOCATION

Registered in England and Wales. Company Reg No. 04018410 VAT Reg No. 754062833Head Office Address: 1 Regent Street Rugby CV21 2PEcopyright © 2018 Fine & Country Ltd.

DIRECTIONSThe property is located on Seafield Lane past the postcode destination and continue on to Hob Hill Farm, Newlands is directly opposite.

SERVICES TO THE PROPERTYThe property has Oil fired central heating and an oil fired Aga There is mains electric and water to the property Drainage is via a Klargester

LOCAL AUTHORITYBromsgrove District Council

The Property is Freehold

VIEWING ARRANGEMENTSStrictly via the vendor’s sole agents Fine & Country

WEBSITEFor more information visit www.fineandcountry.com

OPENING HOURSMonday to Friday 9.00 am - 5.30 pmSaturday 9.00 am - 4.30 pmSunday 11.00 am - 3.00 pm

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

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