Open Day - Saturday - 03-12-2022 - Viewing by appointment only via Fine and Country Colchester.Set in an elevated position, overlooking the beautiful Stour Valley, and surrounded by rolling countryside, Henny Farm is a delightful period property full of original features. Extended over the years, the farmhouse has been brought up to date and now benefits from the comfort of contemporary living, whilst offering a wealth of authentic charm; including high internal beams, spacious living accommodation, traditional fireplaces and Suffolk latch doors.Open day - Saturday - 03-12-2022 - viewing by appointment only via fine and country colchester. seller's insight We had been living in Guildford for a number of years when we made the decision to move to Essex to be closer to our grandchildren. I've owned horses all my life, so we were looking for a rural property with plenty of land and good grazing. We visited the area surrounding Great Henny and, and having fallen in love with the beautiful landscape, we were lucky enough to find Henny Farm and knew it would become our next home.Situated on a hill, the house was in a fantastic location with views stretching across the Stour Valley. Full of character and traditional charm, with beams and an inglenook fireplace, it had a homely feel as soon as we walked in. The rooms were spacious, with high ceilings for this style of house, so none of the usual concerns of low beams and sore heads!The house was ideal but the same couldn't be said for the horses. We started from scratch and built the yard to a high spec, conveniantly close to the house; five large looseboxes with rubber matting and automatic water troughs, secure tack room, rug room, feed store and covered solarium for those cold days when the horses still need a wash down in preparation for an event. We also built two large barns for storing hay and parking the lorry, all protected by a good security system, plus a a full size rubber manége complete with schooling mirrors - which has proved invaluable over the years.The grazing was well maintained, and has proven to be exceptionally well-drained, but it needed fencing. We now have a mixture of tornado, stock and post and rail fencing throughout, with the entire farm completely fenced in and dog proof. We have numerous bridleways in the area with one running along the bottom of our land so i'm able to ride out directly from the farm and, for fitness work, we've also created a canter track up the hill.There are a number of things I will miss when we leave. The welcoming atmosphere of walking into the cosy kitchen on a cold day and warming up by the Aga; the pleasure of walking the dogs around our own land surrounded by the peace and tranquillity but with the option to join the footpath from one of our paddocks and walk past the church to the locally renouned pub, The Swan at Henny; being surrounded by wildlife, roe deer and montjac regularly visit the garden, and the view across the Stour Valley with kites circling overhead, is something that will be hard to replicate.The property Set in an elevated position, overlooking the beautiful Stour Valley, and surrounded by rolling countryside, Henny Farm is a delightful period property full of original features. Extended over the years, the farmhouse has been brought up to date and now benefits from the comfort of contemporary living, whilst offering a wealth of authentic charm; including high internal beams, spacious living accommodation, traditional fireplaces and Suffolk latch doors.The approach to the farmhouse is through a five-bar gate onto an extensive gravel driveway allowing parking for numerous vehicles, including a triple cart lodge, comprising one enclosed and two open fronted bays. Access to the front of the property is via a pretty gravel pathway leading from the lane, but the popular entrance is to the rear of the house, entering through a stable door into a practical boot room and on into a fabulous open plan kitchen/dining room/family room.The smart shaker style kitchen, with granite worksurfaces, is well equipped with considerable storage and, in keeping with the traditional style, is complemented by oak flooring, a four oven aga and a butler sink overlooking the gardens to the rear. Additional storage is provided by the adjacent utility room with guest cloakroom. The kitchen flows seamlessly into the generous dining/family room and through large double doors into the cosy sitting room, complete with a wood burning stove.The remaining ground floor rooms feature a study/guest bedroom, ideal for those with flexible working arrangements, and a wonderfully spacious triple aspect drawing room with impressive inglenook fireplace, original mullion windows and a garden door leading onto the south facing terrace.Ascending to the first floor, the principle bedroom, with views across the grounds, benefits from built-in wardrobes and a large ensuite shower room. The four remaining bedrooms, all with fitted wardrobes, are serviced by a sizeable family bathroom, with the fifth bedroom lending itself to a possible dressing room or child's nursery.The grounds to the property extend to approximately 12.6/14? Acres, all south facing, with a pretty rear terrace leading out to the farmhouse garden and beyond to the stable yard and paddocks. Set behind the cart lodge, in a secluded spot, is a compact self-contained studio annexe comprising kitchenette, bedroom/living room and separate shower room. Ideal for use as guest accommodation or for possible Air BnB opportunities.Equestrian Facilities:The equestrian facilities are excellent, having been professionally built to a high spec, with convenience in mind. The approach to the yard is via a hardcore drive, passing a substantial period style barn with extra deep footings, designed to accommodate a 6.5/7.5 tonne horsebox, and a double cart lodge providing additional parking and storage.The drive eventually leads onto a hard standing area at the front of the yard. Formed in a u-shape, two facing stable blocks comprise a secure tack room; five large looseboxes, equipped with power, rubber matting, and automatic water troughs; and a covered washing area/solarium. To the side of the stables is a large storage building housing an additional secure area for equipment. A security system is installed to cover the yard and all the outbuildings.A professionally built 60m x 20m manége has been laid in the top paddock, close to the yard, complete with post and rail fencing and schooling mirrors. The remaining grassland is well drained and well maintained. The two large meadows and have been completely fenced with tornado, stock and post and rail fencing to form five large paddocks? A canter track has also been created running from the bottom meadow to the upper meadow for fitness work. The farm is well positioned for bridlepath access and hacking in the surrounding countryside.Location A few miles north, is the market town of Sudbury which sits on the River Stour, forming part of the Stour Valley which leads through to the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The area is known widely for its countryside, rivers, unspoilt villages, hamlets and towns; and being one of the prettiest parts of the Suffolk/Essex boarder.The market towns of Sudbury with branch line rail service and Halstead, along with the Mediaeval village of Lavenham are all within a few miles respectively and have a range of shopping and recreational facilities. The A12, Colchester and Braintree are about 12 -14 miles to the south; the latter two have an extensive range of facilities and a mainline rail service to London Liverpool Street taking less than an hour.The area has excellent sporting and leisure opportunities, including a number of golf courses water activities on the river and many excellent areas for walking, riding and also bird watching. There are a number of excellent schools in the area, private, state and grammar.Sudbury Station (with trains via Marks Tey to London Liverpool Street in approx. 80 minutes), 3.6 miles, Halstead 6 miles, Colchester 14 miles (trains to London Liverpool Street in approx. 55 minutes), Bury St.Edmunds 20 miles.Centrally positioned within its grounds, The Old Rectory has an impressive approach, with a tree-lined gravel drive that extends through the grounds, leading to the cottage and barns, before sweeping round to the front of the property.Agents note A footpath runs east to west along the hedgerow between the upper and lower paddocks.