Country residence with royal connections

The Cottage is a classic country house in the picturesque village of South Rauceby offering the rare opportunity to acquire a prominent historic home in stunning surroundings.

Dating back to the mid-17th century, The Cottage is a splendid six bedroom residence in the highly desirable village of South Rauceby, featuring versatile accommodation with its own distinctive style, charm and elegance.

This beautiful property, which is unlisted, offers the discerning buyer the opportunity to acquire a prominent home with gorgeous mature gardens of just under one acre, and provides excellent scope for further development (subject to planning).

In recent years, the house has undergone various changes and today is a beautiful home of generous yet manageable proportions.

The current owners moved to The Cottage after relocating from the USA in December 1997 and have treasured their time here, lovingly restoring and refurbishing this property to a high standard throughout.

As one of the owners explained: “I first saw the house the previous August and fell in love the instant I got out of the car (although it didn’t look then as it does now). I viewed it without my husband and actually saw two more properties over the next few days but knew all along this one was for us.

“As well as having the whole house repointed, we have completely redone every room, with new electrics, floors and replaced all the windows due to rot.

“We also moved some of the rooms around, for example, the original kitchen is now the library, the old scullery is now the kitchen, and the former boot room is now the breakfast room. 

“The barn, which was falling down, is now a double garage with a large room above and the single garage is now the gardener’s storage place.”

Ideal as a family home, The Cottage offers easy living featuring a spacious and light drawing room with multiple French doors leading out onto the elevated terrace, panelled library, a generous dining room (which also opens onto the terrace), breakfast room and adjoining kitchen with utility room and three bathrooms, including a master suite with a dressing room.

An easily accessible cellar (once believed to be a priest’s hole) features three useful areas for additional storage and wine.

Steeped in history
The Cottage, which was originally constructed around 1655 by the Welby family, is believed to have been established alongside a chapel which has since been demolished, while at some point was also used as a convent, hence the Niche and Bell feature to the southern elevation.

In 1830, various extensions and additions were made to focus on the easterly and southern elevations, to make the most of the more notable proportions and the natural sunlight. This work was carried out by the respected architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, who is best known for his work on The House of Commons.

It also has an impressive royal pedigree having played host to HRH Prince Albert (later King George VI), who lived here with the owners in 1918 having left his quarters at nearby Cranwell, while the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) also stayed at the house.

Gorgeous grounds and gardens
Approached up a sweeping gravel driveway which leads to a parking area to the western side of the plot, this property also benefits from an extended driveway leading to a large double garage.

This excellent outbuilding has its own staircase leading to a large loft space which is ideal for a number of uses, including a potential office space or games room.

There are also a number of further outbuildings and sheds providing additional storage options.
The well established gardens have been beautifully landscaped and consist principally of well maintained grassed lawns and mature borders with trees, shrubs, perennials and flower beds.

A ha-ha wall (typical of Capability Brown, who landscaped nearby Burghley House) leads to a lower tier garden with an attractive wood and concealed pond, with a courtyard garden located to the eastern elevation.

“Over the years we have changed the garden, adding beds and planting many rose bushes, laurels and trees and the courtyard which lies off the kitchen is now full of pots of flowers.

“We also added a terrace off the sitting room, which is one of our favourite places to relax as the garden is really like an oasis. It is a very peaceful, tranquil place which we believe reflects the atmosphere in the house.”

Idyllic village life
The parish of North and South Rauceby, lies about 10 miles northeast of Grantham. The villages share a church, school, village hall and public house. The church, mentioned in the Domesday Book, is dedicated to St Peter and has a tower and broach spire of the 13th century. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the church was extensively repaired, with stained glass windows remaining as memorials to prominent local families.

South Rauceby is well known for The Bustard Inn, an award-winning public house and restaurant which is within walking distance.

The village, which lies just 17 miles from Lincoln, is also conveniently located close to the busy market town of Sleaford, just four miles to the east, which promotes traditional village values while encouraging a thriving community. Sleaford’s well respected secondary schools – Kesteven and Sleaford High School, St George’s Academy and Carre’s Grammar School – have all been rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted. There are also numerous local primary schools as well as many nurseries and day care facilities within the area.

It is also easily accessible via train, as well as a further convenient service to Grantham, connecting to London King’s Cross (one hour).

New beginnings
The couple say they have many fond memories of living in The Cottage and will be sad to leave.

“Everyone who has stayed with us remarks on what a lovely feel the house has. Personally, I always refer to this house as ‘she’, I don’t know why but it is just a feeling I have. When we first moved here we had to put our West Highland Terrier into quarantine and I was bereft. However, even though I was on my own at night during the week as my husband was away working either in London or the US,  I never once felt nervous or afraid!

“My husband has recently retired and we are moving back to the US to be nearer family, but my hope is that the new family will love her as much as we have and that they will be as happy as we have been.

“If we could pick up this house and move it with us we would. We shall miss it dreadfully.”

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