Atherstone Farmhouse
With a stone floor, ancient beams and thatched roof it's a perfect farmhouse retreat. the house has been recently updated with a modern kitchen, bathrooms and entertainment system. Its rural location makes it a great escape for those looking for a countryside bolt-hole, with plenty of pubs to walk / cycle to and things to see and do nearby, and convenient shopping in Ilminster is not far away. And guests can now also benefit from a new wooden hot-tub in the garden and really enjoy the beauty of the surrounding courtyard!
Bedrooms
There are four comfortable bedrooms, all are en-suites and have deep mattresses, 400 thread count cotton bedding, indulgent mattress toppers and fluffy bathrobes, so you can truly settle into the cosiness of the house. The master bedroom has a king-sized four poster bed and a roll top bath and wood burning stove in the bedroom. There is an en-suite loo. The second bedroom can be setup with a superking-sized double or twin single beds, there is also a bunk bed in the room for extra kids. Its bathroom has a bath with shower above. The other two bedrooms can also be setup with superking-sized double beds, or twin single beds. Both also have walk-in showers and tiled floors with underfloor heating, but no bath.
The Farmhouse can be rented as a four bed or, if both houses are free, can also be rented with Atherstone Farm Cottage, which is an adjacent two bed at the other end of the property. The houses can be internally connected on the ground floor via a corridor which is otherwise locked when the two are rented separately. The Farm Cottage is also recently refurbished and has two bedrooms, both ensuite, one with a roll top bath and shower, the other a walk-in wetroom / shower. The cottage also has a modern kitchen, with a separate utility room, and a large stone-floored living and dining room with a wood-burning stove.
Living areas
The Farmhouse has a modern and well equipped eat-in kitchen, it's well equipped for cooking, with two electric ovens, a large induction hob, large fridge-freezer (including ice-machine) and dishwasher. The kitchen table can seat 10 comfortably. There is a separate utility room with a washer-drier. The sitting room has comfortable sofas, a wood-burning stove set into a large old stone fireplace and, to make the most of any rainy days, there are a few board games in the house, as well as a 55' flatscreen internet-connected TV with a Bluetooth soundbar. There is also a DAB radio / CD player that can also be used to play music / radio from a Bluetooth device.
There is also good-sized private lawn, a charcoal bbq and teak outdoor table and chairs for the summer (or the hardy!) and there is now a wooden hot-tub complete with lights and an air bubble system in the garden.
Setting & local area
Atherstone Farmhouse is part of an old grade II listed farm on the Dillington Estate. The Farmhouse is at one end of the old farmhouse - with the other end also available to rent as an adjacent / connecting 2 bed house. The two are joined through lockable doors on the ground floor for the convenience of any groups renting both.
The farm is in the tiny hamlet of Atherstone, which is surrounded by fields and woods that are accessible on foot and bicycle through the myriad of local country lanes and footpaths.
Nearby there are several pubs, some within walking distance – like the Barrington Boar – others a little further, but worth cycling or driving to, such as the Dinnington Docks or Lord Poulett Arms.
Barrington House, a National Trust house with gardens open to the public, is nearby, as is Dillington House. The Dennis Chinaworks in Shepton Beauchamp are also very close and worth a visit, for the tea rooms as much as anything else.
There are several local cider producers whose orchards and presses are worth seeing, Perry's Cider in Dowlish Wake being one, and Julian Temperley's cider and cider brandy distillery over at Burrow Hill another.
A little further away the beach at Lyme Regis and walks along the Jurassic coastline are 40mins or so to the South, and the Hauser and Wirth gallery near Bruton is 40 mins or so to the East.
Guest access
The house is accessed just off the A303 and has parking for 4 cars, or by train from Crewkerne (15min drive) or Castle Cary/ Taunton (30min drive each). Keys can be left for you and, in office hours, the staff at the Dillington Estate are also available to help.
