Country houses for sale

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A ‘unique and historic’ 200-year-old gatehouse comes up for sale at under £300,000

This unusual one-bedroom Grade II-listed home in Suffolk dates back to 1815 — and its grounds are ‘a real feature’ too, according to the agents.

Lodge House, Stoke by Clare, Suffolk. Bedfords PR pic
Lodge House, Stoke by Clare, Suffolk. Bedfords PR pic
(Image credit: Bedfords)

Do you subscribe to the view that good things come in small packages? Try casting your eye over this house.

The ‘unique and historic’ one-bedroom home is an early 19th century, Grade II-listed gatehouse. It’s been brought to the market via Bedfords for £299,950.

Located next to the church in Stoke by Clare (yes, that really is the name of the village) in Suffolk, its origins date back to 1815. It’s built of brick and flint and boasts Gothic-style windows and a sublime apexed garden room.

It may be on the small side but the house has all you could need. The hall/study has an open fireplace with a wood burning stove, ideal for cosy nights in. The room has doubled up as a second bedroom in the past. 

The main part of the house is the kitchen and dining area, which features on-trend dark shaker kitchen units and a granite worktop, plus a sink, induction hob and Bosch oven.

The sitting room area opens out into the garden room, with parquet floors and views over both the cottage garden and the grounds beyond — a wonderful little sun trap.

The remainder of the petite property is home to a lobby with storage, bedroom and bathroom.

The gardens are ‘a real feature’ of this property, according to the agents. Its imaginatively planted space has pathways bordered by mature shrubs and is designed to provide colour throughout the year.

It’s home to a fernery (a collection of ferns, for those that don’t know the term), hellebore woodland walk as well as two horse chestnut trees.

There’s also a terrace, a more formal area of garden with box-edged flower beds, seating and a low fence border. Completing the setup is a garden shed and oil-fired boiler.

Stoke by Clare itself boasts plenty of amenities, all within walking distance, while the larger towns of Haverhill and Sudbury are both a short drive away. 

The house is currently on the market via Bedfords for £299,950 — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details. 


Credit: Strutt and Parker

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Annabel Dixon
Annabel Dixon is an award-winning property journalist with a decade of experience whose writing has appeared in The Times, Sunday Times and the Daily Telegraph.