69 High Street, Harrold, Bedfordshire, MK43

HISTORIC VILLAGE HOUSE WITH SELF-CONTAINED FLAT, SEPARATE OFFICE STABLE CONVERSION AND COTTAGE

An unusual and exciting, 18th century, Grade II-listed, 5-bedroom, stone home, which includes a self-contained flat, but also a beautiful, detached property - former stables, coach house and wagoner’s cottage -which is currently used as commercial offices - over 5000 sq. ft. of space set around a quarter of an acre of gardens, yard and parking spaces. On the historic High Street of the riverside village of Harrold, Brewbakers is a wonderful multi-generational home, or a family home that comes with multiple income-earning possibilities.

Harrold lies in the heart of beautiful countryside, with wonderful riverside walks and a lovely country park, with café and lakes, that’s a magnet for dog walkers. Yet the village is only 9 miles from the county town, its world-renowned Harpur Trust private schools and its fast trains to London in 40 minutes. The M1 at Milton Keynes is just 13 miles away and Luton Airport little more than 30.

Walk the children to their primary school 350 yards away. Older children can catch the bus or cycle along the country lanes to the catchment secondary at nearby Sharnbrook, which is also home to a community sports centre and gym.

The village has its own surgery, post office, Co-op and butcher’s and you can wander over the ancient bridge to the lovely, little, traditional village stores in Carlton. A popular fish and chip shop and an Indian restaurant are further along the High Street and there’s not one but two historic pubs, including the 400-year-old thatched country pub opposite famed for the Beatles unexpectedly dropping in and playing ‘Hey Jude’ on the piano for the first time in public.

Harrold was namechecked recently by writer, Christoper Winn, in a Telegraph article lauding Bedfordshire as his favourite county; the village was also extolled as “a true hidden gem” by the Sunday Times when naming its 100 best places to live in Britain. With beautiful properties such as Brewbakers, set in picturesque and peaceful places such as Harrold, it’s no surprise that the North Bedfordshire riverside villages have been referred to as “the new Cotswolds.”

MORE ABOUT THE PROPERTY

Glance high between the front windows set in the beautifully lime-pointed stone and you can see that Brewbakers was built in 1725. Possibly two cottages at one time and certainly, in the “Roaring Twenties”, the home and bakehouse of William Wallinger who would, perhaps, be amused to see his antique, cast iron, Alfred Hunt bread oven is now a quirky wine store in your kitchen.

You’ll probably wish to put your stamp on your new home, but there’s no doubt about its character, with lovely, exposed floorboards, oak ledged and braced doors and beautiful beams and posts throughout. There’s more height than you’d expect (though you might need to duck, or grouse, in a couple of places) and plenty of natural light. You have a wonderful sitting room and a cosy snug - both make winter evenings a joy, with logs ablaze in their inglenook stoves and with warmth year-round from their gorgeous timbers and exposed stone walls.

Few homes have such versatility. One of the five beautiful bedrooms (your main bedroom suite is particularly lovely) is part of a delightful, self-contained flat – whilst having been a long-term income earner, it would be a dream for an extremely fortunate teenager, too.

Brewbakers is made for entertaining. Your huge, oak-floored dining room extension, once a snooker room, is now a fabulous family space, which is also perfect for dinner and drinks parties. Fold open two sets of doors and you can spill out onto the terrace in summertime; touch a button and the blinds close it off from outside.

And outside has scope for whatever you want it to be, including landscaped gardens if you wish. As does The Barn at No. 69. Commercial or residential, holiday homes or rentals, if you wish to generate an income from this beautiful, pantiled, red brick building, with its special, beamed and vaulted-ceilinged top floor, complete with shutters that close off its Juliet balcony, and gorgeous old cobbles leading into the central coach house, then you could scarcely ask for more. But nor could you if you wish for family to live close to you, whether it be those who have formerly flown the nest or those who celebrated when you did – Brewbakers is a multi-generational haven.

Such is the space here, though, that you don’t need to choose. You can have it all – a wonderful opportunity in an historic and beautiful property.