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" Charming 17thC. farmhouse and barns with many original features, offering a welcoming four bedroom family home with courtyard, gardens and paddocks extending to 4 acres. Excellent transport links inc. Bham International Station within 1 mile with frequent fast services (70 mins.) to London). Planning consent previously granted on barns for residential use with potential business opportunity for B&B or Buy to Let.

Vendor Interview We have a photograph of a Victorian lady in her long dress of the period standing by a pony and trap in the courtyard of Yew Tree Farm. Over a century or so later our own daughter went to her wedding from the house in a pony and trap, and afterwards we had the reception here with a marquee in the paddock and a bar in the orchard. It was a wonderful occasion, one of many splendid times we have had here.

As soon as we walked into Yew Tree Farm nearly thirty years ago we felt an immediate empathy with the house, and knew we would be happy here.

Our daughters were passionate about horses and we were able to encourage that interest using the two barns for stabling, tack, and horse feed. There was a set of jumps in the paddock and it gave them, not only hours of fun and entertainment, but a life-long interest too. Both barns now have the benefit of planning permission for residential use if needed. We often see brides arriving for their weddings, sometimes also in a pony and trap, at the beautiful ancient church of St Peters which stands, raised above the lane, directly opposite the farm, as if on its own grassy plinth. The front of the farmhouse must have featured as a backdrop to countless weddings over the past three hundred years, and each new wedding brings back special memories for us. Yew Tree Farm stands together with the Church at the very heart of the village and forms the western boundary of the Bickenhill Rural Conservation Area. It is a beautiful setting and we particularly love the spring, when our double blossoming cherry tree and magnolia with their pink and white flowers look so pretty by our old front door and frame the church perfectly. The farmhouse, which dates from the early 1700s, is full of character, with leaded windows, original oak beams, and inglenook fireplaces. We love our spacious farmhouse family kitchen with Aga and oak cupboards, as does our dog! In winter we enjoy sitting in front of a flickering log fire in the inglenook, and in summer the view through the large picture window in the lounge over the rear lawns, the old mulberry tree, and beyond into our orchard, with a huge year round variety of bird life, jays, woodpeckers, buzzards, and the occasional pheasant, as well as visits from squirrels, foxes, and deer.

