Bank House Farm, Utkinton Lane, Cotebrook, CW6 0JH

Country living with all the convenience of local commuter links, discover a characterful home combining farmhouse comfort with all the perks of contemporary living, at Bank House Farm.

Rural, but not remote, Bank House Farm sits privately amidst its extensive gardens and grounds, just a few miles outside of Tarporley and within close commuting distance of Chester, Liverpool and Manchester.

Pull along the sweeping driveway, where there is ample parking to the front and rear, alongside an integral garage and large, separate outbuildings, handy for workshop space and storage.

Best of both worlds

A home lovingly and diligently refurbished throughout by the current owners, Bank House Farm is a home reborn; offering a juxtaposition of old and new, where classic farmhouse character is inlaid with modern comfort and convenience.

OWNER QUOTE: “There aren’t many classic Cheshire farmhouses that come on the market – Bank House Farm has been in the same family for generations.”

Festooned in rambling roses, Bank House Farm is every inch the Victorian Cheshire brick farmhouse, with gravel borders fringed in lavender to the front.

Make your way to the rustic wooden door and emerge onto the original flagstone floor of the side entrance, warmed by modern underfloor heating which flows throughout the ground floor.

OWNER QUOTE: “We wanted to maintain the character but whilst giving the home a more modern feel. We’ve opened up a lot of the rooms.”

Versatile spaces

On the right, the large utility-boot room, featuring quarry tiling underfoot, makes a wonderful every day entrance, and offers plenty of storage in the cream, fitted cabinetry with robust wooden worktops. With plumbing for a washing machine, dryer and sink, it is a practical space, with access to a WC and through to the boiler room and garage beyond.

Open tread stairs lead up to a light and bright hobby room above the garage, where light floods in through large Velux windows. This area of the home offers great potential to serve as a one-bedroom annex.

Savour the view

Returning to the main entrance, make your way through to the sunny and spacious family kitchen, where Indian sandstone tiles flow out underfoot, practical and authentically in tune with the home’s heritage. Light streams in through the glass roof above the dining area, where French doors with gothic arch feature windows provide instant access out to the patio for alfresco summer dining.

Emanating country kitchen comfort, the duck egg blue farmhouse style cabinetry is topped in solid wood worktops, whilst the Aga infuses the room with warmth from beneath an impressive oak beam, relocated from the cellar.

More storage can be found within the central island, where there is also a second sink, dishwasher and an undercounter fridge. In the main kitchen there is also plumbing for a freestanding, larder fridge.

Country comfort

Off the kitchen, there is a spacious pantry with more storage, garden views and an original Belfast sink. Formerly four rooms, opened up to create one large, modern kitchen-dining-living space, elements of the original home have been upcycled, moved from one space into another to retain the farmhouse feel.

Relax and unwind in the snug tucked off the kitchen, where a log burner infuses the room with warmth. Ideal as a playroom, keep an eye on the children as you prepare meals.

Lined in black and red Victorian chequered tiling, the main entrance hallway provides access through to a downstairs WC, with traditional style overhead cistern and wash hand basin, with cream panelling to the lower walls.

Peaceful places

Off the hallway, discover the peace and tranquillity of the spacious drawing room, where a handsome stone fireplace houses a log-burning stove. Peaceful and serene, dressed in cream shades, there is easy access from the drawing room through to the kitchen, making this space ideal for entertaining.

Stairs lead down from the inner hallway to the wine cellar, retaining its original cold slabs and recesses within the walls, once used for storing the farmhouse cheeses.

Work from home

To the right of the front door, step through into the study, where fitted shelving offers ample storage. A restful, peaceful room, lined in oatmeal carpet, a log-burning stove again provides comforting warmth throughout the winter months. Throughout the home, views extend out over the private garden.

Soak and sleep

Ascend the stairs to the first-floor landing, also reconfigured and opened up by the current owners to provide three well-proportioned bedrooms.

