The LodgeThe Nook | Bitteswell | Lutterworth | Leicestershire | LE17 4RY

THE LODGETucked away at the end of a quiet no-through road, on the fringes of the village of Bitteswell is The Lodge, a magnificent Georgian home that was originally built in 1834 for the Twining Tea family.

A simply stunning unlisted Georgian home, offering in excess of 8,000 sq ft of accommodation, tucked away in this delightful Leicestershire village amongst formal gardens and parkland of 5.4 acres.

The Lodge is a beautiful unlisted period property constructed in circa 1834 and occupied by the Twinings tea family until approximately 1906. Steeped in history, this elegant period home has outstanding features throughout and beautifully appointed rooms, most with superb views of the gardens. There are 8 bedrooms overall, with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms in the main house and a self-contained wing that offers a further 3 bedrooms, shower room and bathroom, which could be perfect for independent family members or a live in au pair or nanny. There is an an array of reception rooms, including a study, drawing room, family room, Victorian orangery, formal dining room, plus a kitchen/breakfast room.

The house has some attractive Georgian features throughout, including restored sash windows, ornate ceiling cornicing and original fire places. A true feature of the home are the glorious gardens, which extend to 5.4 acres and providing attractive views of the rear elevations of The Lodge. The village of Bitteswell is north west of the market town of Lutterworth, Rugby station is within a 20 minute drive, the national motorway network is easily reached via junction 20 of the M1 or junction 1 of the M6 and Birmingham International airport is within half an hour travelling time, providing easy access for the busy commuter.

Accommodation Summary

Ground FloorThe house has a grand stone built pillared porch with external lighting and double doors, there is a Minton tiled floor and glazed doors that lead to the large entrance hall which has ornate ceiling cornicing, fireplace with stone surround, original stone floor and doors that lead off to the family room, drawing room and study, whilst a further door leads to an inner lobby. The study has a large sash window, an original fireplace with cast iron surround and raised hearth and further double doors that lead into the entrance hall. Across the hall is a large family room, which has ornate ceiling cornicing, original glazed doors and steps that lead to the rear terrace and original Georgian shutters. There is a sash window to the side aspect with original shutters and a fireplace with marble surround and hearth, provision for a flat screen television and a stripped pine floor. Neighbouring this room is a large drawing room which has delightful views of the gardens via the bay window and doors, there is original shutters, stripped pine floor and an original fire place.

The inner lobby has access to the kitchen/breakfast room which faces the rear of the house and has a large sash bay overlooking a private courtyard. The focal point of the room is the Aga with twin hotplates and a variety of ovens, tiled surround and surrounding chimney breast. There is a variety of base and wall mounted units, a four-ring gas hob with electric oven and a stainless-steel double sink and drainer with mixer tap and work surface and a flagstone floor. From here there is a large boot room which has views of the side gardens, a built-in original cupboard space, a chequered quarry tiled floor, a range of base units and a stainless-steel sink and drainer. A door from here leads to the self-contained wing of The Lodge. From the inner lobby, a door leads down a corridor providing access to a convenient storage area, a ground floor bathroom, dining room and morning room. The dining room has an original fireplace with cast iron surround and tiled cheeks, there is ornate ceiling cornicing and adjacent to that is the morning room, there is a sash window to the side aspect and glazed doors leading to the stunning Victorian Orangery. This has access from both the dining and morning room and has a tiled black and white chequered floor, there is a double glazing throughout with outstanding views of the rear gardens and cast iron radiators. There are double glazed doors and steps leading down to the rear terrace. Adjacent to this is a convenient ground floor bathroom with fitted white suite comprising of panelled bath, low level WC and wash basin.

The previous owners added the most beautiful Victorian-style orangery and that’s another feature that really sold

the house to us,” says Helen. “It leads off from the dining room and out via French doors into the garden so we can create a really fabulous entertaining space or we can simply sit in there and take in the magnificent view of the grounds.”

First FloorThere is a curved Georgian style mahogany staircase that leads to a large landing with original sash window looking over the northern part of the gardens, there are two further staircases that provide access to the main bedrooms which include the master bedroom, bedroom two, three, four and five. The master bedroom has two restored sash windows taking in views of the gardens, it has a range of built in wardrobes, ornate ceiling cornicing and access to the en suite bathroom which has a panelled bath, wash hand basin and low-level WC, an original fireplace with sash window to the side aspect, there is also a door leading back onto the landing. Neighbouring this is bedroom two has two sash windows taking advantage of the delightful views, there is a large family bathroom with sash windows to both the front and side aspects, original fireplace, a centrally fitted claw foot roll top bath, a large shower cubicle and wash basin. There is a separate WC with obscured glazed sash window to the front with original shutters and a wash basin. Bedroom three is another large double bedroom with sash windows to the front aspect looking over the fore garden and courtyard, whilst across the landing are two further large double bedrooms, both enjoying views to the front of the property via restored sash windows.

