Property Features
The Ridgeway, Cuffley, Hertfordshire, EN6 4BB
Contact Agent
Hertford115 Fore Street
Hertford
Hertfordshire
SG14 1AS
Tel: 01992 558557
sales@simplyhomes.biz
About the Property
Summary:
Simply Homes are delighted to bring to the market this absolutely outstanding six bedroom, five bathroom country residence set within 3.7 acres of beautiful grounds nestled within green belt land on the outskirts of Cuffley. Located on The Ridgeway, widely recognised as one of the most desirable locations within the whole of Hertfordshire, the house was originally built in the 1930s, a period when the road transitioned from open farmland into an exclusive address for bespoke country manor houses. The architects at that time carefully selected the location and orientation of the land and then positioned the house on the highest point, thereby maximising the views out across the south west facing grounds to the sprawling Hertfordshire countryside beyond, and that of course remains one of the stand out features today. The house is built in an Edwardian style utilising a wealth of craftsman created Arts and Crafts details inside and outside and was conceived and constructed to include the detached lodge within the grounds that would have housed estate staff such as housekeeper, gardener or chauffeur. The house retains all of the beautifully crafted original details, but now also benefits from a plethora of modern amenities of the very highest specification as one would expect from a house of this size and quality, including a detached annexe that would excel as a games room, bar, gym, or guest suite, and a recently constructed detached swimming pool complex, as well as the two bedroom lodge that has its own parking area and private garden.
Property Details
This is a rare opportunity to acquire a substantial country estate within easy reach of London that offers character, atmosphere and authentic period charm as well as generous size and a premium specification. This is absolutely a comfortable family home as well as a country manor house, with the icing on the cake being that all of this is available without being listed, giving you so much more freedom and control of your own environment.
Accommodation:
The solid oak front door sets the tone for what you will experience inside, it is beautifully made and set within a substantial protective tiled roof porch with a decorative block edged portico entrance. Inside is a substantial entrance hall that stretches back through to the rear of the house, creating a warm and welcoming reception room. To the left is a grand fireplace that opens through into the adjacent living room, with a double sided log burner at its centre, whilst three glazed doors with arched windows above line the far wall and open out onto the rear patio. The quality of materials and peerless skill of the craftsmen involved is immediately obvious with a stunning parquet floor laid in a classic herringbone pattern extending across most of the ground floor and intricately carved spindles, newel posts and banisters framing the ornate principal staircase and upper gallery. A finely carved oak room divider occupies the generous arch leading through to the living room, filled with elegant shaped glass panels and with glazed double doors at the centre, allowing the spaces to openly flow together or to be closed off for more privacy.
The living room runs the full depth of the house yet is still a light and bright room thanks to the high ceilings and generous windows at either end. Like all of the rooms in this exceptional home, it is certainly large but also enjoys nicely balanced proportions. Obviously capacious enough for any layout and furniture you may desire, it is currently performing excellently in the dual role of living and dining room. The parquet floor extends through into the living room and is joined by some lovely bespoke built-in cabinets either side of the fireplace, along with a carved mantel and low level panelling around the walls to bring a more modern feel to the room which works in complete harmony with the rest of the house. The rear wall is effectively all glass, with multiple full height windows either side of glazed French doors that again give a nice and easy connection out into the garden, perfect for summer days with the family and a real asset when entertaining guests.
Past the bottom of the principal staircase, resplendent with its beautifully carved oak pillars, frames and low level galleried landing, is a further reception area with a window overlooking the front garden, that offers a well placed guest cloakroom complete with an intriguing glass floor that keeps on display an old original well, and a number of useful cupboards that are ideal for coats, shoes and so on.
From the rear of this area double doors open into the office/study. Surely this is the best home office in the whole of the county, with a parquet floor, open fireplace and a stunning set of bay windows bisected by glazed double doors opening out onto the rear patio. Well positioned to offer a good level of privacy yet with easy access from the main entrance, the room extends to nearly twenty feet long and is blessed with more than ample space for a number of workstations, a meeting table and casual seating ready and able to provide a comprehensive work from home facility.
Adjacent to the office/study is the dining/family room, another substantial open plan space that extends the full depth of the house, giving a great blend of scale and proportion and enabling the effective creation of two generous spaces that can be clearly differentiated as to their function and still provide comfortable yet intimate individual rooms. The parquet floor extends in from the entrance hall providing nice continuity and a warm characterful atmosphere that coordinates perfectly with the modern styling, and there are large bay windows at both ends that add an extra touch of elegance as well as flooding the room along its whole length with natural light throughout the day. The front of the room has a modern square bay arrangement and performs the task of formal dining room with absolute aplomb, helped considerably by the full height glass fronted walk-in wine store that is fully temperature controlled with double doors opening into it from the reception area. This is a masterpiece of function and form, offering a delightful talking point for you and your guests whilst keeping your wine in a closely controlled environment yet in an above ground “cellar” that is readily accessible; a truly inspired addition. The other end of the room presents a calm and relaxing family space, drenched in light and wonderful garden views through the beautifully curved full height bay window to the rear, complete with French doors at their centre. Comfortably able to accept multiple sofas and chairs, there is a smart open fireplace set into one wall and an entrance in the opposite wall to a second oak staircase that rises to the first floor. Originally this would have been a secondary staircase to be used by the staff, but is now a valuable inclusion for day to day family use in a house of this size.
