7 bedroom detached house for sale

* GUIDE PRICE £1,500,000 *Jukes Estate Agents are proud and extremely delighted to bring to market The Old Vicarage of St John the Evangelist, of which is an absolutely breathtaking 7-bedroom detached property in Little Ouse Cambridgeshire.

Little Ouse lies on the left bank of the River Little Ouse which forms the boundary between Cambridgeshire & Norfolk.

This hamlet setting benefits from not only being set in the heart of the beautiful fenlands, with views and walks aplenty, but it is also amazingly just a 7 minute drive to Littleport station offering direct train links to London Liverpool St and Kings Cross. In fact, you can be in central London in a little over 1hr 30mins door to door, with the added benefit of easy parking at the station!

If you are not a London commuter, the city of Ely is only just over 10 miles away, with Ely Leisure Village less than 15 mins away, offering numerous eateries, a multi-screen cinema, and a leisure centre complete with a state-of-the-art gym and swimming pool.

However, the real jewel in the crown here is the property, which is truly exceptional to say the least. Built in 1869, The Vicarage sits in a delightful location on the banks of the Little Ouse, this substantial red-brick property was built in the style of the 'Arts and Crafts movement' with a design leaning towards that of the Red House in Bexleyheath, built in 1859 and designed by William Morris. Although not a copy of this great National Trust house, the Vicarage bears several features which pay homage to the groundbreaking house, including red-brick infilled arches above windows and doors as well as internal arches lending themselves to this movement and the gothic, as well as the styling of a modest Italianate tower over the main entrance.

I make no apologies for the time it will take you to read what I am about to write about this property. May I humbly suggest you make yourself a cuppa and take your time reading this whilst referring to the images as I take you through this remarkable property step by step, room by room.

Before I begin though, I need to tell you a few things that are vitally important.

The current owners have been on an epic journey restoring this property, and what they have achieved is just remarkable!

It is now virtually restored to its former glory and at the same time has been vastly improved!

Yes, whilst it is virtually restored, there are still a few little jobs that need doing. However, they are being done! Not only as I write this, but every day from now on until, not only its sale but right up until the time the sale completes. These are all miniscule jobs and you probably would not even notice they need doing.

Rest assured that everything will be completed (with the exception of the master en suite). It is also vitally important to tell you that this property will come with all the fixtures, fittings, and most of the furniture! There are a couple of pieces that the owners will take with them but the rest stays unless you do not want them.

There are essentially three entrances to this property.

The main entrance, the smaller front entrance, that could easily be converted into an annex, and the side door that leads to the kitchen.

The main entrance is wonderful, with the original door standing as you would expect. Tall and wide with the original locks fully renovated and new keys cut. You really do get the feeling of just how much love and detail has gone into every inch of this project the second you walk through the door.

The entrance lobby contains a cupboard, which houses all of the very high-tech internet equipment, as well as the controls for the property's external lighting, etc.

The flooring is original Victorian tiling, and any broken tiles were replaced with hand-crafted replicas which I defy you to find amongst the originals! Another original glass-paneled door then leads you into the entrance hall which is simply WOW!

This space, still with the wonderful original tiled floor, not only leads to all the main ground floor rooms but also has the odd eclectic "cubby hole" with religious artifacts that gives the proverbial nod to the property's original use.

On your right, you enter the sitting room, and what a room it is! It is worth mentioning at this point that all the wooden floors are original and have all been renovated to look as good as they did 153 years ago.

This room, like a few other ground floor rooms, has amazing window frames and bespoke wooden shutters that have also been renovated to look like new; right down to new brass fittings being made! They are simple stunning!

There are double doors that open onto a patio which is at the side of the property that, in turn, overlooks the church. However, the church is no longer in use and has actually been converted into two luxury properties.

This room, along with many others has bespoke lighting, as well as a leather 3-piece suite that stays if required, and yet another eclectic nod is an old foot bellow operated organ built in 1900, that has been a part of the property for 122 years!

There is a gorgeous fireplace with a brand new log burner that has never been used! There is also period furniture, a flat-screen TV, and a stunning Bakerlite Radio (all staying). Amazing!

The next room, currently used as a large office, is equally as lovely. Another fireplace with a brand new log burner, another room with fabulous windows, and spectacular flooring. It also has double doors that open onto the side patio overlooking the church.

Another room off of the entrance hall is the formal Dining Room. I have visited this property now on three occasions, and there is something about this room that puts me at great ease as soon as I enter it. There is a tranquility about it that I cannot explain. I just know you will love it! Once again, the flooring, the window, and the fireplace are all magnificent. There is a beautiful period dining table and chairs, a collection of period furniture, and a gorgeous Belgium Tapestry hung on the wall. Once again, they all come with the property if required.