Optional Self Contained WingThe Lodge also benefits from a self contained wing of the main house, which has its own access from the front courtyard. The entrance hall has a staircase leading to the first floor, there is a door providing access to the large cellar which has several chambers and is considered the perfect temperature for wine storage. From the hall there is access to a convenient sitting room which overlooks the walled courtyard and is currently used as a gym, a door here leads to another room, which could be a perfect office or additional reception room. The utility room is off the hall, which if desired could easily be changed into a kitchen to increase the independence of the wing. There are sash windows to the side and front and a rear door. On the first floor landing is a sash window to the side aspect, further sash windows and a lovely corridor that leads to the bedrooms. There are three double rooms and two well appointed bathroom and shower rooms providing perfect guest quarters or independent living space for close relatives or staff.

Seller Insight The house is large and beautifully presented throughout and boasts around five and a half acres of the most spectacular

gardens and grounds. “It was the wow factor of the property as a whole that drew us to it,” says Helen. “Everything about it is impressive. The house is just gorgeous and when you walk out the back the view is of nothing but our magnificent grounds and the rolling fields beyond. You feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere and yet everything you might want or need is just a stone’s throw away. It’s totally idyllic.”

“We’ve owned the property for twelve years now and during that time we’ve put an awful lot of time, care and effort into restoring the house, sympathetically, back to its original state, but with a few contemporary touches here and there. The previous owners, who were here for fifteen years, completed around half of the restoration and we’ve gone on to beautifully finish the job. It’s now the elegant home it was always meant to be. It’s a very imposing property and has a tremendous feeling of light and space throughout, but it’s never felt too large, just very warm and welcoming throughout. In my mind it’s the most perfect family home.”

“What makes the location so unique is the fact that we can step out into the garden and the view is green and beautiful for as far as the eye can see,” says Helen, “and yet the centre of the village is just a short walk from the front gates, I can be in Lutterworth in under five minutes or I can hop on the train and be in central London in under an hour. It really couldn’t be more ideal.”

“This is a house that comes alive when it’s full of family and friends and we’ve had so many really memorable celebrations here,” says Helen. “We’ve had birthday parties, anniversary celebrations and even a wedding, when many guests commented that The Lodge was the perfect venue!”

The house is just beautiful but I’d say that it’s the grounds and the position that really set it apart from all the rest,” continues Helen. “We have around half an acre of formal garden which stretches down to a ha-ha, beyond which is acres of private parkland. It’s an amazing place to live and really needs to be seen to be fully appreciated.”*

* 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.

Outside

Walled CourtyardThis is primarily associated with the separate wing but it does have access into The Lodge and a door that leads off to the parking area. In turn, there is a further gated access that leads to the side gardens.

Parking & GardensThere is a gravelled parking area for a high number of vehicles, this continues down the southern elevation of the property to provide access to the gardens. The gardens approach 5.4 acres of land, the primary gardens close to the house are laid mainly to lawn and there is a ha-ha denoting the end of the lawn but preserving an uninterrupted view of the landscape beyond. Dotted around the formal gardens are some magnificent trees providing privacy and screening in the summer months. The volume of the house can be appreciated with its views of the rear elevation and the large terrace that wraps around its east facing aspect. The gardens continue down the side of The Lodge where there are some further mature trees and shaped borders. There is a convenient brick-built tool store with pitched slate roof and beyond the ha-ha is a further 4 acres of attractive lawned parkland which has a variety of mature trees throughout. To the very bottom of the site is a gated access, potentially providing the opportunity of a sweeping driveway that leads to the Lodge and on the left hand side of the perimeter is a large timber built store with power and lighting which could provide internal stabling for equestrian enthusiasts and is perfect for storage and gardening equipment.

Situated within the county of Leicestershire and part of a conservation area, Bitteswell is a popular and well-served village providing a Primary school and Montessory Nursery and the Old Royal Oak country pub. The nearby town of Lutterworth provides day-to-day shopping including a Waitrose, butchers and doctors surgery. Sporting activities include leisure centre, cricket, rugby and football clubs and Lutterworth Golf Club. There is Secondary Education in Lutterworth with private schooling in nearby Rugby. Communication links are excellent with the M1, M6 and A14 all within easy distance giving excellent access to all local business centres, with airports at Birmingham, Nottingham and East Midlands. Rugby provides a rapid train link to London Euston inside 50 minutes and Market Harborough provides a train service to London St. Pancras International in about one hour.

LOCATION

Registered in England and Wales. Company Reg. No. 09929046 VAT No: 232999961Head Office Address 1 Regent Street Rugby CV21 2PEcopyright © 2018 Fine & Country Ltd.

ServicesMains gas, mains water, broadband and electricity are connected

Local AuthorityMarket Harborough District CouncilCouncil Tax Band H.

Viewing ArrangementsStrictly via the vendors sole agents Fine & Country on (01788) 820062.

Opening HoursMonday to Friday 9.00 am - 5.30 pmSaturday 9.00 am - 4.30 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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