Property editor Caroline Culot went to visit a beautiful farmhouse at Northall Green, near Dereham.
Northall Farm is the kind of very much loved home which many of us aspire to live in. It's a farmhouse with the charm we expect from original beams and fireplaces yet boasts a very elegant staircase, a later architectural addition. So this is a very smart farmhouse – no chickens or sheep roaming here, just one well behaved small dog! This has been a lovely family home for the owners for a decade and they are only moving now because they need less room with some children living away so they are looking to buy something a little smaller to suit their needs.
The property is believed to date to as early as 1650 with later additions and it has been extended with a rear entrance hallway by the previous owner and at the side, very sympathetically and in keeping with the original building, by the current owners to make a large boot room and utility. Both current owners work from home so unusually there are two studies but what a dream – to be able to make your office this gorgeous home surrounded by gardens and overlooking fields at the rear. It is the way forward – more employers are seeing the benefit of staff working remotely and if you have a good internet connection and a comfy chair, why not?
What I really liked about this property is the blend of architectural styles from the traditional wooden latch doors and lower, beamed ceilings to the wonderful cantilevered staircase with a window half way up and a wide arched structure framing the landing entrance. This is believed to be William and Mary in period, so early 18th century. This just suddenly adds a different dimension to the house, bringing in even more light and is a very beautiful feature. Before we take that to the first floor, the ground floor has a super country kitchen leading to the new utility area and you have inglenooks aplenty with both a sitting room and dining room/children's room as well as a cloakroom and study. Like houses of this age, there are nooks and crannies, many put to good use as cupboards built around chimney breasts giving excellent storage, others ideal for hide and seek (the cellar also works well for this.) I visited on a sunny afternoon and it was lovely to see just how light this house is with the sun streaming in most of the rooms. Up that gorgeous staircase brings you to the first floor and four really good sized bedrooms including the master, painted beautifully in Farrow & Ball and with a little en suite. Up to the next floor brings you to the converted attic space now made into two excellent bedrooms with good ceiling height.
I just loved the character throughout and outside, the garden envelops the house all the way around with plenty of room for parking at the front, a garage, car port and those lovely fields outstretched before you. This is just the perfect house for enjoying the country life, for walking the dog, watching the seasons come and go and loving life.
You can live utterly privately as this house is really hidden away, you'd never know it was there and all the hard work has been done – even the exterior at the rear has been newly painted. For the new buyer, this means they really can ditch the chores at the weekend and indulge in the good life in the country!
Northall Farm, Northall Green is for sale with Jackson-Stops on 01603 612333, www.jackson-stops.co.uk
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