Designed in 2014 by John Pardey Architects, this beautiful four-bedroom house is perched on a rise in the village of Colehill, Dorset. Its regular rectangular form fits comfortably into the elevated south-facing slope near the crest of the hill. Upstairs, a double-height open-plan living room is focussed towards south-facing views across the surrounding woods. A tiered garden slopes down the hill at the rear with established planting and several distinct sitting areas. Colehill is a charming village a 10 minute-drive from Wimborne Minster, and 25 minutes from Bournemouth.

The Tour

The house sits on a quiet residential road in the pretty village of Colehill. Its layout has been cleverly conceived to take advantage of its oblong sloping site to orientate the living space towards beautiful south-facing wooded views. The façade combines pale brick, western red cedar weatherboarding and a sweeping monopitch roof to create a clean, distinctive form. A well-maintained sedum roof crowns the design with a rich substrate, offering excellent insulation and encouraging biodiversity. There is a large driveway with plenty of parking space and steep beds teeming with established greenery.

Entry is to a wide hallway that leads the eye towards the living spaces at the rear of the plan. A large open-plan living room and kitchen open to a wide first-floor balcony which overlooks the garden. Clerestory windows draw in light and ensure privacy from the street, while wide sliding doors open the room to a gentle through breeze. The living area is centred around a wood burner flanked by two structural oak pillars complementing the engineered wood flooring underfoot. There is water underfloor heating throughout the house.

The kitchen sits at the back of the room, delineated by a deep quartz island – a sociable congregating point beside the dining area. The island houses a double sink with a boiling tap and two slimline dishwashers, as well as an integrated Neff oven, steam oven, microwave and two warming drawers. There is plenty of storage and worktop space in the kitchen, along with two integrated fridges and an integrated freezer. The first floor also has an en suite bedroom, currently used as a dual-aspect study with a leafy outlook.

An oak staircase descends to the ground floor, where there are three further en suite bedrooms. At the front of the house is a bedroom that opens to a courtyard, lending it an airy sense of seclusion. The utility can be accessed from here. The main bedroom opens to the rear garden through wide sliding doors.

At the top of the driveway is a separate studio and workshop.

Outdoor Space

A large driveway at the front of the house provides ample parking. Bordered by beautifully mature beds, the front garden slopes up towards the northern boundary of the site, culminating in a raised seating area orientated towards southerly views over the top of the house itself.

The rear garden is arranged into three distinct ‘rooms’ stepping down the slope. The overall effect is one of peaceful seclusion moving further from the house. Wide sliding doors from the main bedroom open onto a patch of artificial lawn bound by established hedges, perfect for catching southerly sun. Steps lead down a metre to another lawned area. The third and final ‘room’ is a charming paved terrace surrounded by raised beds brimming with foliage.

From the living room, sliding doors draw back allowing access to a paved balcony which overlooks the rest of the garden – a perfect spot for a morning coffee or evening drink.

The Area

Colehill began as a small medieval hamlet but the arrival of the railway in Wimborne brought significant change. Since then, Colehill has become a sought-after village, one of the most popular parts of Dorset.

The historic market town of Wimborne, characterised by the historic Wimborne Minster, is a 20-minute walk. Located on the banks of the rivers Stour and Allen, the area offers easy access to local paddle boarding, canoeing and extensive walking routes both along the river pathways and across the surrounding open countryside. Favourite destinations include the National Trust houses of Kingston Lacey, a family home reimagined as a Venetian Palace, and White Mill, a riverside corn mill with all of its original machinery intact. The town has a range of facilities including a Waitrose supermarket, Tivoli Theatre & Cinema and a variety of pubs, bars, and restaurants.

The village borders Cranborne Chase AONB, 380 square miles of gorgeous countryside featuring rare grass chalklands, chalk escarpments, and ancient woodlands. Further south, a 47-minute drive leads to the famous Jurassic Coast. The Jurassic Coast begins at Orcombe Point in Exmouth, Devon, and continues for 95 miles to Old Harry Rocks, near Swanage, Dorset. It is a hugely diverse and dramatic landscape, underpinned by incredible geology of global importance. In 2001 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the outstanding value of its rocks, fossils, and landforms and it remains England’s only natural World Heritage Site.

There are excellent schools within the area including Dumpton and Castle Court, with senior schools at Canford and Bryanston as well as good local primary and middle schools and the renowned Queen Elizabeth’s School.

Bournemouth is within a 30-minute drive and has a railway station with direct links to London Waterloo in under 2 hours. Bournemouth’s international airport is only a 16-minute drive away. Alternatively, the A31 provides excellent routes for travel both east and west.

Council Tax Band: F

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.