Handsome historic barn conversion

Meyers Dorest property

Handsome historic barn conversion

The Poundbury office of Meyers is thrilled to offer for sale a stunning thatched barn conversion nestled in the centre of West Stafford, a rural Dorset village in the heart of Hardy country, around two miles from the county town of Dorchester with its shopping and leisure facilities as well as rail links to London Waterloo and Bristol Temple Meads.

Originally part of the Stafford Estate, the handsome Grade II listed early 18th Century barn is half stone topped with its original timber framing and brick infilling under a thatched roof, the ridge of which was replaced around two years ago.

Once a hub of the village community, Barton Barn is rich in history. Having served as a cart shed, the derelict barn and adjoining stables were purchased in 1976 by Commander Bob Wilkins on his retirement from the Royal Navy, who converted the barn to become the village convenience store and the stables living accommodation. In 1978, the shop incorporated the village Post Office.

In 1985, Paul and Margaret Williams bought Barton Barn from Mr Gill Hill, who ran his sandal making business from there. Structural repairs and considerable work were undertaken on the barn before the Williams’ opened it as a restaurant, which unfortunately closed when the couple returned to South Africa in 1988. The barn was then sold in 1999 to the Eshelby’s.

In recent years, Barton barn has been extensively and meticulously restored to become a comfortable, individual, versatile and characterful home with a wonderful harmonium of modern conveniences and fine period features.

Inside is almost 3,000 square feet of space. A lovely big porch leads through to an entrance hall with cloakroom. To the left of the hallway is the main reception room – a vast sitting/dining room with half cruck oak beams dominating the ceiling, exposed stone walling, triple aspect windows, a multi fuel burner fireplace, and a wooden galleried staircase rising to the first-floor master bedroom quarters.

meyers dorset property

To the right of the hallway are four bedrooms – two en-suite and one currently used as a study, as well as a family shower room. And completing the ground floor of this fine period home is the kitchen/breakfast room, with its wall of windows and French doors letting in oodles of natural light and leading out to the rear garden. The kitchen is fitted with farmhouse style cabinetry along with an eye-level double oven and induction hob, and features exposed timbers, tiled and flagstone flooring.

From the wonderful sitting/dining room, the stairs lead to a fantastically huge family space with a cosy snug on one side and bathroom on the other. Straight ahead is a pair of wooden doors leading into the grand master bedroom. Both rooms exhibit polished wooden flooring and the craftsmanship of the magnificent roof timbers is to be admired. From the family space, a handy loft/storage area sits above and runs the length of the main reception room.

To the front of the barn is a gated tarmac area providing space to park several vehicles. To the side is a shed and an additional garden store. And the rear garden is divided into three main areas, mostly laid to pave or gravel with a section of lawn, all planted with mature shrubs and trees with areas for seating, ideal for al fresco drinks and dining.

The current owner said: “The property, although sitting in the centre of the village, is secluded, private and quiet. It has deceptively more garden than seems, as it wraps around the barn. The interior lends itself to many uses – although a fabulous family home, there is enough room for additional ventures; a place for creativity and artistic imagination. We have a workshop area, to restore and upcycle vintage furniture. The property has other diversification potential including commercial ventures such as retail, catering, arts and crafts, as has been the case in the past; not to mention the musical acoustics used by the previous owners, who were also certified for B&B. The property could become a holiday let, or potentially be divided into 2 dwellings; all potential income, and all subject to the relevant planning permissions of course.”

Tom Bell, senior property consultant at Meyers, said: “Barton Barn is a true gem of a property. It has masses of potential as it is versatile and plentiful in space, enough for entertaining on a grand scale. Indeed, we’ve heard that it has hosted concerts, operas, barn dances and workshops in the past!”

For further information, to arrange to view this stunning property, or to discuss any property-related matter, pop into Meyers at 1 Queen Mother Square in Poundbury, call 01305 259436 or visit www.meyersestates.com. To browse property for sale across the Westcountry, visit www.theexpertsinproperty.co.uk.

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