Ralph reviews a Grade II period house in Barton
The recent heatwave, whilst glorious, set me back in my preparations for the World Cup. All I was fit for recently was wallowing in the paddling pool mum very kindly got out for me, and lying snoring in the shade of our monkey puzzle tree. At one stage mum looked up from her book to point out that I bore an uncanny resemblance to a very small hippopotamus. I took that as a compliment – I am sure I read somewhere that they are one of the most dangerous creatures on earth – grrrr, yes, I am fierce!
Anyway, since then the weather has been cooler and I am back to practicing my corners and penalty kicks in the back garden. In the family sweepstake I have been given Uzbekistan to support and, whilst I am right behind my team, I was caught muttering that they had better wheel me in to take any penalties as I will do a better job! Anyway, in between practicing my “set pieces” (yes, I have all the lingo) and moaning about my team, I did manage to focus on work just enough to head to Barton to visit Higher Farm House – the subject of my latest Ralph’s Review.
When we arrived in this picturesque village, I was struck by an elegant, imposing period property which seemed to watch benevolently from its elevated position above the village. So you can imagine my delight when the car drew ever closer to said property and finally turned into a drive to the side of it and came to a halt on a gravel driveway.
Hopping down from the car I could hardly wait to explore and trotted off at pace towards the beautiful period style front door, I paused just before stepping over the threshold and gazed up at the beautiful façade which, with its sash windows and pleasing symmetry of design appeared to me to be of Georgian origin.
Once inside, I found myself in an entrance hall which, with its tiled floor, gave a charming nod to the property’s farmhouse heritage. The door to my left led me into a welcoming sitting room full of beautiful period features. As I pottered around, my claws clacking on the polished wooden floor, I gazed admiringly at the feature fireplace with its inviting log burner before turning to look at the garden beyond the panelled glazed door at the back of the room. Settling myself down I spent a very rewarding five minutes watching the local wildlife busying themselves in the garden – gosh, I thought to myself, this is better than a TV boxset!
Eventually I dragged myself away and, back in the hallway, I took a door to the right and found myself in an atmospheric dining room. The period style window, and imposing feature fireplace added a sense of drama that sent a little shiver of excitement down my spine.
I could just imagine a dark winter’s night, the weather unforgiving outside; but inside, a fire burning, candles aflame, great food on the table (chicken, sausages, bacon – actually, just about anything!) and my friends and I putting the world to rights. Topics for discussion would no doubt include the cost of doggy daycare, the challenge of getting reliable dog walkers, the state of public footpaths – who IS responsible for cutting back the nettles and brambles – after all, they are a serious hazard to a vertically challenged little dog… to name but a few….
Smiling to myself at how middle-aged I have become I set off in search of the kitchen. Along the way I found a convenient cloakroom. Stepping into the breakfast kitchen I was immediately charmed. With its country style units and tiled floor, it managed, whilst offering everything a contemporary kitchen should, to retain a real sense of the origin of the property.
Beyond the kitchen I spied a handy utility room, and I had already noticed outside that there was a very useful cloakroom at the side of the house that is accessed from outside – a true farmhouse!
With a wry smile I made my way back to the entrance hall and up the stairs to the upper storey. I was not at all surprised to find that the first floor was equally as charming and exquisitely styled as the rest of the house. I found three bedrooms, two of which boasted feature period fireplaces as their focal points. These were such beautiful rooms that I simply could not resist settling down on a cosy eiderdown for 40 winks. I did feel rather like Goldilocks though as it was so very hard to decide which bed in which room to choose! I also discovered a beautiful family bathroom with one of my favourite things in the whole wide world, a claw footed free standing bath – delicious!
Much as I did not want to leave Higher Farm House, the only place left to explore was the outside space, so I cast a last longing glance behind me, and made my way slowly down the stairs and out the house. I retraced my steps down the path between two lawned areas at the front of the house, headed back down the drive at the side of the house to the garden at the back of the house. As I looked around, I nodded in approval – it was a really good sized garden mainly laid to lawn. In fact, I thought to myself, it was the perfect place to practice my football dribbling and headers, so I trotted back to the car to collect my football and proceeded to spend a very intensive 15 minutes practicing my skills. At the end I felt like Harry Kane captaining his team to victory (we hope!)
As I regained my composure (and my breath) I headed back to the car, hopped up onto the back seat and reflected on what a truly beautiful home Higher Farm House is. An exquisite blend of period features and contemporary styling, it is a home which anyone would be proud to call their own. If you think Higher Farm House is just beautiful then please do not hesitate to contact myself or one of my team on 01244 322322 or [email protected] to arrange a viewing.
Until next time
Love Ralph X
