High Street — High Street

Melrose House is a Grade II listed period village house with a partly timbered façade that makes a particularly attractive feature on the High Street. Dating from the mid seventeenth century, it is timber framed with brick and flint banded noggings, a thatched roof, and the date 1666 set above the porch. Believed locally to have once been the village sweet shop and tobacconist, the property has been sympathetically restored in recent years and now offers characterful, well balanced accommodation with a practical layout for modern family life. The front door opens into a central hallway, which continues through to French doors leading out to the terrace and garden beyond. To the left is an impressive drawing room with exposed timber beams, wood panelling, built in shelving and a substantial inglenook fireplace fitted with a woodburning stove. French doors open directly onto the garden, and a further door gives access to the original staircase in the house. Across the hallway is a second reception room with oak flooring, attractive beams, fitted shelving and an inglenook fireplace with a bread oven on the right hand side, now retained for decorative purposes. The kitchen sits at the heart of the house, with tiled flooring and exposed timbers. It is fitted with an extensive range of floor and wall mounted cupboards with wooden work surfaces, together with an integrated dishwasher and an electric range with induction hob. Storage is a particular strength, with two separate pantries. Adjoining the kitchen is a utility room with space for a washing machine and tumble dryer, a bank of built in cupboards, and a shower room with enclosed shower, wash basin and WC. Beyond the utility room is a large dining room with a vaulted ceiling and a mezzanine floor above, ideal as a study area or additional occasional space. A further room beyond, currently used as a study, enjoys views over the garden and has direct access outside. On the first floor, the principal bedroom overlooks t