5 Bed Detached House, Single Let, Leicester, LE9 9GD £1,500,000

Substantial wrought iron gates, a sweeping drive and space
From Church Lane, entry to the property is along a herringbone patterned block driveway that sweeps towards the house and double garage that can be operated electronically. It is lined with planted beds of mature shrubs and bordering lawned sections of the grounds, where stately trees create an impression of permanence and classical style. The gardens here complement the building beautifully and a ‘walk around the grounds’ is sure to evoke interest whatever the season. There are open spaces for children to run, hard landscaped walls, patios and walkways, themed areas filled with plants to evoke the English country, Japanese or Mediterranean terrains and even a fairy glade for the young at heart to play in. A large, fish stocked lake is adorned with a bridge and a cascading fountain and at every turn the vista opens to reveal other treasures, with a vast array of plants, trees, bulbs and shrubs.
The double garage is a substantial structure, which can be opened remotely. It is the first in a collection of outbuildings that offer space, storage and functionality for maintaining the grounds. Fitted with lighting and power sockets the garage is next to a shelved storage building, a workshop and lastly, an extended potting shed/greenhouse.

Over the threshold
The main entrance of The Old Rectory establishes the overriding sense of style and character that one would expect from such a bespoke, period home. White rendered from the front and with a wide glass paned entrance porch below a first-floor balcony, the house appears grand from the outset. As we step from the porch and into the hall, the decoration has altered to reflect the tastes and styles of the ensuing periods but the essential impression here is of elegance, light and the pleasing proportions of the interior, with the first of two staircases sweeping up to the first floor.
The high ceilings, coving, picture and dado railing and deep skirting boards, all reflect a bygone sophistication and refinement, which stylistically sits beautifully with a contemporary interior design theme of arts and crafts wall papers and block-coloured walls accentuated with fresh white companion walls, hard floor textures and panelled doors, framed with decorative moulding. Here, the interior standard is established. The hall and corresponding reception rooms have been decorated and accessorised with high quality fixtures, fittings and befitting design elements. This standard will be exhibited throughout the property, as each room is similarly decorated to an extremely high level of presentation. All blinds and curtains are included within the sale.

The reception rooms
The hall has doors to each room on the ground floor apart from the utility room, accessible from the kitchen and the conservatory, also enterable from the kitchen or dining room.
Originally the parish room, the first reception room has a large, canted bay window and fireplace, with gas fire. With dual perspectives, this spacious carpeted room has sunken ceiling lights and large windows. Next door, the lounge is similarly carpeted and has a dual fuel fire (wood or coal) within the fireplace. The study and cloakroom are at the end of the hallway. Comprising of a white two-piece toilet and basin vanity unit with contrasting chocolate brown metro tiling, the sanitary fixtures and fittings within The Old Rectory are presented and maintained to a high standard throughout. This is the first of four bathing facilities that have been supplied and equipped with stylish yet contemporary components offering fresh, luxurious ensuite shower rooms and a delightful family bathroom.
A door below the staircase leads down to the eighteen-foot square vaulted wine cellar. This is fitted with racking and strip lighting.

Fine dining and food preparation
The heart of the house is often said to be the kitchen and here the kitchen is central within the home and beautifully designed. Ample storage and display space is provided by Shaker style cabinetry in contrasting cornflower blue and old navy accessorised with temporary brushed steel bar handles. Integrated appliances include a Miele dishwasher and an imposing black SMEG oven sits within a recessed, bespoke unit with high mantel shelf and flanked by side cupboards, reminiscent of a kitchen range. Above the seven-burner gas hob, a Bosch canopy extractor fan ensures ventilation, with two fan-assisted electric ovens and a separate grill completing the cooking facilities. The oven has a black and grey speckled splash back and matches the granite worktops above the central island unit and running under the wall units. Four pendant Hager industrial lighting fixtures hang above the island, and it provides the perfect location for breakfast or a coffee while admiring the views into the garden. Likewise, the position of the sink unit beneath one of the three windows permits garden gazing. Additional features include a Franke waste disposal unit, a Swiss Pro steaming hot and cold filtered water tap, two Neff refrigerators, a Neff four drawer freezer and a practical two-drawer bin cupboard discreetly housed beneath the island.
Coordinating units can be found in the utility room and Butler’s pantry where plumbing suitable for a vented tumble dryer and washing machine has been installed beneath the traditionally styled oak work tops. Large neutral shaded floor tiles have been used throughout these areas, linking them together for practicality and continuity.
The dining room has a fireplace housing a dual fuel fire and easily accommodates a table suitable for formal entertaining. However, it has been cleverly designed to link by glass doors to a spacious and airy conservatory and presents multiple options for entertaining while being surrounded by the lush green of the garden and open skies above. The conservatory is a fantastic addition to the property and provides a light, relaxing room from which to entertain and enjoy the garden all year round being heated and fitted with blinds. It is also within easy access of the swimming pool and gym facilities.

