Cutting a striking figure across the Cambridgeshire fens is The Windmill, which arrives on the market via Savills with a guide price of £1.7 million. The tarred brick tower and polygonal dome was built in 1866 and continues to stand tall against the surrounding landscape.
No longer adorned by its sails, in their place you’ll find an indoor swimming pool (which could do with a little refresh around the edges) and a large wedding/event space, as well as a ‘pod’, with two bedrooms and a kitchen area.
The main property is set over four floors, utilising the unique cylindrical shape of the mill to create interesting rooms, as well as incorporating very liveable space within, with the addition of a more modern, red brick building that houses the main reception rooms, including the kitchen, sitting room, reception hall and bedrooms.
With a large indoor swimming pool on one side of the kitchen, and a circular dining room the other, The Windmill certainly doesn’t abide by the ‘usual’ housing layout. Although the majority of the rooms are well presented, a little renovation work wouldn’t go amiss to tidy up some edges (mostly in the older parts of the property).
There are six bedrooms in total on offer here — four in the main house and two in the separate ‘pod’-style accommodation, meaning you can be flexible with visitors or utilise some of the space, as the current owners have done, by running a wedding/events business.
The wedding venue itself is comprised of a large events space which is fully licensed and offers any new buyers the chance to continue running a business from their home. Alternatively, the space provides endless renovation opportunities (subject to all the usual planning consents).
The gardens and grounds have been well developed so as to ensure there is privacy for the main residence and separate access for the commercial entrance. Surrounding the events hall is a pond with an island accessed via a footbridge and pretty landscaped grounds.
The village of Swavesey lies about nine miles north west of Cambridge and roughly three miles from the market town of St Ives where you’ll find everything you need for day-to-day living. Transport links are good via both road and rail into Cambridge and London and there are plenty of good state and independent schools in the area, from Swavesey Primary School to the Stephen Perse Foundation in Cambridge.
The Windmill is currently on the market via Savills with a guide price of £1.7 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
-
From California to Cornwall: How surfing became a cornerstone of Cornish cultureA new exhibition at Cornwall's National Maritime Museum celebrates a century of surf culture and reveals how the country became a global leader in surf innovation and conservation.
-
Jaecoo 7 SHS: Can you really get a luxury SUV for £35,000?The Chinese automaker Jaecoo lands on UK shores with the 7. We take it for a spin around Scotland and the north of England to see if the hype is real.
-
18 magnificent homes for sale from £550k to £20 million, as seen in Country LifeFrom a charming thatched cottage to a 300-acre estate with its own vineyard, here's our pick of places to come to the market via Country Life of late.
-
If heaven is on earth, it might be in this home with a converted chapel that is now a swimming pool5 Wood Barton Town House is part of an exclusive 80-acre development in Devon that also comes with fishing rights on the River Avon and four bedrooms.
-
The sounds of spring and stained glass in an Arts-and-Crafts masterpiece in DorsetWith 35 acres, more than 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool and tennis court, Winterfield has it all.
-
An eight-bedroom wonder in East Sussex where the outdoors are an adventureThe interiors of Old Middleton are pretty good too.
-
A lakeside farmhouse on the market in the beautiful heart of PembrokeshireA lake, streams, 15 acres and five bedrooms. Rogershook might have it all.
-
An idyllic countryside home that's light, spacious and comes with a Grade II-listed follyHagg House is a gorgeous family home that just happens to have a miniature castle in the gardens. Annabel Dixon explains more.
-
A historic villa for sale on the Via Nomentana worthy of Rome's rich historyThree floors, lots of balconies, and a private garden in one of Rome's loveliest neighbourhoods.
-
Eight bedrooms of unlisted Edwardian elegance with sweeping views of SomersetAshton House sits near the market town of Chard and comes with a wealth of amenities both inside and out.
