Exmoor is synonymous with riding, and a rare equestrian home has come on to the market within the national park. Beech Park near Dulverton in Somerset, is a four-bed family home situated a short distance from some of the very finest open moorland walking and riding in the country. There are miles of tracks and bridleways ideal for exploring, perhaps in the company of wild Exmoor ponies.
A former mill town, Dulverton is now a thriving market town with a population of around 1,400. It is known as the southern gateway to Exmoor, and is packed with independent shops, sports clubs, award-winning restaurants and tea rooms. It also has a range of attractions, from fly-fishing or kayaking along the River Barle, to visiting the famous prehistoric clapper bridge at Tarr Stepps or iron age hill forts.
Tiverton and Minehead are larger towns within half an hour’s drive. By rail, Tiverton to London Paddington takes around two hours, while for the motorway, the M5 is around 20 miles away.
Exmoor is a stunning national park, with a variety of scenery from high heather-clad moorland and deep wooded river valleys to breathtaking coastline along the highest marine cliffs in England. Exmoor’s famous dark skies (it is a designated Dark Sky Reserve) means you can stargaze from the garden at Beech Park, and see the Milky Way with the naked eye on a clear night.
For horse-mad families, there are several Pony Club branches on your doorstep. Most local is the West Somerset, but you also have the Dulverton West, Devon & Somerset and Tiverton branches in the vicinity.
Eventers have a new horse trials in the calendar, Chard, which is on the other side of the county. Chard also runs affiliated and unaffiliated showjumping and dressage, arena eventing, and one of its arenas has a Derby Bank. The facilities are available for hire.
For training and competing, Pontispool is just 23 miles away and this excellent parkland venue features more than 200 fences from 40cm to 1.15m built to British Eventing standard. The venue also hosts schools and unaffiliated competitions, Cotswold Cup qualifiers and more.
Badgworth Arena EC is just over an hour away by car, and hosts affiliated and unaffiliated dressage and showjumping.
Need a vet? Dulverton Vets have an equine department, while Western Counties Equine Hospital is under 30 miles away.
Beech Park is on the market for the first time in three decades, at a guide price of £1.4m with Fine & Country.
It is in a convenient location just 2.6 miles from the centre of Dulverton, but with a high degree of privacy within the Exmoor National Park.
You arrive at Beech Park via a five-bar electric gate on a tarmac drive. This leads to the main parking area, and also continues around the back of the house to the stable yard.
Starting outside, the stable yard consists of a block of three stables, with pretty painted doors. There are two further stables with power and light. There is also a tack room, and open-fronted store shed. A gate opens on to a small paddock from this area, and a separate five-bar gate to the front paddocks.
Three stables in a block here, with a further two elsewhere
The property stands in around 10 acres, with most of the land laid to pasture in two fenced paddocks.
The gardens feature a croquet lawn, summer house, patio and ha-ha wall dividing the gardens and paddocks.
Heading over to the house itself, the front door opens into a spacious entrance hall with access to the main reception rooms.
The light and spacious hall
The sitting room has views over the front garden and down the Barle valley, with a door leading through to the garden room
The garden room is triple aspect with patio doors opening out on to the patio and garden. There are southerly views over the paddocks and Barle valley.
The kitchen is fitted with extensive units and integral dishwasher and cooker. It has space for a small four-seater table and chairs. The dining room is double-aspect and has a serving hatch.
The kitchen can seat four
One of the four upstairs bedrooms
There are four bedrooms, with the option of a fifth downstairs. The property originally had a swimming pool which was converted by the current owner to create more living accommodation. It could equally be used as a drawing room or games room.
A versatile space that could be used as a drawing room, games room or a fifth bedroom, as it is currently
As befits its location within a national park, the panoramic views are stunning.
Take a video tour of the property here.
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