Set in approximately 14.6 acres and with its very own grand exhibition hall, White Owl Barn in Brandon Parva, near Dereham, is currently for sale for just under £1.5m.
Properties like White Owl Barn don't come up for sale very often. It is currently on the market with Strutt and Parker at a guide price of £1,475,000, and is a truly remarkable example of a modern barn conversion.
Sitting in approximately 14.6 acres of land, it is believed to date back to 1817 and was originally a threshing barn. It was converted by owners Alistair and Jeannie Kilburn in 2009, who were keen to retain as much of the original building as possible. 'Our intention was to change as little as possible, fitting windows into openings that existed already and keeping spaces as open as possible,' says Alistair. The result is a simply stunning home with high vaulted ceilings, beautiful beams and great expanses of exposed brick wall.
One of the property's most stunning features is the grand exhibition hall, which has a mezzanine level, and is an enormous space. It would suit anyone keen to host functions, weddings, parties or even musical events, and has been used by the couple for that very purpose. 'I am an artist and we also have a lot of family pictures – so keeping this space as open as possible gave us lots of hanging room,' Alistair explains.
'We have also been able to use it for special occasions, such as an Air Ambulance event – when we also had a helicopter landing outside – and a 'barn-storming' sit-down lunch for 115 guests when we moved in.'
The rest of the accommodation at the barn includes a large drawing room – with a completely glazed wall and an open fire with stone fireplace and surround – a library, dining room, study, morning room and reception hall.
The kitchen breakfast room adjoins the morning room and features light units, a central island and granite work surfaces.
Flooring throughout the living areas is either oak or travertine, and there is under-floor heating.
The master bedroom suite is accessed via the mezzanine floor and includes a sumptuous bedroom, dressing room, built-in wardrobes and an en suite bathroom.
Three further bedrooms and a ground floor bathroom can be found in another wing, and there is also a utility room and cloakroom.
Outside, the property offers beautiful expanses of lawn, paddock and woodland, as well as a terrace. And perhaps unsurprisingly, given its name, White Owl Barn is a superb place for wildlife watching. 'The barn owls were probably here before we came and have been coming back ever since work was completed,' says Alistair.
'The farm pond just outside is also a magnet for much wildlife, including a kingfisher, and the grass meadows, which we own, are informally let for hay and provide the perfect habitation for barn owls.'
The property also has another very special outdoor feature – a labyrinth which is a replica of one in Chartres Cathedral in France.
'This was something I had always wanted to do and the space here in the walled rose garden behind the barn was perfect for it,' says Alistair.
For more information about White Owl Barn, contact Strutt and Parker on 01603 617431.
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