Butleigh Wootton: 2013 Property details for E12

... Wootton House is a fine country house with a Queen Anne facade on the edge of Butleigh Wootton, overlooked by the monument of Admiral Sir Samuel Hood high on Polden Ridge. The house has evolved since its original construction in the 18th cent. for the Hood family. It sits on a 1,000 acre estate comprising gardens, woods, lake, parkland and working farms. It has a large mature garden (all yours) with croquet lawn, hard tennis court, climbing frames, slides and swings; across the fields, there’s a large lake in the woods.

The house is comfortable, elegant, delightful - if a little frayed around the edges - and has had modern facilities introduced. Downstairs: large front hall (wood floors, oak panelling, ornamental fireplace) and equally large back hall (Steinway grand piano and upright piano – tuned for duets) with French windows to paved terrace and the garden (table/chairs). Off the front hall, with views across parkland to the Hood monument, a step down to a drawing room (open fire) with its original silk wallpaper and French windows to the front garden, and a sitting room (marble open fireplace, fine paintings, TV/DVD/video, PlayStation 2).

At the back, overlooking the garden, a large formal dining room (beautiful oak dining table, enormous carved wood and stone Jacobean-style ornamental fireplace); large kitchen/dining room (dishwasher, microwave, fridge-freezer, original Edwardian butler sink and terrazzo flooring, Sheila Maid, 4-door Aga plus electric cooker/induction hob, farmhouse kitchen table, TV/DVD, door to garden) and pantry (washing machine, tumble drier, larder fridge, Sheila Maid, Edwardian butler sink). Partially adjoining the kitchen, but completely private from the house, is a tenant-occupied cottage. From the back hall, a passage leads to French windows to the rear garden, a downstairs bathroom (suite) and step up to the Abbot’s Room (an enormous games room with table tennis, children's snooker table, darts, TV, Hammond organ).

Upstairs: oak stairs from the front hall up to a landing (original William Morris wallpaper, library area with window seats) off which are eight bedrooms – four double, one with en suite bathroom (suite), two with four-poster beds (one a 5’ wide bespoke hand-carved mahogany bed with beautiful drapes, the other 6’ wide); and four twin, one zip-linkable to 6' double and one with 2'6" beds zip-linkable to 5' double, one with en suite shower-room (suite), and two with washbasins; two bathrooms (suites, one with roll-topped bath) and one shower-room (shower, washbasin).

Professional catering available. Damages Deposit £250. Arrival after 4pm. A magical place that has been in the same family for generations, with extensive grounds that children, and adults, will enjoy exploring.