About this property
Key Features
- Detached former farmhouse with exceptional equestrian facilities and approx. 4.25 acres
- Four double bedrooms, including two with en suites and a Jack & Jill arrangement
- Three reception rooms plus superb open-plan kitchen/dining/family room
- Bespoke Neptune kitchen with Aga, granite worktops and vaulted dining area with beams
- Ashcroft outbuildings with four stables, manège, tack room, hay barn and workshop/carport
- Landscaped gardens, summerhouse, paddocks and direct access to local bridle paths
Description
Nine Ashes is a beautifully refurbished and significantly extended former farmhouse, offering exceptional family accommodation alongside impressive equestrian facilities, set in a rural position with landscaped gardens and paddocks extending to approximately 4.25 acres.
The property has been thoughtfully improved to create a home that feels both characterful and contemporary, with highlights including a bespoke Neptune kitchen with Aga, refitted bath and shower rooms throughout, and a limestone flooring theme across the ground floor incorporating underfloor heating. The layout works particularly well for modern family life, with three reception rooms as well as a superb open-plan kitchen/dining/family room, while outside, the equestrian facilities are well arranged and purpose-built.
Ground Floor
The house is entered via an impressive reception hall, setting the tone immediately with a feature fireplace housing a log burning stove and a limestone tiled floor with underfloor heating, which continues throughout the ground floor.
The main living spaces are arranged to provide both comfort and flexibility. The sitting room is a generous reception room, centred around a limestone fireplace with log burning stove, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. A further reception room, currently used as a snug/home office, offers a more relaxed everyday space and also features a limestone fireplace with log burner, complemented by glazed double doors opening to the side.
A separate study provides an ideal work-from-home space or additional reception room, depending on requirements.
At the heart of the home is the outstanding open-plan kitchen/dining/family room, designed for modern living and entertaining. The kitchen is fitted with a bespoke range of hand-painted Neptune cabinetry, including a central island with breakfast bar and granite work surfaces. Appliances include a two-oven LPG-fired Aga, electric oven, dishwasher and wine chiller.
The dining area is particularly striking, featuring a vaulted ceiling with exposed beams and timbers, enhanced by feature lighting that highlights the architecture of the room. Bi-fold doors open to the front, creating an easy connection to the outside space. The family area provides a comfortable everyday seating zone and benefits from a bespoke range of fitted storage cupboards, adding both style and practicality.
Completing the ground floor is a separate utility room and a well-finished shower room, ideal for day-to-day convenience.
First Floor
Stairs rise to a spacious first-floor landing, which immediately feels bright and open, with a part-vaulted ceiling, a distinctive porthole window, and a useful linen cupboard. The landing also creates a natural separation between the principal bedroom suite and the remaining accommodation, helping the first floor feel well-balanced and practical for family living.
The principal bedroom is a particularly impressive room, generous in scale and enjoying a dual aspect with attractive views across the gardens and paddocks. It offers ample space for freestanding furniture and creates a calm, private retreat, served by a stylishly refitted en-suite shower room.
A second large double bedroom also benefits from its own refitted en suite, making it ideal for guests, older children, or multi-generational living. Both of these bedrooms enjoy a pleasant outlook and a sense of privacy that adds to the overall quality of the accommodation.
There are two further double bedrooms, both well-proportioned and served by a smart Jack-and-Jill en suite, finished in a modern style and ideal for everyday family use. The arrangement works particularly well for those requiring multiple bedrooms on one level, and the consistent standard of presentation throughout the first floor reflects the care and attention that has gone into the home’s refurbishment.
In total, the property offers four double bedrooms and four bath/shower rooms, providing excellent flexibility for families, guests and home working.
Equestrian Facilities
A particular highlight of Nine Ashes is the quality and arrangement of its equestrian facilities, designed to be practical, well organised and easy to manage. The outbuildings are constructed by Ashcroft, with featherboard elevations and a pitched tiled roof, and incorporate four stables, a hay barn, a tack room (with plumbing for a washing machine), a feed store, a gym/store, a workshop, and a carport, creating a comprehensive setup for day-to-day use.
The current owners have also installed a 40m x 20m manège, constructed by Elmstree Construction, with a sand and fibre surface and power connected, providing an excellent training area suitable for regular use. In addition, the property benefits from direct access to local bridle paths, making it ideal for those who enjoy riding out from home.
Gardens
The gardens at Nine Ashes have been professionally landscaped and are beautifully maintained, creating a private and attractive setting around the house.
Lawned areas are framed by inset box hedge borders, with mature trees providing structure and screening. A terrace offers an ideal space for outdoor dining and entertaining, and there is also a custom-built summerhouse with power, along with a greenhouse.
The driveway provides ample parking and access to the equestrian yard and outbuildings, while the paddocks are officially classified as grazing land and are enclosed by stock-proof post and rail fencing.
Location
Nine Ashes is situated in a rural position within the sought-after village of Stagsden, surrounded by open countryside yet within convenient reach of local amenities and excellent transport links.
Stagsden farm shop and tea room is approximately 2 miles away, while Bedford offers a wider range of shopping, leisure facilities and schooling. Bedford station provides trains to London St Pancras in around 43 minutes.
The A421 is approximately 2.5 miles away, providing access to the M1 and A1, making this an excellent location for commuters.
For equestrian interests, the property is within approximately 16 miles of the Keysoe International Equestrian Centre, and the area is well regarded for riding and country pursuits.
