The Old Stables: in a beautiful rural setting

A 1-bedroom detached outbuilding in a beautifully situated smallholding high in the Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Great views and peace in lovely countryside. Ideal for holiday breaks, walkers or cyclists, or business travellers. Country footpaths right from the doorstep. Dogs welcome. Handy for M4 & A303, Hungerford, Newbury, Marlborough, Salisbury, Swindon, Andover, Winchester, Basingstoke, etc. Sofa bed in living room accommodates extra guests. In the 19th century, the house next door was a pub called The Bluebell Inn: in early spring, the woods nearby are a sea of blue, so that is doubtless how the pub got its name. The pub was a Drovers' Inn, probably medieval, and is situated on the route of a Roman road, unusually winding its way around a steep valley. The drovers were on their way to the famous Weyhill Fair, a few miles to the south, and the site is marked, as these places were, by a group of tall Scots Pines to direct the drovers to places where they could stay the night. The publicans owned a pair of valuable shire horses whose stalls were in the beautiful brick-built stables next door which has now been recently converted to form a comfortable annexe - to which we would like to welcome you to stay. It's in a wonderful rural situation, remote but convenient for many of the amenities and destinations in central southern England. Completely self-contained, the property is private and peaceful. It is situated within a courtyard of other outbuildings, a garage and store. The loft above the garage has recently been converted and also houses Airbnb guests on short stays. Although a one-bedroomed "apartment", the property has a spacious feel. The bedroom (double-bed) is large and has lovely views to the hills beyond. Wardrobes, drawers, etc. Travel cot available. Well-equipped open plan kitchen / dining room; with sofa and dining table. Bedroom with king size double-bed/comfy mattress, triple wardrobe, chest of drawers, dressing table / desk. NEW Autumn 2021 - we have now brought the adjacent Music Studio into the listing for those booking for THREE or FOUR persons. Apart from the Grand Piano, there's a 55" TV, sofa and comfortable double sofa bed, balcony with view, underfloor heating and wood pellet stove. This is a fabulous space, about 9m x 5m. PLEASE NOTE - we recommend The Old Stables are occupied by no more than 3 adults OR 2 adults + 2 children. Long lets considered. Or regular weekday or weekend lets. Riders - use of stable & paddocks (by arrangement). The annexe is self-contained. Parking for 2 cars immediately outside. Access to shared gardens, including a lawn by a pond with lovely views, etc. Little patio, table and chairs. Balcony for those booking the Studio. We live next door so can offer advice and assistance where required. Some of the best countryside in S England - and only about 1 hour from London. Many great pubs nearby. Great walking, cycling, riding country. Good tracks and paths on the doorstep mean it's not necessary to go along the roads. Salisbury Salisbury Cathedral Winchester& Winchester Cathedral Marlborough Hungerford Stonehenge Avebury Stone Circle & National Trust Manor House Kennet and Avon Canal Crofton beam engine The Hawk Conservancy Museum of Army Flying Tidworth golf course Highclere Castle - the beautiful setting for 'Downton Abbey' Car essential! Approximately - Andover 15 minutes Hungerford 15 minutes Marlborough 20 minutes Newbury 25 minutes Winchester & Salisbury 40 minutes Swindon 40 minutes Southampton & Oxford 45/50 minutes TRAINS to London from Bedwyn or Hungerford (Paddington about 75 minutes) & Andover (Waterloo about 70 minutes) We live in the thatched cottage next door. We will be your neighbours and we potter around the grounds, sometimes the gardener comes, and there are comings and goings with family and the horses &c. If you don't want to bump into anyone during your stay, this is not the place for you. PLEASE NOTE - we recommend The Old Stables are occupied by no more than 3 adults or 2 adults + 2 children. INTERNET - the property has its own dedicated BT landline for broadband internet access. Following remedial work near the exchange recently, BT tested the line at 6MBs, which considering our location 2.5Km from the exchange is pretty good. We find our connection next door reliable for ordinary use and regularly stream and zoom, but we're not in the super fast league. A mobile signal can be had outside the rear of the property, Vodafone is best and produces a patchy signal in the Music Studio. We recommend setting your phone for WiFi calling i.e. you send and receive calls via the internet. If driving a long distance, please note there are no shops nearby, so you might want to stop and get supplies on the way. There are pubs around which serve nice food, though. Nearest shops: If driving M3 - SP10 4AJ big Tesco If driving M4 - RG17 0DN Co-op or Tesco In England, the big supermarkets close at 16:00 on Sunday. Petrol stations also remain open, but don't have much choice. Many local roads are single track. Passing places by negotiation! Can be very muddy. In winter, the roads are usually quite well gritted or salted but of course need to be navigated with extreme care.