Rushton House, Delph Lane, Barnacre, Preston, PR3 1GP - Matthews Benjamin

Set in a peaceful rural position, this distinguished Edwardian former vicarage combines timeless period character with the comfort and convenience enjoyed with modern living. A superb and spacious family home, it offers generous proportions throughout, original features and far-reaching views over the surrounding countryside.

Built in 1911 as the vicarage to the adjacent All Saints church, Rushton House retains much of its period charm, with high ceilings, sash windows, panelled doors, open fireplaces and decorative detailing, while high-quality fittings, a thoughtful extension and many improvements ensure it is ideally suited for contemporary family life. The accommodation starts with an impactful hall and goes on to provide four elegant reception rooms for entertaining alongside cosy family spaces. The well-planned kitchen is finished to an excellent standard with the support of ancillary domestic offices; shelved pantry, utility and a boot room and around a courtyard, stores and an outside WC.

Upstairs, there are five well-sized bedrooms, each with lovely leafy outlooks, complemented by a house bathroom, cloakroom and ensuite shower room of equally high quality. The sense of light and space is enhanced throughout by the open aspect and fine views.

Outside, the approach is through a secure gated entrance to an extensive parking area in front of the detached double garage which boasts the advantage of a selfcontained studio above, perfect for a dependent relative, guests or as a home office or creative space.

It’s been the perfect family home for us. It’s been a joy. We hate the idea of leaving but our children are grown and live away and we now want to be nearer to them and our grandchildren. We hope another family will love it just as we have done.

It’s easy to stay well connected here, whether travelling for business or pleasure, the nearby A6 and M6 (at J33) offer convenient access to the wider road network and if travelling by train, there are stations on the main West Coast line at both Lancaster and Preston.

For day-to-day shopping, Garstang (c. 3.2 miles) has branches of Booths and other supermarkets as well as a busy high street with a great selection of independent retailers and a traditional weekly market. Scorton is nearer (c. 2.9 miles), a charming village with an active local community, primary school and play park, church and village hall, Spar shop, garden centre and several places to enjoy refreshments.

On a wider level Lytham, Manchester, Liverpool, Lancaster and Preston possess a full range of commercial and recreational facilities including a vast selection of restaurants as well as great shopping. Culturally, there are theatres, cinemas and established arts and music scenes with festivals and events throughout the year.

Combining to offer an enviable and well balanced rural lifestyle, one which possesses great accessibility and general amenities.

Built in 1911, the Edwardian era of domestic architectural is renowned for well proportioned rooms, the high ceilings and tall windows making light and airy interiors with highly practical and functional layouts that remain easy to occupy and manage. There is a lighter touch to decorative detailing than in the preceding Victorian age, with an emphasis on quality and craftsmanship. This is beautifully demonstrated in Rushton House with the warm golden tones of the abundant pitch pine joinery (the impressive staircase, panel doors and polished floorboards), period fireplaces (there are open fires in the sitting and dining rooms and study), a substantial kitchen dresser, the original bell board (no longer in working order), leaded and stained glass (notable in the front and inner main doors), tiled floors, deep skirting boards, ceiling cornicing and picture rails. There’s plenty of storage around the house and a host of ancillary rooms adjacent to the kitchen which belong to a time when a team of staff would have been in service, these highly practical rooms are as useful today as they ever were.

After their purchase, the owners embarked on a well-considered and high specification program of upgrades and additions, all designed to sit comfortably alongside the period features of this Edwardian residence. Kitchen, bathroom, shower room and cloakroom fittings were all replaced, double glazed sash windows added, the large stairwell feature window triple glazed and heating installed. The stunning garden room was constructed in 2008, the garage and annexe built in 2018 and solar panels added in 2021. The house has been decorated from top to bottom and is well maintained. The interior is beautifully presented skillfully employing a restrained and restful canvas of colours, materials and textures that reflect the gardens and surrounding colours of nature.

To the south, views are over the level field (c. 5.87 acres) towards Burns Wood (c. 0.51 acres) and Delph Wood (c. 0.16 acres) which form part of the property. The parcels of woodland are planted with a variety of evergreen and deciduous trees, beneath the boughs are swathes of naturalised bluebells. Amongst the trees, a bird box is home to a resident owl. Whilst letting the field was an option for the present owners, they chose to keep it in hand for their dogs and children to enjoy. Paths are mown through the grass and a neighbouring farmer takes a crop two or three times a year.

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