A traditional family farmhouse

East Firsby Grange is a handsome five-bedroom country home set in a peaceful rural location, ideal for those who enjoy making the most of outdoor space and gorgeous gardens.

Set in an idyllic location just north of the village of Spridlington, near Lincoln, East Firsby Grange offers all the comforts of a traditional farmhouse with stunning gardens and grounds.

James Bennison moved here with his wife when their third son was just 10 days old in January 2000, when the house was, as he describes it, “still a building site”. Since then this much-loved detached farmhouse has been carefully restored and refurbished over the years.

“We moved here from Kent to join a local business and in spite of the challenges we faced with the renovation project, we could see its potential. We knew it would be the ideal house in which to bring up a young family as it offered not only privacy and security, but also had plenty of space and freedom both inside and out,” says James, who currently lives at East Firsby Grange with his wife and two dogs, an Irish Water Spaniel and a Cocker Spaniel, plus their 14 Hebridean sheep which help keep the grass under control in the four-acre paddock.

“It is an original farmhouse which retains many historical features. ‘The Grange’ means a house with the farm buildings attached. In our case, there were stables, barn and a tack room.”

Historical family home
Originally built as a 19th-century farmstead, this delightful house features five spacious bedrooms, bathroom and family room on the first floor with stairs providing access down into the utility/kitchen.

There is also a characterful attic which can be accessed from the landing where there are three good-sized rooms currently used for storage, but with the potential for conversion into living accommodation.

Downstairs, the bright and spacious kitchen/breakfast room features original quarry tiled flooring and double glazed windows, plus a traditional AGA in the brick inglenook, with a nearby utility room and boot room, essential for country living.

The comfortable sitting room features double glazed window with shutters and a wood burning stove and access door to the garden, with additional living and dining rooms with wooden floors and attractive views across the gardens.

“It is a traditional old English farmhouse, the key point is that it is not modern. We also like having a snug, large sitting room and a children’s playroom as it provides different living spaces for all occasions and ages. The attic rooms are also ideal for children to enjoy and over the years have been used for playing guitars and drums without disturbing the rest of the family and neighbours.

“The house offers comfortable family living with an emphasis on tradition and antiques. The kitchen remains the central living area with an oil-fired range to help create a cosy feel, with a kitchen table which is ideal to gather around for informal meals.

“One of our favourite rooms in the house is the main sitting room, which has a westerly aspect so the evening light shines in allowing you to look out over a rose bed to the paddock with sheep grazing on a summer’s evening. It is peaceful and beautiful.”

The couple have raised three sons in the house, who have since all grown up and flown the nest, and fondly describe their home as providing an idyllic backdrop.

“Inside, a back staircase from the kitchen led to what was a playroom, which created a comfortable living area for all ages.

“The children could walk out the door and safely play with no worries about traffic and the paddock in its time was used as a cricket pitch, while there is also plenty of space for horses and other four-leggeds to graze in peace.”

Outside space
Since moving in, the couple have worked hard over the years to create stunning gardens, which include specimen trees and plants, fruit and nut trees and a cider orchard, plus a pond which has been restored to encourage wildlife, as well as a range of useful outbuildings.

“The garden did not exist when we first moved in, but now it is a lovely space with roses and peonies, including a peony nursery which has been featured in Lincolnshire Life.

“We feel this would be an ideal house for people who love the countryside and gardening as well as those with children and horses.

“East Firsby Grange sits at the end of a no through road in a small close community that is safe, but still offers easy access to local schools and Lincoln.

“The house is blessed with abundant living space which we will of course miss, but we now feel it is too large for a retired couple so we have decided to downsize. Instead we plan to spend our spare time travelling and visiting our sons and grandson in New Zealand, where they have since moved.”

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