If you are looking for a period house overlooking a green in a village that has managed to retain a community with a shop, public house, school and even its own garage, this is the home for you. Property editor Caroline Culot went to visit the utterly adorable Old Post Office, Aldborough, for sale for a guide price of £445,000.
It was a glorious sunny, early autumn day and as I parked my car and strolled across towards this house, a little single decker bus pulled up nearby and an old man got off at, presumably his regular stop, cast his eyes on me (presumably instantly recognisable as a foreigner to the village) and asked me if I knew where I was going and went on to recount the history of the entire row of houses facing the green. He was so welcoming and I instantly felt that yes, Aldborough really is a true village which has retained its heart and soul and still has people living there who really hail from the location and haven't just moved in from the city to enjoy the joys of country life (although there is nothing wrong with that!)
The house itself is a quintessential English country home, Georgian in design so perfect in symmetry, with roses that really do grow around its sunshine yellow painted door. It also has something that I utterly adore - a little front garden and a wrought iron gate with a path that goes to the front door. It overlooks the green and apparently you can lie in bed and watch the cricket. Now, that's my kind of house!
Up until the 1950s it was the village post office - but don't despair as there still is, incredibly I know, this service from the village shop as well as a surgery and the Black Boys pub (not to be confused with the one of the same name in nearby Aylsham.) Apparently there was an outcry when this did try to close - so it reopened pretty quickly and is going strong!
The house would have been a smaller cottage originally, probably in part dating as early as the 16th-17th century, and was gentrified in Georgian times with that very smart facade which is replicated next door - apparently a brother and sister once owned these properties, living next door to each other.
The current owners have lived there for four years and are only selling because of circumstances; they have utterly loved living there and have made some modest improvements, enhancing its utter charm. This isn't a particularly big house but it's all there; you've got a cosy sitting room with a wood burning stove, a snug with a large inglenook and a really pretty, country kitchen with hand built units over a tiled floor, not lavish and open plan but purposeful - the owner loves cooking and she says it works really well.
There is a downstairs shower room and rear entrance hall leading out to the private courtyard garden - again not extensive, but really secluded and there is a good sized summerhouse/studio which is used for working - ideal as a home office.
Now, upstairs and you get a suprise as actually the master bedroom is on the top floor; a large converted attic space with beams and trusses and a floor installed by the owners which is actually a dance floor. The owners have created a tiny en suite in the corner but it does make a marvellous bedroom - and you have that view out over the green which you can see even when you're horizontal!
On the first floor you have three delightful bedrooms with sash windows and one with a fireplace as well as a family bathroom boasting the owner's indulgence, a lovely, luxurious lozenge shaped contemporary bath as well as a shower.
Apparently there are many clubs and activities in this village so if you are looking for this kind of lifestyle, this is absolutely the perfect house. I would honestly move there tomorrow!
The Old Post Office, Aldborough, is for sale with Strutt & Parker on 01603 617431.
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