Friarsfield, Mansergh, Kirkby Lonsdale, LA6 2EP - Matthews Benjamin

Friarsfield succeeds at being both impressive and homely at the same time; it is tastefully presented and after an extraordinarily thorough renovation and remodeling it benefits from high quality fittings and bespoke appointments. Built in the early 1860s, there are classic Victorian proportions; high ceilings and tall windows ensure that rooms are light and benefit from a layout that is well suited to both family life and welcoming guests. It is an easy and enjoyable house to live in.

With fabulous views in every direction, the impeccable accommodation offers a large entrance porch, a wide entrance hall being open to the dining hall and further along, a double height staircase hall. The reception rooms include an elegant drawing room and a handsome study, as well as an extensive and sociable open plan living kitchen, incorporating a family room and day room which is used for casual dining. This area leads into a Vale Garden conservatory. Completing the ground floor are a cloakroom, generous laundry room, boot room, rear hallway and a very useful back porch, separating the kitchen from outside. The first floor has a wrap-around gallery landing and principal bedroom with dressing room and bathroom. There are two further ensuite bedrooms and a fourth bedroom has sole use of a large house bathroom. A fifth bedroom is currently used as part of a guest suite with its own sitting room and shower room. There are cellars, a charming courtyard with outhouses, a gated drive, excellent parking and a double detached garage with separate store.

Landscaped gardens and terracing surround the house with considerate and generous planting to create year round colour and interest; they provide an immensely private setting, amenity and a haven for wildlife.

An exceptional location between Kirkby Lonsdale and Kendal with good access to both the M6 motorway and Oxenholme station on the main west coast line. This property is private and peaceful yet not isolated. Whilst it gives the impression of being deep in the countryside, it is actually a very convenient location without having to navigate twisting, narrow country lanes.

The Yorkshire Dales and nearby Lake District make the perfect location for those wanting to embrace the outdoors or simply enjoy the tranquil scenery and fresh air. A short drive and one day you could be taking a steamboat cruise on Ullswater, marvelling at the breathtaking scenery, the next, you could be exploring the Dales with its beautiful undulating valleys, splendid waterfalls, caves and a multitude of quaint and characterful towns and villages. Whether you’re a walker, runner, cyclist or watersports enthusiast, you will thoroughly enjoy these idyllic surroundings. However, there is no need to take the car out at all; there is an abundance of walks on country lanes, bridle paths and public footpaths through fields. These are of varying lengths from the very doorstep of Friarsfield. A maze of roads and lanes locally also provide safe cycling for miles in every direction.

For day-to-day requirements, you have a choice. Kirkby Lonsdale has a comprehensive range of local amenities and is home to an array of independent retailers and services, with a wide selection of places for refreshment. There is also a Post Office, doctor and dental surgeries and a branch of the regional supermarket, Booths. Alternatively, there is the country town of Sedbergh nearby; apart from being an official book town, it has a range of local services. Larger than both is Kendal, the gateway town to the Lakes, with a wider range of shops, services and facilities including a Marks and Spencer store with a large food hall and all major supermarkets as well as a hospital. All three towns host weekly markets and there are many farm shops and artisan retailers in the area.

It’s hard not to fall in love with this delightful part of the world. The owners only came for a year or two and are still here 33 years later!

With meticulous attention to detail, Friarsfield was extensively upgraded when purchased by the owners in 2007. It wasn’t renovated to sell on but to be lived in as a family home. The structure was taken back to basics with every element undergoing renewal or overhaul; the layout was extended and modified sympathetically to create space, light and a better flow between rooms. The conservatory, porches and ensuites were added and the former Coach House cleverly linked to the house, so that it may be occupied as one, or operate as a suite for guests or multi-generational living. The property has been extremely well maintained over the years since its modification, ensuring that potential buyers know exactly what they are purchasing.

There are open fires in the principal rooms including a Chesney surround and grate in the drawing room and a bespoke handcrafted limestone fireplace with Chesney grate in the dining hall. The study has a decorative fireplace, and original cast iron fireplaces have been restored in two of the bedrooms and the house bathroom. The family area has a Scandinavian, high output wood burner and there is a wood burning effect gas stove in the guest sitting room.

Flowing throughout, the unifying decoration is a calm, consistent canvas of natural shades and soft blues (Paint and Picture Library). There is a soft elegance to the overall presentation, high quality fabrics have been used for blinds, curtains and upholstered window seats including material from Colefax and Fowler, Designers Guild, Osborne & Little, Lewis & Wood, Ralph Lauren, Zoffany and Manuel Canovas. Complimenting these are curtain poles, several of which are from either Designers Guild or McCormick-Weeks.

The floors throughout the property are either solid oak flooring both parquet and boarded or natural stone. They are quietly luxurious, easy to maintain and create a fluid connection between rooms.

A large entrance porch offers plenty of room to welcome guests as a stunning stain glassed inner front door opens into a wide hall which runs centrally. To the left, are the handsome study and refined, elegant drawing room; to the right, the dining hall. This is a versatile area that could easily be altered to work as a further sitting room, with a seated bay window overlooking the picturesque courtyard and an open fireplace for cosiness in winter. Continue to a spacious, light filled rear hallway where you will find a vast window stretching across two floors. There is a coats and luggage storage cupboard, seating and an impressive staircase. This area brings an airiness and contemporary feel to this period home.

Listing details scraped from www.matthewsbenjamin.co.uk · refreshed daily · first seen 48 days ago