We are so convenient for shopping centres, good schools, major roads, the airport and international railway station; yet when we look back at the old photograph of the Victorian lady and her pony trap, it is possible to appreciate how little has actually changed here in Church Lane over the years. We have enjoyed our own sense of history here at Yew Tree Farm, full of wonderful memories of the times we have shared here together as a family.
Angela and Ken Ground Floor Entrance Hall A partition with exposed beams screens the door and a tiled floor leads to a spacious reception room with a beamed ceiling and walls. A staircase with storage below leads to the first floor. Leaded windows overlook the garden. Access is also by a door from the courtyard to an inner porch and onwards through the original 17th century front door into the entrance hall. Sitting Room A bright airy south facing room with exposed oak beams and a brick built feature fireplace with a gas fire sitting alongside a former old bake oven. A large picture window overlooks the paved patio and a leaded light glass door leads to the patio. Study Off the inner hallway is a secluded study that overlooks the rear courtyard. A flight of stairs leads from the study to bedroom 4. Cloakroom A white low level WC and wash hand basin with built in storage below and two leaded windows overlooking the courtyard. Dining Room The large brick built inglenook fireplace with a tiled hearth and a working open fire are a focal point of the room with a pair of leaded windows, and oak beams, overlooking the front gardens and beyond to the church opposite. Kitchen / Breakfast Room At the heart of the kitchen is the Green Aga, and leaded windows on two aspects provide a light and convenient dining area flanked by a bank of English Rose Oak wall and floor kitchen units with a sink and integrated microwave oven. A tiled ceramic floor leads via a stable door to an inner lobby and onto the back door and porch. Utility Room Off the inner lobby. A worktop and range of storage units provide space for a washing machine and dryer. First Floor Landing An original oak corner storage unit and two leaded windows with views over the front garden and St Peters Church opposite, give the landing a bright and functional disposition and access to the bedrooms bathroom linen cupboard and loft space. Bedroom 1 Dual aspect leaded windows overlook the church and the courtyard and fields, this spacious double bedroom benefits from a wash hand basin with built in storage beneath. Bedroom 2 Overlooking the rear garden and Mulberry Tree, with views of the orchard beyond, this double bedroom has built in wardrobes with a range of hanging and shelved storage units a vanity unit with dressing table and sink stand opposite a shower enclosure. Bedroom 3 A double bedroom with a window to the courtyard and fields beyond, an internal leaded window to the inner hallway, built in cupboard, and a sink with towel rail. This bedroom also has a low door with steps leading down to bedroom 4. Bedroom 4 Accessed via a low door off bedroom 3 or via a separate back staircase off the study, this bedroom has a vaulted ceiling, with oak beams, overlooks the rear courtyard, and offers a very versatile space suitable for a number of uses. Family Bathroom A large oval bath low-level WC vanity unit with sink and storage below extractor unit heated towel rail. Exposed beams and a row of windows to the rear overlook the courtyard and paddock. Outside Front Garden Opposite the church and down the lane is a low brick wall a small wooden gate leads to the fore garden and on to the old front door of the farm. The garden has a large magnolia, a double flowering cherry tree, rock garden and a selection of shrubs surrounding the lawn. A paved path leads to the old front door with its canopy porch, and Victorian wall lamp, and on to the rear patio with steps up to the rear garden. Rear Courtyard & Barns From Church Lane the courtyard is entered through impressive large oak gates and onto a wide tarmacadam drive providing parking for several vehicles, a lawn with border is edged by a post and rail fence and onwards to the paddocks. Detached Barns Both imposing brick built 17th Century barns are off the courtyard, with tiled roofs and an abundance of original oak beams, and also have the benefit of planning permission for residential occupation.
Currently the barns comprise a smaller barn divided into three stables and a large barn comprising two garages and a storeroom. In addition to the barns there is a separate log store and small workshop with toilet. Lawns and Grounds As well as the smaller fore garden, there is a large secluded south facing rear garden with an abundance of mature shrubs and trees, including a very old feature mulberry tree, and a paved terrace and BBQ in the south east corner. To the south of the rear garden is the large orchard with fruit trees a greenhouse and shed, with post and rail fencing and adjoining this is an approx.. 0.5 acre paddock also with post and rail fencing.
The field gate from the courtyard leads to the home field of approx. 1.2 acres, which has post and rail fencing, and leads through another field gate to a second field of approx. 2.2 acres, also with post and rail fencing. This field has separate field gate access from Church Lane. In all the property extends to approx.4.5 acres, and has 200yds frontage onto Church Lane. Location Bickenhill stands close to Birmingham International Airport & Railway Station, the NEC, and is well placed for the M42 and M6 that lead to the Midlands motorway network.

Catherine de Barnes and Hampton in Arden are neighbouring villages with Solihull town centre provides further and more comprehensive facilities. Hampton in Arden provides a local primary school, inns, stores, restaurants, an active sports club and a railway station offering commuter services between London Euston and Birmingham New Street. Services Mains drainage. LPG gas for storage heaters. Local Authority Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. Viewing Strictly via the vendors sole agents Fine & Country on 0121 746 6400. Website For more information visit www.solihull.fineandcountry.co.uk Opening Hours Monday to Friday 9.00am - 5.30pm
Saturday 9.00am - 4.30pm Agents Notes All measurements are approximate and quoted in metric with imperial equivalents and for general guidance only and whilst every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy, they must not be relied on. The fixtures, fittings, and appliances referred to have not been tested and therefore no guarantee can be given that they are in working order. Internal photographs are reproduced for general information and it must not be inferred that any item shown is included with the property. For a free valuation contact the numbers listed on the brochure. You may download, store and use the material for your own personal use and research. You may not republish, retransmit, redistribute or otherwise make the material available to any party or make the same available on any website, online service or bulletin board of your own or of any other party or make the same available in hard copy or in any other media without the website owner's express prior written consent. The website owner's copyright must remain on all reproductions of material taken from this website. "