Description
A 1930s Arts and Crafts seven bedroom detached house with a one bedroom annexe, a triple garage, gated driveway parking and approximately 0.64 acres of wraparound gardens on a private road in the hamlet of Felden. The house has over 6,300 sq. ft. of versatile accommodation over three floors with character features including high ceilings with ceiling roses, tiled and wooden floors, built-in storage, the original staircase and the original servants' bells. There is a formal drawing room and dining room for entertaining as well as a sitting room, conservatory, and snug area for family time. The fitted kitchen has an adjoining breakfast room, a separate pantry and a utility room. One wing of the house has previously been used as an annexe and has a sitting room, bedroom, shower room and a kitchen which is currently used as a laundry room. There is also a home office in this wing.
The property has a plot of just over 0.64 acres with established wraparound gardens, extensive driveway parking and a triple garage. There is also a cellar which is accessed via external stairs.
About the House cont'd Sheethanger Lane is a private road with its own residents' committee and WhatsApp group. A service charge of £140 per annum is payable for road management. It is a peaceful semi rural location and yet is within walking distance of Hemel Hempstead train station and is under 10 minutes' drive from schools, shops and other amenities in Berkhamsted or Hemel Hempstead.
Ground Floor The solid timber front door opens into an entrance hall which has two windows to the sides, a quarry tiled section by the door and then exposed wood flooring which continues into the principal reception rooms. There is a cloakroom which has a vanity washbasin, space for coat and shoe storage and a door to the WC in an adjoining room. The original wood panelled staircase has two windows over for natural light, and leads to a galleried landing on the first floor. Double doors open to a housemaid's store under the stairs which has a window to the front, a ceramic sink with draining areas either side, and space to store cleaning equipment.
The side hall has a porcelain tiled floor and a door to a paved courtyard at the rear. This hall links the kitchen and the annexe.
Principal Reception Rooms The three principal reception rooms all have exposed wood flooring, feature fireplaces, and ornate ceiling roses. The drawing room has dual aspect windows overlooking the rear and side gardens, and French doors to the terrace in the rear garden. A range of bespoke built-in cupboards and display shelving spans one wall. The dining room has two windows to the rear including a bay window with built-in window seat. There are built-in cupboards and display shelving in the chimney recesses on either side of the fireplace. The sitting room has dual aspect windows to the side and front, and feature wall panels.
Home Office The home office is in the annexe wing of the house and could be used as a second bedroom for the annexe if required. It has dual aspect windows overlooking the rear courtyard.
Kitchen The kitchen has porcelain tiled flooring with electric underfloor heating. It is fitted with a comprehensive range of bespoke Ash full height, wall and base units, including glazed display cabinets and drawers, with Corian worksurfaces incorporating a one and a half bowl inset sink under a window which overlooks a courtyard garden. There is also a central island which has additional storage, a circular prep sink and a built-in Neff combi oven/microwave. Other appliances include an integrated dishwasher, a Samsung American style fridge/freezer, and a Britannia dual fuel range cooker which has two electric ovens and a six ring gas hob with an extractor over.
Pantry and Snug There is a door from the kitchen to a shelved pantry, a door to a secondary staircase to the first floor, and an arched opening to a snug area which has a range of built-in storage and bench seating by a window to the front overlooking the drive.
On the wall of the kitchen there is the original display box for the servants' bells. All the bells are still in working order.
Breakfast Room and Conservatory The kitchen is open plan to the breakfast room which has a window to the side, space for a table and chairs, and part glazed doors to the conservatory which has a vaulted ceiling, feature stained glass panels, and double doors to a paved terrace in the rear garden for al fresco dining and entertaining.
Laundry Room and Utility Room The laundry room is accessed via the office and has previously been used as the kitchen for the annexe. It has a range of wall and base units, a butler sink, and space for a washing machine and tumble dryer as well as a fridge/freezer. The utility room is accessed via the kitchen and has a window overlooking the drive, a range of wall and base units, a stainless steel sink and drainer, and space for an American style fridge/freezer.
First Floor The galleried landing has a window overlooking the front drive and garden, a built-in cupboard, and a dressing area which has two sets of built-in wardrobes and two windows overlooking the front.