Also off of the entrance hall is a large storage area with lots of cupboard space that in turn leads to the downstairs cloakroom.

This larger-than-average room has a reproduction Victorian WC with chain flush and a wash basin with a modern eclectic nod in the form of a brass plaque above the sink that reads "THE FONT, BLESS YOU". There is tasteful tiling and a wooden floor, plus a frosted window to the rear of the property.

The next room is the informal Dining Room which is the first room to provide a much more modern feel. It has a beautiful porcelain tiled floor, double doors that open onto the rear grounds, and a nice modern dining table and chairs. The room is also furnished with modern solid wood kitchen furniture and a flat-screen TV (all staying).

The final room on the ground floor is the Kitchen, and what a Kitchen it is! The floor is laid with Spanish marble and the kitchen itself is fully fitted, and then some! There is a full-size range-style double oven with a full-size induction hob that has been professionally vented. A double sink overlooking the rear grounds, of which is complemented by a full-size dishwasher. There is also a double American style fridge that you can tap twice and it lights up to reveal what's inside, how clever!

However, there is much more to this super Kitchen as there are more appliances. A built-in Microwave, yet another double oven (neither have ever been used), a built-in fridge and freezer to one side, and a wine chiller on the other. There is even a coffee machine and Ninja Juicer! All of the appliances are integrated with top quality units with lots of drawer and cupboard space including a full-length carousel cupboard. All of the appliances, including the double American fridge, coffee machine and juicer come with the property.

This space also boasts a beautiful country-style table and chairs. All set within this showroom standard Kitchen that has everything you will ever need! WOW!

Maybe it's time to make another cuppa as we climb the impressive staircase.

While we climb the stairs, I will mention that as with all the downstairs rooms, every room in this house has a plethora of mains, phone, and internet sockets. Probably more than I have ever seen in any house I have ever been in. As the owner said to me today. "when you've stripped the rooms back to bare brick and completely re-wired the house, why not"?

As you get to the "more than impressive" landing, your eyes are drawn to the fabulous high ceilings which have been insulated to the highest standard possible, and the Velux windows are triple glazed, thus keeping the heating bills down!

As you stand on the landing there is a hatch to the roof void, of which houses the water tanks along with TV & FM aerials, therefore completely out of sight. Also, the Satellite TV and Internet receivers (very fast broadband here), are concealed in the "V" of the roof, therefore leaving the roof looking exactly how it did 150 years ago.

To your right is the first bedroom which is extremely large. Featuring an original fireplace, stunning wooden floor, and a large window that overlooks the front of the property.

The next room on the right is the master bedroom.

Once again, the floor! There is a large sash window overlooking the church and the side grounds, as well as tasteful solid wood bedroom furniture that comes with the property if required, excluding the bed. This room has a very large en-suite, and is the only room in the house that will not be finished. The floor and ceiling are essentially done and the electrics are in so it isn't the biggest job in the world. The current owners knew what they wanted and they have high res images of what the en-suite would look like which we can give you the links to or indeed supply you with the images. I have to tell you, it looks amazing.

The next bedroom, whilst much smaller and currently used as an office, is still a double room. There is a large window which also overlooks the church. And again, the floor is simply divine!

Off to the next bedroom which has a finished en suite. This room is once again very large, and the flooring, well enough said I think! There is a beautiful fireplace, built-in cupboards, and a gorgeous en-suite that consists of a walk-in shower, W/C and wash basin, plus a heated towel rail. It is beautifully tiled to the very highest standard and has nice down lighting.

Have I mentioned the light switches yet? Yet another nod to the bygone age when this property would have had candle light replaced with electricity. All the switches are 1930's style Bakerlite switches. Lovely!

The next room you come to is the family bathroom. Extremely modern with a fabulous nod to Victorian times. There is a superb twin washbasin vanity unit which is just beautiful, as well as a heated towel rail.

There is a fabulous roll-top bathtub with centre Victorian taps/showerhead, as well as a frosted window behind that just works so well with the natural light that cascades in. As beautiful as this bathroom is, the thing that makes it even more special than it already is is the original "Pot Boiler". Now in an oak surround and illuminated, this Victorian Pot Boiler has twin water tanks that would have meant a constant supply of hot water once the "maids" had filled the bath with hot water. You simply used a ladle to "top up" the hot water for a long soak!