From the dining/family room a door leads into the kitchen/breakfast room, which again benefits from the architect's vision to fill the house with light, which is more than achieved thanks to two large windows at the rear and a third to the front. Extending to over twenty-seven feet in length, there is ample opportunity to provide abundant storage and food preparation worktop and this has been done in fine style. A fully bespoke fitted kitchen lines the perimeter with an assortment of wall and floor mounted cabinets joining with a large central island and an extended breakfast bar to ensure you can cater for any size of gathering with ease, whilst still leaving plenty of free floor space for an easy flow around the room. Integrated within the cupboards is a comprehensive collection of appliances, all from premium brand manufacturers, along with designated space for a full height double width fridge/freezer. From the corner of the kitchen a door opens into the rear of the double garage/workshop and a separate door leads into a large utility/laundry room that is fully fitted with cupboards and plumbed for a washing machine and dryer. The utility/laundry room has a useful separate door out into the rear garden, as well as a cleverly placed WC with internal and external doors into it.
Upstairs the main staircase leads to a generous hallway that is elegantly galleried over the entrance hall, with the second staircase rising at the other end of the upper hallway that flows along the centre of the house. There are six bedrooms in total, with four of them benefiting from en-suite bathrooms, two of which include a bath and separate shower. The family bathroom is therefore shared between just two bedrooms and also has both a bath and shower. Of the four bedrooms that face the rear of the house, one has a double door opening onto a Juliet balcony, two share a full balcony, whilst the principal bedroom suite has a private balcony, dressing room and a substantial en-suite bathroom with a separate bath and shower. Each of the bathrooms is completely unique, unerringly stylish and fitted with the very highest quality tiled walls, floors and accessories.
To the front of the house, alongside the carriage drive, is the detached lodge, a lovely separate house built in the same style and with the same premium materials as the main house that nestles unobtrusively into the extensive grounds. Subjected to a full refurbishment within the last 12 months and boasting two bedrooms, a family bathroom, a large square lounge/dining room, good sized kitchen and a ground floor cloakroom this is a viable dwelling that has myriad potential uses for you. It comes with its own parking area away from the main drive and a neat enclosed rear garden.
To the side of the main house is a purpose built annexe that also offers flexible and adaptable accommodation options and is ready to dovetail into your particular needs. It could easily be a games room, gym, home office or teenage hang out space, but would perform just as competently as staff quarters or a guest bedroom suite, as it is configured with a shower room between the main room and side room, along with a kitchen area at one end of the main room.
To the side of the rear garden, easily accessed from the expansive patio, is the swimming pool complex. Built within the last two years this is a stunning building extending to well over fifty-five feet in length with multiple sets of bi-fold doors that open to fully connect the inside with the outside and is effectively brand new. Immaculately presented, it offers a substantial pool that is heated by a state of the art ground source heat pump, along with a very cool entertaining/bar area, a steam room, two separate shower rooms, a changing room and a separate WC. Like the annexe, this is a substantial building, but enormous care has been taken to use materials and building styles that ensure they both sympathetically occupy their respective spaces in complete harmony with the main house.
Exterior:
The generous size of the grounds has given the architect the welcome opportunity to set the house well back from the road without compromising the size of the rear gardens in any way. This means there is a very large carriage drive that sweeps in through a securely gated entrance, then flows up past a collection of specimen trees punctuating the lawn before sweeping around in front of the annexe and main house before reaching the double garage/workshop, then continuing on and back to the second security gated entrance passing the lodge along the way. In front of the house and garage is a capacious area for parking, along with gated/pedestrian access through to the rear garden and a separate gated vehicular roadway that passes the rear of the swimming pool complex before opening into the corner of the lawned area. To the rear is a beautifully landscaped patio area that extends the full width of the house, neatly linking the many access points, and around the front of the swimming pool complex, with a lovely array of raised flower beds and gently terraced steps that link the patio to the lawn. The patio is large enough for multiple sets of outdoor casual seating and dining furniture, whilst still leaving space to mingle for a large number of guests and features a charming octagonal tiled roof gazebo to one side. The remainder of the grounds are blissfully naturalistic, sweeping away down the gently undulating landscape to the distant hedge lined boundary. The garden is south west facing, with the house placement enabling uninterrupted views out across the rolling Hertfordshire countryside. A simply idyllic place to unwind, take a deep breath of fresh country air and enjoy the peace and tranquility that surrounds you.
Location:
The property is located on one of the most prestigious roads in the whole of Hertfordshire, offering a wonderful blend of semi rural location yet easy connectivity making it a great location for family living. Excellent transport links are all nearby, by road via the A10 and M25, and by rail from Cuffley itself and Cheshunt, making this property within an easy commute to central London. Abundant local shops, pubs and restaurants ably serve the community, yet open countryside is right on your doorstep for country walks and family days out.