Turning left, retaining its characterful cast iron fireplace, and with exposed wooden flooring underfoot, arrive at the first of the double bedrooms. A fresh-feeling room, with neutral décor, delightful views and lots of light, this bedroom features a spacious ensuite, with bath, separate shower, wash basin and WC.

Room for all

Across the landing, wooden flooring also features in the second of the double bedrooms, again featuring a traditional fireplace, and wide, cottage style window framing garden views. From this bedroom, a walk-in wardrobe with fitted storage leads through to the luxurious ensuite, with claw footed bath, separate shower, wash basin, WC and panelling to the lower walls.

Out on the landing, ahead arrive at the master bedroom, where exposed beams in the wall and ceiling evoke a sense of nostalgia for the farmhouse’s Victorian origins. Spacious and bright, this sunny sanctuary has been reconfigured to offer space for a sofa and all your bedroom furniture, with windows inviting light through from both west and east.

OWNER QUOTE: “Lying in bed, you can see out to the Welsh hills.”

Alongside a large dressing room, which could also serve as a sitting room or office, there is also a bountiful ensuite, served by shower, bath, twin wash basins and WC.

Returning to the main landing, stairs lead up to a second floor, where two further spacious double bedrooms await, both served by a shower room and serving as a secluded sanctuary for older children.

OWNER QUOTE: “It’s like a Tardis– people don’t realise the upper floor exists.”

A gardener’s delight

The perfect home for a passionate gardener, explore the different tiers of garden at Bank House Farm, permeated by lawns fringed with maturely planted borders, windows edged in prolifically flowering beds and where specimen plants and trees offer year-round interest.

Ideal for children’s games, flat lawn reaches back, with different levels brimming with mature hedging and a variety of trees almost like a private parkland. With rolling countryside surrounding, the gardens at Bank House Farm feel perfectly private and offer a sense of refuge from the wider world.

Exposed original sandstone cliffs add character, with hot and cold taps to the rear by the broad patio (perfect for entertaining) handy for filling up paddling pools in the summer months, or when washing the car. Electricity points are ideal for charging power tools.

Blending areas of formal planting with natural, wildflower beds, harvest your own fruit from the orchard of trees, including apple trees, damson trees, and a mulberry tree.

A home in constant connection with the outdoors, from the kitchen-diner, you can step outside and soak up the morning sunshine on the patio to the east or enjoy a sundowner on the patio to the west.

Out and about

With a network of footpaths extending in every direction, step outside and explore the countryside on foot. Call in at your local pub, The Fox and Barrel, located conveniently at the end of the lane.

Why not walk to the nearby farm shop in Utkinton and pick up your eggs and milk, just a three-minute stroll away.

The famous Hollies Farm Shop is also within easy reach, with a branch now available on Tarporley High Street, just five minutes from home. A village in which old-worlde combines with modern day bars, bistros and shops, there are also two doctors’ surgeries to choose from in Tarporley.

With a local village primary school in Utkinton, there is also a local pick-up service to independent Chester schools Kings and Queens. For state education, nearby Tarporley High School is well regarded, with a host of schools in the nearby villages to choose from.

With ample space for all the family, Bank House Farm has something to offer all ages. Combining the best of both worlds, offering new-build comfort with all the character of a period farmhouse, with fantastic country views and an easy-flow layout, bring the family together in comfort and style, at Bank House Farm.

Disclaimer

The information Storeys of Cheshire has provided is for general informational purposes only and does not form part of any offer or contract. The agent has not tested any equipment or services and cannot verify their working order or suitability. Buyers should consult their solicitor or surveyor for verification.

Photographs shown are for illustration purposes only and may not reflect the items included in the property sale. Please note that lifestyle descriptions are provided as a general indication.

Regarding planning and building consents, buyers should conduct their own inquiries with the relevant authorities.

All measurements are approximate.

Properties are offered subject to contract, and neither Storeys of Cheshire nor its employees or associated partners have the authority to provide any representations or warranties.