Principal Bedroom Suite A feature arch leads from the landing to the principal suite which comprises a triple aspect bedroom with a range of fitted wardrobes, a dual aspect dressing room with further built-in wardrobes and a dressing table, and an en suite shower room which has a double shower cubicle with a rainwater and standard shower head, and a concealed cistern WC and twin washbasins set into a comprehensive range of vanity storage.
Other First Floor Bedrooms and Bathrooms There are three further double bedrooms accessed from the galleried landing. All three have built-in wardrobes and windows overlooking the rear garden. One of these bedrooms is currently being used as a study/homework room. The family bathroom has a Jacuzzi bath, a separate shower cubicle, twin vanity washbasins and a WC in a screened off area.
A door from the main landing leads to an inner landing which can also be accessed via the stairs from the kitchen, and is currently used as a guest wing. There are two further double bedrooms in this wing, one with built-in storage, and these bedrooms share a bathroom which has a bath with shower attachment, a separate shower cubicle, a concealed cistern WC and a washbasin set into vanity storage. A cupboard houses one of the three water tanks in the property.
Second Floor Stairs from the inner landing lead up to an over 23 ft. double bedroom on the second floor. This bedroom has a door to an extensive loft storage area which has light and is boarded.
Annexe The annexe hallway overlooks the rear courtyard and has a built-in storage cupboard, a three piece shower room, and double doors to the annexe sitting room which has a window overlooking the front drive and garden, and a range of built-in cupboards and display shelving. Stairs lead to a dual aspect bedroom on the first floor which is currently being used as a cinema room. It has a Dolby Atmos sound system and a pull down screen which is available subject to separate negotiation if desired. On the other side of the landing there is a door to an over 23 ft. loft for storage.
A door from the hall leads to a lobby area with access to the boiler room, which houses the two Vaillant boilers, and the office. The laundry room off the office was formerly used as a kitchen for the annexe and could be easily converted back to this purpose if required. The annexe could also have its own private entrance via the side hall and would work well for staff, guests or extended family.
Cellar and Garage External stairs lead down to a cellar which houses a water softener and is used for wine storage. The detached triple garage has a single and double electric doors.
Gardens and Grounds The property is set well back from the road and has electric gates to a block paved drive which leads to the detached triple garage and the house and provides parking for at least eight cars. There is a central turning circle with a feature Magnolia tree, and the rest of the front is lawned with mature trees interspersed and a mature hedge screening the house from the road.
The rear garden is a particular feature of the property. It faces almost due south and is not overlooked. It has been landscaped with several paved terraces for outdoor entertaining. The door in the side hall leads to a paved courtyard which has the steps down to the cellar and a brick built area with raised beds and built-in seating. The paved area continues round the conservatory to another terrace outside the dining room.
Garden cont'd A trellis screens the courtyard garden from a separate vegetable garden which has raised beds and two timber sheds. There is also a pergola with climbing plants including roses, and the rest of the garden is laid to lawn with established shrub and flower borders and mature trees.
Felden Felden is a semi rural hamlet, south west of Hemel Hempstead and surrounded by rolling green belt and adjoining Sheethanger Common which provides woodland walks and access to surrounding countryside. Sheethanger Lane is an exclusive private road in the hamlet. It is just 1.4 miles from Boxmoor, which offers a range of amenities including local shops, a Post Office, restaurants and a primary school. Nearby towns include Hemel Hempstead (2 miles) and Berkhamsted (4 miles), which both have a wide range of amenities including restaurants and pubs, a range of supermarkets including an M&S Food Hall and a Waitrose in Berkhamsted, and specialist independent shops. Sports and leisure facilities nearby include a tennis and squash club, football, a cricket club, and the Ashridge and Berkhamsted Golf Clubs. Outdoor attractions in the area, include water meadows, footpaths, bridleways and ancient woodland.
Felden cont'd There is also the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, much of which can be enjoyed on foot, bike or horse.
For the commuter, the mainline railway station at Hemel Hempstead is about 0.5 miles' walk from the property and has services to London Euston taking as little as 27 minutes. The A41 bypass provides a fast link to the M25 and junction 8 of the M1 .
Schools include a range of state primary and secondary options such as Two Waters Primary School and Hemel Hempstead School which are both 7 minutes' drive away. independent schools include Westbrook Hay Prep, Lockers Park School or Abbot's Hill School which are all within 10 minutes' drive. Berkhamsted is renowned for its private schooling system in particular Berkhamsted Collegiate schools and the Boy's and Girl's schools are both also about 10 minutes' drive.
