Location
Sturmer is a small village on the Suffolk/Essex border with an active local community of around 400 people. It's home to the Sturmer Pippin apple, the Red Lion Public House and St Mary's, a fine Norman Church with 14th Century tower.
There are regular train services to Liverpool Street from Audley End take from 56 minutes. The university city of Cambridge with Addenbrooke's Hospital is approximately 16 miles away via A roads. Bury St Edmunds with its famous ruined abbey and Newmarket, Headquarters of flat racing are both within a 20 mile drive. Local, everyday grocery shopping, plus a cinema and sports complex is all within 2 miles.
All distances and times are approximate.
Description
Pope Mill Farm is set in about 7.5 acres surrounded by mature trees and set within an 18 hole golf course, boasting stunning grounds divided into a formal garden and paddocks. Originally the site of a water mill, the property now comprises a Grade II listed 15th century house, an Estate Office, a party barn, stables, a three-bay cart lodge and store. The main house is entered through a charming hallway with an oak front door, flagstone flooring and oak panelling. The sitting room, with dual-aspect windows, an open fireplace, exposed oak beams, and open studwork, leads to a study area equipped with fitted oak bookcases and views over the rear courtyard. The spacious dining room benefits from high ceilings, oak flooring, a herringbone brick fireplace with a wood-burning stove, and a staircase to the first floor. Adjacent is a sitting room with dual-aspect garden views. The kitchen is beautifully fitted with a Knights Country Kitchen under a granite worktop and includes integrated appliances, a Butler sink, and a large walk-in pantry. A stable door opens to a sun room with views over the gardens, a partly vaulted ceiling with light oak windows and French doors out to the formal gardens. A rear hall provides access to a shower room.
On the first floor, accessed from the dining room and rear hallway, there is a landing area leading to the principal bedroom which features exposed beams, built-in storage and a bespoke oak dressing table with vanity sink. The second and fourth bedrooms are double rooms with views across the gardens and exposed beams, while the main bathroom offers a jacuzzi spa bath and heated towel rail. An additional landing provides access to two further bedrooms, including a single bedroom, a bathroom with a panel bath and shower, and a staircase leading to the second floor. The second floor consists of additional bedrooms, including one built into the eaves and a versatile room with exposed beams and access to loft space, which could be used as a playroom or study.
The Estate Office, with an integrated cart lodge, includes a kitchenette fitted with modern appliances and a bathroom with a large shower, bath and vanity sink unit. Upstairs, a spacious area with an apex vaulted window and Velux window houses two large rooms with additional storage. A Grade II listed barn, partly used for agricultural purposes and partly as a party barn, features a vaulted ceiling and mezzanine level. The estate also includes a stable block with two stables, a tack room, and a workshop.
There is an ample amount of parking, with a rear courtyard, a three-bay cart lodge, and an adjacent workshop. The property is accessed via a sweeping, tree-lined driveway flanked by the golf course, leading to a bridge over the river and through electronically controlled wrought iron gates. The grounds open up with a charming mill pond surrounded by mature trees, including willows and monkey puzzle trees.
A gravel driveway circles in front of the house, encircling a cedar tree. The formal gardens consist of expansive lawns, mature trees, flower beds, an orchard, vegetable beds, and an ancient quince tree. These gardens are separated from the paddocks by a field drain, with paddocks enclosed by post and rail fencing, providing ample space for equestrian use.