Located in the village of Wrantage, not far from Taunton, is The Olde Canal Barn: a 200-year old barn conversion which is currently on the market via Finest Properties for offers over £1 million.
We’ll get to the house in a moment, because the real star of the show here is the nine hole pitch and putt golf course in the back garden. A three-year project undertaken by current owners, Andy and Dana Bennett, has seen a once unused paddock transform into a par 30 course, totalling 1,030 yards.
Trees have been strategically planted, and alongside a water hazard, two bunkers and areas of rough ‘Maverick’s Golf’, the course ‘provides a good test of a golfer’s medium/gain.’ Currently owner, Andy, who has lived at the property for the past 10 years with his wife, says ‘all the holes have a stroke index meaning they are rated from one to nine in terms of difficulty. Living here has been very good for improving our short game especially.’
Joining the golf course is an outdoor heated pool surrounded by a half-heigh wall for shelter, a four-bay car port with eaves storage (plus further space for six cars along the driveway) and pretty gardens which have been carefully curated over the past decade. There’s also a timber workshop and a stable block with space for two horses — and should new owners wish to (gulp) change the golf course back into a paddock for equine uses, then it remains completely enclosed for grazing.
Inside, the accommodation is set out in a way which favours entertaining, with a large oak fitted kitchen, a dining hall — decorated with exposed stone and brick work, living room — with a log burning stove and cosy snug. With the addition of an annexe, there is also a large games room and a gym, but could the space could be reconfigured to include two further bedrooms if needed.
On the top floor, the master suite occupies the full width of the western gable end, creating a spacious, vaulted room with exposed beams and views over the golf course and surrounding countryside. One bedroom is found on this same level whilst the third is located up a short staircase.
Wrantage is a small village located just over 6 miles from Taunton along the A378, with great access onto the M5. There are plenty of scenic walks right on your doorstep, and excellent schooling in the area with Millfield School, Downside, King’s College, Queen’s College and Taunton Prep School.
All you need to remember are your clubs.
Ready, set, putt…
The Olde Canal Barn is currently on the market via Finest Properties for offers over £1 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
Brockfield Hall, the great Yorkshire house that's gone from Regency mansion to modern family homeBrockfield Hall in North Yorkshire is the family home of Charlie Wood and Hatta Byng, editor of House & Garden, who have transformed it since they came here in 2020, winning multiple awards in the process. John Martin Robinson reports on the restoration project that revived this compact Regency house as a modern family home. Photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
-
Barbour’s heritage jackets get a floral makeover courtesy of ErdemUtilitarian outwear has taken the fashion world by storm and now Britain's world-famous wax jackets are getting in on the act, inspired by some of our greatest countryside icons.
-
A Georgian vicarage that blends idyllic seclusion, village life and a simple commute to the CityThe Old Rectory in Hawkhurst, Kent, is a delightful home inside and out. Penny Churchill takes a look.
-
The green Gable House: A family home in Hampshire that even we can't believe is only 15 years oldIf the house isn't quite right, don't be afraid to build something new. The Gable House in Ashford Hill is a glorious example of a new home that looks like it's always been there.
-
Best country houses for sale this weekFrom a vast Shropshire masterpiece to an idyllic West Country farmhouse, here's our pick of the best property for sale this week.
-
Ten stunning character properties for sale at under £400,000From thatched cottages near the beaches of Devon and Cornwall to a barn conversion in Kent and a wonderful getaway in Snowdonia, here's our pick of the best character cottages and character homes for sale.
-
The Brontës original family home has come up for sale with a £380,000 price tagThe Revd Patrick Brontë's former home has come on to the market, where he and his wife lived in their early years before having their children Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell.
-
Six superb homes, from the picturesque to the palatial, as seen in Country LifeOur pick of some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life includes a true gem in Buckinghamshire.
-
A £21 million castle that's come up for sale for the first time in 700 yearsRipley Castle in North Yorkshire has been the family home of the Ingilbys since the early 1300s. It's steeped in history, has a list of famous visitors over the centuries that include James I and Oliver Cromwell, and is now on the open market. Annabel Dixon takes a look.
-
A wisteria-clad former rectory in Stevenage that used to host Sir Winston ChurchillWrapped within all that greenery are some of the finest Georgian interiors we've seen.