The next and fifth bedroom is yet another large double with a superb en-suite. Whilst I was making notes, on this room, I bumped into the photographer who was as blown away as I was at what we were seeing. As he said to me "It's beautiful isn't it? It's the detail!" That starts to sum up every room this property has! Nothing has been missed out, the attention to detail is sublime.

This large double with en-suite is, as you would expect, gorgeous. Whilst the flooring is yet to be done, there is enough room for two armchairs, an occasional table, a lovely fireplace, a large window that overlooks the rear grounds. With this bedroom being finished off with a stunning en-suite with a walk-in shower, W/C, heated towel rail, and wash basin.

This is finished off with lovely ceiling-to-floor tiling and has nice downlighting. There is also a cleverly designed built-in wardrobe that illuminates on opening and even contains lock boxes for those personal possessions you want to keep extra safe!

If you then go back to where you started but carry on a little further, you will find the staircase that back in the day would have been used by staff, and to the right are the two remaining bedrooms.

Bedroom 6, although one of the smaller rooms, is still a small double although perhaps I would prefer to call it a large single. The flooring is still to be finished, and there is a decent size window that overlooks the courtyard garden/patio and "Orchard Cottage". "What's that" I hear you ask! For now, you will have to wait!

Bedroom 7 is a bit of a surprise, for while it still has the gorgeous flooring, it is a far more modern-looking room. A good size double with a nice built-in wardrobe with a cleverly illuminated alcove. The beautiful fireplace is original and was even able to be renovated. There is also a bespoke Sycamore dressing table and the almost mandatory en-suite. The en-suite, which I am told is by Laura Ashley, is like all the others, simply gorgeous! One more thing about this bedroom. On the wall is a small picture frame which houses a scrap of paper that the current owners found when renovating this room. it is signed by whoever decorated the room on April 23rd 1893. How incredible!

The staircase was originally used by the staff and leads down the the lesser of the two front doors, therefore you could actually create an annex if required.

Adjacent to the main house is Orchard Cottage. Originally the stables, this building housed the resident Vicar's two horses and cart (yes that was the only way he could visit his parishioners). The roof of this building has been renovated, with the electrics and internet fully installed, plus waste pipes.

Therefore it is ready to be renovated back to stables OR, turned into a high spec 1 bedroom annex. It could easily be allocated its own garden.

Halfway down the left hand side of the garden sits a large pine Summerhouse. With full electricity and internet, and even its own patio, this super building has multiple uses. Office, Hobby, Guests, the list goes on!

OUTSIDE:

The main house and Cottage sits on a 2 acre plot, and therefore the grounds are quite substantial.

The current owners have done an awful lot of work outside, and work will continue on a daily basis until the completion of the sale.

To the front left of the house they have built a large car park with room for at least 20 cars. To the front of the main house and in front of the courtyard they have built beautiful brick walls with bespoke Pier Heads, again with an eclectic nod!

The front path to the main entrance is finished and has been lined with rose bushes. They have also planted over 100 Yew trees that in the coming months will form a hedge along the entire front of the property. Again, it is worth mentioning the connection of Yew trees and churches.

The Owners attention to detail is astonishing. They have planted an array of trees including Willow, Oak, and Chestnut. They have also planted various fruit trees to the left of Orchard Cottage including Apple, Plum, Pear, and Apricot.

They have even started a Victorian vegetable garden

The main grounds to the right and rear of the property are laid mainly to lawn, although there are many established trees including Oak, laurel, and an impressive Walnut!

To the left of the property runs the river 'The Little Ouse', the other side of which is Norfolk. You can enjoy many a walk along the riverbank with gorgeous views over farm and fenland from all sides of the property.

The front perimeter has reproduction streetlights that are controlled just inside the front door and the whole property benefits from tasteful outside lighting that brings the property to life as darkness falls.

In conclusion, what do we have here?

We have an absolutely exquisite property of some 7 bedrooms, with 4 en-suites, 2 reception rooms, 2 dining rooms, an amazing kitchen, a vast utility room, a summerhouse, and Orchard Cottage that could be stables, an annex, or indeed anything else! Super high ceilings in a property full of Victorian history that oozes class! On top of all this, it comes fully furnished at no extra cost if required, and has enough grounds to keep even the most enthusiastic horticulturist happy!

I simply cannot find one negative with this amazing property!

Is it too near a town? No!
Is it too far away from a town? No!
Is it easy to get to London, Cambridge, Ely etc? Yes!
Is the air quality good? Yes!
Should you buy it if you can afford it? YES!

The owners have kept their own blog of the property from day one. You can view it by visiting
Council Tax Band: E
Tenure: Freehold