Lovely Country Home, near London - 17 mins train

Relax at our peaceful haven, down a leafy country lane, surrounded by nature and fields. Only 17 minutes from the centre of London by train. Walk from our lovely garden across the fields to a great CAMRA pub or excellent nearby restaurant. Sports centres, family-friendly activities, and cycling are only a ten-minute drive away. Explore nearby St Albans, Hertford, Hatfield House or Harry Potter World! SkyTV. Car needed. Suits professional couples and families. Available for long-term rental. With eclectic furnishing - antique with modern mix and original artworks, Westfield Studios has been our family home for over thirty years and is a peaceful base to escape the hustle and bustle of London, yet still be on the doorstep. The original part of the house dates back to 1850 and is available to guests. It is self-contained and has a fully-equipped kitchen, two double bedrooms, one king-size, one with en-suite bathroom, plus two single bedrooms with a further shower room. The second double bedroom provides a large quiet desk space/study area. Feel free to browse our many books. Fluffy towels and white linen are supplied. The large Smallbone country kitchen seats six, with dishwasher, fridge, freezer, and Neff electric cooker/oven. The twenty-foot lounge integrates an intimate dining area or desk space and comfortable TV space with vintage armchairs and sofas. There is a forty-inch TV with a full Sky TV package and BT Freeview. Fibre Broadband with 50 MB download. The large sunny, south-facing terrace with extensive lawn and garden, looks out over the surrounding farmland and countryside. For longer rentals of over 28 days, weekly housekeeping maintenance is an extra cost of approximately £60 per week / 4 hours depending on requirements. Stays of 28 days plus are available under a short-term Landlords Agreement to comply with insurance regulations. Please see our reviews for our other listed properties. The utility room with washer and drier is at the side of the house with the ironing board, available for guests to use. There are a couple of washing lines plus drying racks . A welcome pack containing tea, coffee, bread, butter, milk and breakfast cereal is provided on arrival. There is ample parking on our cobbled front drive for three large cars. Regarding accessibility: the house is 180 years old, although there are wide entranceways and double doors, there is no ground floor bedroom, the staircase is slightly narrow, plus the exterior driveway is cobbled with original granite stocks which is bumpy for wheelchair users. Please note that due to irreparable damage caused by previous guests we have glass tops over several antique surfaces to protect them. There are double rattan panels on the Bergere Suite which need to be treated with care and are hard to replace if damaged. For these reasons guests are expected to be mindful and it may not be a suitable house for children. If you have any concerns please discuss them prior to booking. We aim to provide a safe, secure and comfortable stay. One of our family or our lovely housekeeper will be available to ensure your stay is as pleasant and comfortable as possible . Guests have the main house to use. We very occasionally occupy the small barn area to the side of the house for a night for two. You would not know we were there! We are sorry but there are no animals or pets allowed. As well as a great country setting our locality offers excellent sports facilities with gym, exercise classes and 25m swimming pools at University of Herts and at the David Lloyd Sports Centre There are horse riding and equestrian facilities nearby, plus many quiet walks on numerous footpaths and bridleways throughout the neighbouring valleys and Hatfield House Estate and one can even walk the four miles from the house down to the banks of Izaak Walton's famous River Lee. Birdwatchers and nature lovers will enjoy the huge variety of wildlife in the surrounding area ( over forty different bird species in the garden alone!) and there is also the award-winning Woodman pub in Wild Hill, a twenty-minute cross-field walk away. For history and culture, we have St Albans - with museums and a buzzing market on Wednesday and Saturdays. St Albans also has a fabulous Art Deco Cinema The Odyssey, plus many bars and restaurants. The town is steeped in Roman history and there is a great Roman museum. Hatfield House, now a major film location, has wonderful gardens and a cafe plus a fantastic “Real Tennis Club”, which we have been members of for many years. Hatfield House hosts many events and festivals throughout the year including live concerts, fairs, plays, outdoor cinema and a game fair. Mill Green - an 18th-century working flour mill is nearby as is Shaw's Corner ( George Bernard) at Ayot St Lawrence. The very popular Harry Potter World is just half an hour away at Leavesden Studios as is Knebworth House and Park just up the A1. Nearby, Essendon village has its own tennis court and cricket club plus great forested valley walks to the Candlestick pub and the fantastic newly recreated Rose And Crown Pub for fine dining, and many other restaurants. We are two miles away from the villages of Brookmans Park and Newgate Street. Newgate Street has two good pubs and Brookmans Park has an excellent butcher, greengrocer and fishmonger, a friendly post office, hardware store and Co-op, while there are a variety of shopping centres and large supermarkets, all with ample parking less than fifteen minutes away. A fifteen-minute walk across our back field takes you to our friendly Esso Petrol station at Bell Bar on the A1000, which is good for the morning newspapers and essentials on lazy Sundays. The Dutch Nursery Garden Centre which has a huge selection of plants, great cafe and extensive food hall is just two hundred yards down the road from the petrol station. The local takeaway scene has been enhanced by the amazing freshly-made sushi from Here Japan in Hatfield and the legendary Raj in Brookmans Park (Indian) plus Chinese from the Raj's neighbour, the Wing Wah Garden. For fish and chips, there is the Seashell in Brookmans Park and Drummonds in Potters Bar where there is also a Dominos Pizza. We have several excellent golf clubs nearby ( five minutes ) including Brookmans Park and the Japanese Course near Essendon village. The Candlestick Pub at nearby West End ( five minutes drive ) is great for a sundowner pint and lunch or supper. For fine dining or a special occasion, we have the fabulous Auberge Du Lac at Brocket Hall, a fifteen-minute drive away. The property is in a rural location, on a wooded country lane, south facing to the rear with extensive views over fields and countryside, yet conveniently situated three miles from the M25. Within easy reach of Central London by road and is only seventeen minutes to Kings Cross from the nearby mainline rail stations of Potters Bar or Hatfield. The University of Hertfordshire (UH) with it's fabulous Philharmonic Hall for classical concerts is ten minutes away, Leavesden and Elstree film Studios are both within half an hour's drive. Situated between the historic market towns of St Albans and Hertford, with Cockfosters ( Piccadilly line) and High Barnet (Northern line) tube stations, both less than a twenty minute drive away. Public transport is limited so a car is advisable. There are local cab firms at Hatfield and Potters Bar mainline stations. A car is necessary as the house is down a country lane and is a good 2 mile walk from the nearest railway station ( Brookmans Park ) For stays of over 10 days - our housekeeper will carry out a general maintenance clean - minimum 2 hours, or more if needed . Longer stays and discounts can be offered but a separate rental agreement is necessary with referencing through us . Our gardener visits once a week.