A green view from the blue pool
Built with large sliding doors that grant accessibility to the garden, the swimming pool is a luxurious and light filled facility, consisting of a changing room with shower and a separate toilet facility. A space designated for gym equipment sits alongside a storage room and the pump room. The area is within easy access of the large raised decked area and separate patio towards the rear of the house, where seclusion and privacy encourage further relaxation. Security measures include external cameras and a fully monitored alarm system. This is complimented with garden lighting to illuminate the beautiful surroundings that make up the impressive, private grounds for after-dark usage too. Bliss!

The bedroom suites.
Accessible from two carpeted staircases that are at either end of the L shaped hall, the first floor has five bedrooms, a family bathroom and a balcony at the front of the house. The staircase leading to the master suite has medium oak balusters and handrail while the second, well-lit by a central glass atrium, has been painted in white and has original carved gallery balusters. Each of the five distinctive bedrooms will provide a wonderful option of large rooms that share certain characteristics: they are all spacious, well maintained and carefully designed to cater generously for their occupants. Four of the rooms have integrated storage and all are carpeted, with beautiful views overlooking the grounds.
There are two bedrooms with ensuite bathing facilities comprising of a bespoke vanity unit, toilet and walk in shower unit. Metro tiling and floor coverings complete the stylish interior spaces, and this is mirrored in the family bathroom which also has a characterful roll top bath. All sanitary fixtures and fittings in all the facilities in The Old Rectory have been tastefully selected with white suites, fitted and maintained to high specifications. They are often bespoke and while similar in quality, all offer individuality that befits their surroundings. In a similar vein, tiling to walls and floors, lighting and heating fixtures are of premium standard.

The back story
The existence of The Old Rectory in Desford is in direct conjunction with the parish church of St Martin’s. The earliest recorded reference to St Martin’s dates to 1220 and although there are parts of a thirteenth century building, it is from the eighteenth century that donations were made by wealthier members of the congregation, and a rectory was built. It would have been constructed with wattle and daub walls-one of which survives-a thatched roof and in 1760, twenty-one acres of land known as Glebelands was given as part of an Enclosure Award. Much of the land has been sold but what remains is a beautiful, landscaped garden.
Rector Archibald Fox arrived in Desford in 1882 and began to raise funds for a major restoration project for St Martin’s and in 1910 attention was turned to The Old Rectory resulting in it being largely rebuilt. Edwardian extensions and renovations created a study, a parish room, a new kitchen and scullery. Bathing facilities and sanitary improvements were added, and a well was sunk to provide water.
The house and grounds have been the place of church fetes and social gatherings for decades. In 1981 it became a private residence, and the present owners have lived in the house since 2016, continuing to maintain original characteristics and add sympathetic features of the twenty-first century to enhance and improve the property.

LOCALITY
Desford LE9
Desford is a village situated in the south-west of Leicestershire, benefitting from all the merits of its countryside location while also being close to motorway and rail networks that crisscross this east Midlands region. It is only seven miles west from Leicester’s city centre, with its multi-cultural restaurants, theatres, museums, galleries, rich retail selection and attractions such as the King Richard III exhibition. From Desford, the closest motorway links are the M1 and M69 toward Enderby. There are train stations at Rugby for links to Birmingham and Narborough for links to Leicester, with trains running regularly from there to London St Pancras International. East Midlands Airport (EMB) and Birmingham Airport (BHX) are the closest airports.
Desford or ‘Deor’s Ford’ was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 but is possibly of Anglo-Saxon origin, being based on a significant hill 400 feet above sea level. St Martin’s parish church dates from the late thirteenth century and the village centre has a selection of Grade II listed buildings including a timber framed manor house and service buildings from the 1600’s. The Baptist Church on Chapel Lane was constructed in 1866. All combine to mark the centuries that have passed in Desford, including the present development of homes.
The original settlement was based around the open fields system of agriculture predating the Norman Conquest. In one of many Enclosure Acts of the eighteenth century the predominant farming community were forced to become invested with industrial economics, namely framework knitting. Then, with the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, came the railway. A railway station was built linking established lines to larger towns and cities. It was closed to passengers in 1964 but continued to be used for freight including the transportation of coal from the Desford Pit until it too closed in 1984. Members of the Desford Historical Society have erected a half winding wheel on Lindridge Lane as a permanent reminder of the era and today Caterpillar Inc. are a significant employer in the area, having repurposed the old Desford aerodrome.
Today, the bustling village is part of the Harborough district of Leicestershire and is within a half hour drive of Enderby, Kirby Muxloe, Market Bosworth and Kirkby Mallory. Although it has existed for centuries, this large village continues to appeal to the community through a wide selection of sport, (Sport in Desford Clubhouse with new Scout hut and tennis courts) education and leisure amenities. There are an array of shops, a library, cafes, a pharmacy and parks. Public houses include The Lancaster close to the old railway station and the Bluebell Inn in the village centre.

For more details this site may help:

For those requiring primary schools, Desford has its own: Desford Primary School. Wider afield secondary education can be found in Market Bosworth, Countesthorpe, and Lutterworth or at Leicester Grammar. The Office for Standards in Education - OFSTED – is best researched to provide a comprehensive review of currently rated standards of practice for all educational providers in the vicinity.

Additional Information:
EPC - D
Council Tax Band - G
Local Authority - Hinckley and Bosworth
Broadband Speed - 1130 Mb