Old Midford Road Midford, Bath
£525,000

Description

Hazel Elm was built in the 1800's and is currently a four bedroom detached property which has been extended over the years. The property is now in a need of great repair throughout and the owners have recently gained planning permission for it to be demolished and a new four bedroom dwelling to be built. This now offers any buyer the chance to build to their own specification and ultimately create a great family home with glorious far reaching views down the Midford valley. An idyllic countryside location with beautiful rural views yet still on the outskirts of Bath with a wide range of amenities and schooling in nearby Combe Down village.

Existing Property

The two-storey four bedroom detached house sits on the north-east side of Old Midford Road, within the village of Midford. Associated outbuildings comprise a garage/store, a former privy, a timber storage building and a greenhouse. The site levels rise from the south to north by approximately 5m with the house sitting on a level terrace. The site is surrounded by mature trees on the tall bank to the south-west of Old Midford Road and on the bank to the east of the house, which drops down to the former Midford Station railway / cycle path. A tall coniferous hedge separates the large garden from the neighbour to the north-west where there is also a dividing stone retaining wall. The existing house has stone walls and clay pan tiled roofs. There are two double pitch roofs running southwest to north-east with a long valley between them. On the north-eastern elevation there is a single storey element with a monopitch roof. The front elevation of the dwelling faces south-east. Due to the thick stone walls of the dwelling, the usable internal spaces are small compared to the scale of the outside perimeter.

The building is generally in a poor condition, exacerbated by the complicated roof forms and the long valley gutter, which is prone to leaks. The building performs poorly in terms of insulation. Any retrofitted insulated dry lining would further reduce the current small sizes of the interior spaces and would not resolve the insulation of the ground floor which would compromise window and door head heights, and the equal heights of the staircase’s individual risers. Vehicular access to the dwelling is via a 5-bar wooden gate to the rear of the garden. The driveway leads to the garage/store, where cars have historically parked as well as parking on the driveway closer to the road.

Proposed Property

Rather than extend and retrofit the existing dwelling, it is proposed to erect a replacement dwelling. The aim is to improve the quality of the living space, improve access in terms of safety and convenience, increase natural light, improve thermal efficiency in winter, be cooler in summer and create a dwelling which has greater resilience to climate change challenges. The existing buildings on site would be carefully taken down so that their stone and roof tiles could be used in the new building. The new dwelling would sit at the same level and on the same approximate footprint as the existing house. The existing pedestrian access onto the road and the vehicular access would both be retained. There would be sufficient space to the north-west of the house for three cars to park and manoeuvre so that they access the road in a forward gear. The remainder of the driveway to the existing garage / outbuilding would be removed. Parked cars would be generally concealed from outside the site by the house and new hedges to the northwest and north-east.

The front door would be reversed from the current front door which has to have a porch to shelter it from the prevailing south-westerly winds. The new front door is sheltered by a welcoming overhanging roof and protected from the south-west and south-east by the new built form. The new L-shaped plan ensures that each room has natural light and ventilation, an improvement on the current deep plan which creates a relatively dark interior. The L-shape plan also allows the roof to have a simpler form that avoids the need for the current long valley gutter. The house is positioned within the site so that it is partially set back from its current ‘front’ position facing the south-east. The new south-east elevation, at approximately the same length as the existing, has been carefully composed.

Built in accordance with current building regulations, the house would be considerably more energy efficient than the existing dwelling with greater levels of insulation, double glazed windows and an air source heat pump. The proportion of the fenestration to masonry is sympathetic to the context, avoiding the temptation to have large areas of glazing with their inherent solar gain and heat loss problems and light pollution.

Planning Application

BANES Planning Portal Reference: 23/02444/FUL 'Erection of a replacement dwelling, to follow removal of existing house and outbuildings.' Application granted: 19/03/2025

Location

Midford is a quaint Cotswold village approximately 3 miles (5 km) miles south east of Bath. The Cam and Wellow Brooks merge in Midford to form the Midford Brook, which then flows down to join the River Avon close to the village of Monkton Combe. On the hillside above Midford is Midford Castle a late 18th-century folly castle built in the shape of the ace of clubs. The castle was built in 1775 by Henry Disney Roebuck and provides a regal sight in such wonderful woodland surroundings. To the west of the village is upper Midford. Here in 1995 plans were made to create a new plantation to be known as Millennium wood. In 2000, land between Midford, Southstoke, and Combe Hay was prepared and planted with a variety of native trees and shrubs.

This is open to the public all year round and is crossed by several public footpaths. The site overlooks the Cam brook and the restored remains of the Somerset Coal Canal as well as the 40 ft high viaduct built in 1908 that carried the Somerset & Dorset Railway line across the valley To the east of Midford village along the restored canal bed and towpath is Packhorse bridge, now closed to foot traffic but still intact. Further along the towpath is the fully restored Midford Aqueduct. It was the most substantial single structure built during the late 18th century Somerset Coal Canal project and was officially opened in 1803 Midford is one of the starting points for a project by Sustrans (sustainable transport) organisation to link with an existing cycle route to the City of Bath via the Two Tunnels Greenway.

The project has re-opened the old Devonshire and Combe Down railway tunnels to make the 'Two Tunnels' link. This provides a unique way of travelling to Bath either by foot or bicycle and is just a one minute walk from the house. There is one public house in the village; the Hope and Anchor which is on the main road leading into the village, adjacent to the railway bridge and cycle path route. A short countryside walk away also brings you to the community run Packhorse Pub in nearby South Stoke village. During the week and on Saturday there is a regular bus service which takes you into Bath in approximately 25 minutes. There is also a limited service on a Sunday. Whilst there are no amenities locally Midford is only a 1 mile drive from Combe Down with its abundance of local schools, shops and supermarkets.

Tenure

Freehold

Services

Mains gas, electric, water and drainage.

EPC Rating

Band - G

Council Tax

Band - E

Viewings

This property is marketed by TYNINGS Ltd as a sole agent and viewings are strictly by appointment only. All viewings are accompanied and by prior arrangement.

Disclaimer

TYNINGS, their clients and any joint agents give notice that: They assume no responsibility for any statement that may be made in these particulars. These particulars do not form part of any offer or contract and must not be relied upon as statements or representations of fact. Any areas, measurements or distances are approximate. The text, photographs and plans are for guidance only and are not necessarily comprehensive. It should not be assumed that the property has all necessary planning; building regulation or other consents and TYNINGS have not tested any services, equipment or facilities. Purchasers must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise.