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Brow Head, Ambleside, LA22 9SB

4 BED £1,400,000

Brow Head, Ambleside, LA22 9SB

£1,400,000 Offers Over
  • Ref: 1000_RS0352
  • Type: Detached House
  • Availability: Sold
  • Bedrooms: 4
  • Tenure: Freehold
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Property Summary

Meet Brow Head, a rare 17th century character home in an elevated rural position on Loughrigg Fell. Brow Head has been stylishly extended and sensitively drawn into the modern era to deliver contemporary comforts and convenience alongside all the original charm of its humble farmhouse origins.

Full Details

Home:
* Grade II Listed
* Built in 17th Century
* 4 bedrooms
* Just under 5 acres of land (In addition, there is quarter share of 'Miller Brow Wood' included)
* Parking up to 3 cars
* Captivating sun-lit views of Fairfield, High Pike, Wansfell and Ambleside village from the main kitchen, the terrace and large garden
* Rural setting yet quick access to Ambleside by walking, cycling, or by car
* Renovated and restored to a high level
* Sympathetically extended to create a large flexible family home

Services:
* Mains Water & Electricity
* Private Septic Tank - (Klargester System)
* All heating and hot water is generated by an air-source heat pump. (There is a back-up immersion heater switch. New Global Energy unit that was replaced in late 2019)
* Underfloor heating throughout the lower two floors
* Good internet speed (can work from home)

On the Under Loughrigg road at the fringe of Ambleside Park, turn up a paved private road (also a bridleway) and a few hundred meters later pull into the driveway of Brow Head, where there is parking for at least three cars on the hard stone standing which leads along the driveway from the wide gate off the lane. There is space here to establish a garage here. Alternatively, there is also parking off the bridleway by the house.

Nestled not far from three neighbouring homes, once part of the farm dwellings at Brow Head, soak up the views towards Fairfield, sweeping around to Wansfell and then to Ambleside below. Brow Head's sense of tranquillity and connection to nature are integral components of its identity.

A passion project, Grade II listed Brow Head's renovation into a modern family home in harmony with its heritage is testament to the tenacity and hard work of its current owner.

Open the latch door on the right to flow through into the spacious, fresh, open-plan extension, where oak flooring gleams in the light from the large window and three section bifold doors opposite. These open out onto the terrace and garden with the immediate impact from the open view of the Lake District landscape encompassing Fairfield Horseshoe, Il Bell, Red Screes and Wansfell with Ambleside below.

Light follows every footstep through the garden apartment known as 'Infinity' where windows draw the fabled fells of the Lakes indoors at every opportunity. To the left a full kitchen to enable holiday letting, to cater for a garden party or to allow the possibility of independent living. Step up from this open-plan space into a large, bright dressing room with oak floor set beneath the high ceiling. To the left the bathroom is a with wet room featuring rainfall shower head, wide wash basin and WC.

Ahead, flow through to an accessible downstairs bedroom, quiet and restful, framing idyllic views out over the Lakeland fells through a glazed door, opening out to a stone terrace, perfect for coffee and croissants in the warmth of the new day's first rays.

Returning through the studio, emerge again into the entrance hallway and turn right through the doorway, and the rusticity of the original cottage immediately reveals itself. A latched door on the left hides a utility and wash room. Stone steps lead up, turning and rising with steps illuminated by contemporary yet subtle low-level lighting.

Sealed matt limestone flooring marks the transition from the hallway into the contemporary kitchen, custom designed with traditional painted oak cabinetry and a bespoke cooking island locally sourced from Howsons of Staveley brimming with cupboard and drawer spaces featuring fitted wooden service trays. Leathered marble granite worktops provide plenty of preparation space, whilst an array of fitted Siemens appliances includes a fridge and freezer, induction hob and teppanyaki grill, double oven and plate warming drawer and above-head height extractor fan. There is also a large ceramic Belfast sink by Franke.

From the kitchen emerge into the cosy dining room snug, where the other side of the plank and muntin hallway is revealed. A log-burning stove adds warmth and cheer, amplified by the exposed beams in the ceiling. Flow through into the main sitting room, walking across the slate flagstone floor to where the original fireplace has been opened up to reveal its original size and structure and fitted with a modern wood burning stove.

A home ever in harmony with nature and the outdoors, another door leads out from the sitting room. Nestled to one side of the sitting room is a small library where proceedings are illuminated from high windows. Next door, bedroom two has a quaint country cottage charm, with its vaulted ceiling and exposed beams. A low window draws in light, with room for a double bed and additional storage.

At the other end of the landing, arrive at the master suite, whose high ceiling rises up, embellished with exposed beams and a shimmering chandelier. Deep windows with wide sills frame views out over the garden, woodland and fellsides. The surprisingly large window in front reveals a roof terrace. What better way to start the day than out on the flat roof terrace, engineered to support a sedum roof...as well as your bistro table and chairs. In the transition between bedroom and its ensuite bathroom, are built-in linen cupboards, painted white with wrought iron hinges that retain the rustic feel of the home. Slide the pocket door to your left to discover a separate WC, tiled in travertine to the floor and walls harmonising with the styling of the expansive bathroom area ahead, with a wet room style rainfall shower and separate large egg-shaped bath set before a window framing views out over the fells.

Turning right out of the master bedroom, another contemporary shower room is coated in the pink hue of travertine marble, featuring a walk-in wet room shower, conservation grade Velux window, twin wash basins and WC.

Garden and grounds:
A home connected to its gardens and grounds on many levels, through balcony, roof and terrace, step outside and explore the home's true heart: the land in which it is nestled.

A large terrace extends from the studio extension, perfect for dining and relaxation. Wend your way along the gravelled path through the garden with its mature trees and look back at the copper clad contemporary elevation gleaming in the sunlight.

Looking outward, panoramic views up to Fairfield Horseshoe, Red Screes, Il Bell, Wansfell and Ambleside village below are ever present. Soaking up the sun from the moment it kisses the front door in the morning until it leaves the garden late in the afternoon and illuminates the distant peaks in the evening, each hour sees a new vision of Brow Head in the sunlight. Lawns, bushes and trees dapple the quarter of an acre of fenced gardens, with an additional area of over 11 acres of private woodland in Miller Brow Wood beyond, jointly owned by each of the four homes.

Water:
The current owner has invested in securing access to the reliability of mains water at Brow Head. The original source of water was from nearby 'Fairy Well' which is still flowing outside the house via an underground stone tank and piped into the large two storey shed which has the potential for further development.

Future proofed restoration:
So harmonious and respectful were the refurbishments at Brow Head, some of the subtler, behind the scenes renovations are hidden into the fabric of the home. These include the installation of new water drainage and the mains water mentioned above, a high specification brand new Klargester waste system and an air source heat pump. Existing roof areas were stripped, insulated and re-tiled retaining the original slates, most flooring has been re-laid on top of underfloor heating, whilst the original plank-and-muntin wall has been restored. Victorian-era ceilings have been removed to expose roof timbers which were dutifully cleaned and waxed. The entirety of the home has also been re-wired, re-plumbed, insulated wherever possible and re-plastered to follow existing contours and to retain curved wall corners. Floors have been fitted in oak or where possible reclaimed wood to add to the authenticity of the home, with no expense spared. Oak casement panel windows with slimlite double glazing replace the existing windows. So comprehensive and meticulous has the work been to future-proof Brow Head, the home has even been underpinned for long term peace of mind.

** For more photos and information, download the brochure on desktop. For your own hard copy brochure, or to book a viewing please call the team **

Tenure: Freehold

Location

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