About this property
Key Features
- Handsome part-period detached farmhouse in a peaceful rural setting between Carlton and Felmersham, offering over 3,100 sq ft of adaptable living space.
- Five first floor double bedrooms, including principal with en suite, plus four ground floor reception rooms and two conservatories.
- Traditional kitchen/breakfast room with Aga set in an inglenook fireplace, alongside two utility rooms and ground floor WC.
- Extensive equestrian facilities including 11 stables, manège, tack room, stores, open barn, and paddocks enclosed by post and rail fencing.
- Over 10,400 sq ft of outbuildings including garaging, party/recreation barn, workshop, kennels and a distinctive private chapel.
- Detached heated indoor swimming pool complex, formal gardens, vegetable beds and approx. 4.2 acres of land with long private driveway.
Description
Positioned along a peaceful country lane between Carlton and Felmersham, it offers the rare combination of a characterful rural residence with extensive facilities including an indoor heated swimming pool, stabling for seven horses, a manège and a wide range of barns and outbuildings. The property extends to over 3,100 sq ft. It offers highly adaptable accommodation arranged over two floors, with five first-floor bedrooms and the flexibility of an additional ground-floor bedroom or reception room. Its setting is complete privacy, surrounded by open countryside and far-reaching views, yet within convenient reach of Bedford’s excellent schools, shops and rail services.
Ground Floor
The accommodation opens with a bright conservatory porch that leads directly into the main sitting room, a spacious reception space with oak flooring, exposed beams and a wide inglenook fireplace fitted with a wood-burning stove. French doors connect this room with a further full-width conservatory, creating a natural link between the house and the courtyard and offering a sunlit everyday living area.
To the front of the house is a traditional dining room with stairs rising to the first floor and an alcove wine rack built into the wall. Adjacent is a well-proportioned study, ideal for home working, and a further reception room currently used as a playroom that could serve as a sixth bedroom if required. The farmhouse kitchen is fitted in a range of shaker-style units with timber work surfaces and is anchored by a two-oven oil-fired Aga set into a deep inglenook with exposed brickwork and the former bread oven still in place. An electric oven, hob and extractor are also integrated, along with space and plumbing for a dishwasher. A separate utility room sits to the rear, offering additional cabinetry, plumbing and direct garden access. A secondary utility room and cloakroom adjoin the playroom at the opposite end of the house.
The flow of the ground floor allows for both generous entertaining space and practical family use, with a balance of character and utility throughout.
First Floor
Upstairs, five double bedrooms are arranged around an L-shaped landing, each enjoying views over the gardens or paddocks. The principal bedroom features a bank of built-in wardrobes and an en suite bathroom with a traditional panelled bath, contrasting green tilework and wooden detailing. The remaining bedrooms share a centrally positioned shower room, and several feature attractive exposed timbers or sloping ceilings, consistent with the property’s origins.
This level retains a warm, traditional feel while offering the space and functionality expected of a large family home.
Outbuildings
The outbuildings are a defining feature of Hawkswell Farmhouse, with over 10,400 sq ft of ancillary structures arranged around an impressive courtyard. The stable yard includes nine loose boxes, a tack room, two stores and an office, with an additional pair of stables positioned across the yard. A manège lies just beyond the paddocks, enclosed by post-and-rail fencing. An open-fronted barn offers covered storage or garaging, and there is a further large barn with vehicle access suitable for machinery or hay storage. A party barn/recreation room opens directly onto the courtyard and is currently arranged as a large, carpeted open space with multiple windows, seating areas and versatile usage possibilities.
One of the features is a converted stone barn now used as a private chapel, retaining its vaulted ceiling, exposed timbers and original ecclesiastical layout,
The detached indoor swimming pool complex lies to the southern edge of the courtyard, and is fitted with full-height glazing on two sides, providing a bright, elegant environment for year-round leisure. Inside, the pool area includes a bar space, changing room, WC and shower facilities, along with cork-tiled anti-slip flooring and views across the yard.
Land and Gardens
The house is flanked by formal and informal gardens, beginning with a raised walled courtyard to the front that features a central wishing well and a sense of privacy ideal for entertaining or al fresco dining. The principal lawn lies to the rear of the property and is interspersed with fruit trees, established shrubs and timber fencing. A vegetable garden with raised beds and a neatly clipped hedgerow surround adds to the rural lifestyle appeal.
A long gravelled driveway sweeps in from the lane, terminating in generous parking around the central courtyard, while post and rail fencing divides the land into useful paddocks with water supply and access to the stabling and manège.
Location
Felmersham is a sought-after village in the Ouse Valley, known for its attractive stone architecture and active community. Amenities include a village school, public house and a historic church. The nearby town of Bedford offers extensive shopping, dining and educational opportunities including the Harpur Trust schools and fast trains to London St. Pancras in approximately 47 minutes. The property is well connected by road with access to the A6, A428, A421 and A422 all within easy reach.
