Brookfield House sits in an idyllic countryside setting, with just over two-and-a-half acres of land and some of the most glorious views in Cheshire, yet is just 15 minutes from Chester and all the small but perfectly formed city has to offer. Indeed, it was this idyllic yet practical location that drew owners Chris and Wendy Ward to the property when they were moving to the area.
‘I relocated for work, so we were moving from Chichester on the south coast to an area we really knew nothing about,’ Chris says. ‘When we found Brookfield House, we knew it was ideal for us. We had one small child and another on the way, and hoped for more, so we were looking for somewhere with plenty of space, but I also needed easy access to road, rail and air, as I travel a lot for my work.
Clotton Hoofield is just three minutes from Tarporley and 15 minutes from Chester and all the fabulous transport links I needed. It’s a safe yet accessible place to raise a family, and we’ve loved it here.’
Rural life isn’t for everyone, but the Ward family have revelled in it.
‘A traffic jam here is when the cows from nearby Clotton Dairy (famed for its clotted cream) are crossing the lane at milking time,’ Chris laughs. ‘I just love the peace and quiet here. We have built a large deck out into the rear garden, and we can sit there in absolute silence – apart from the birdsong, of course. The views are wonderful, over the Peckforton Hills, Peckforton Castle and Beeston Castle and we can simply sit quietly and soak it up.’
Enjoying the best the countryside has to offer isn’t solely for the human residents of Brookfield House, it’s somewhat of a wildlife haven too.
‘There’s a wildlife pond in the rear garden we have enhanced,’ Chris says, ‘where we’ve seen several kinds of newt, and which brings lots of birds in. There’s also a brook running through the garden. We have paddocks, which we mow, but there’s an area we have allowed to rewild, too. We see barn owls, goshawks and I have recently spotted red kites, too. It’s wonderful for the children.’
Chris, Wendy and oldest son Oliver moved into Brookfield House in 2010 and the couple have maintained a close focus on updating and enhancing their home.
‘Every room has been decorated at least twice,’ Chris says. ‘Along with a new kitchen and bathrooms we replaced all the windows on the front elevation and put special strengthened glass into all of the ground floor and French windows. We wanted to ensure these were very safe for our children, both when running about inside and playing ball games outside.’
The garden is further enhanced by the addition of a studio building, with a home office for Chris and a gym for Wendy, who is a personal trainer, offering one-to-one sessions.
The ground floor of Brookfield House opens with a grand galleried reception hall, into which Chris and Wendy have placed a specially imported Danish woodburning stove.
‘The hallway is very spacious, two of our three sons have learned to walk in here – and run – and the addition of the stove keeps the whole space warm and welcoming. The heat rises through the upper floors too, warming the whole house.’
There are two living rooms, one which Chris and Wendy have nicknamed the library, as it’s device-free zone, with no TV, laptops or phones allowed.
‘It’s our cosy space for reading and conversation,’ Chris explains. ‘It’s very popular in winter, with the fire going. When we moved in there was a conservatory that was too cold in winter and too warm in summer, which we have replaced with a garden room, which is a lovely space in the summer and has underfloor heating to keep off the winter chill; it’s a great social space and there’s the TV there, too.’
The spacious kitchen is fitted with countryside-perfect Shaker-style units and has a large central island around which the whole family can gather, and a walk-in pantry, which has proven Chris’s surprise delight.
‘I never knew I needed a walk-in pantry till I had one,’ he laughs. ‘I fully appreciate it. We also have a utility room and a boot room, which helps keep all the clutter at bay.’
Not a fan of clutter, Chris has also ensured there is plenty of storage space throughout his home, including eaves storage built into the upper floors.
On the first floor is the master suite, with en suite and two walk-in wardrobes, again helping maintain a clutter-free bedroom. There are three more double bedrooms and a large family bathroom on this floor, and on the second floor a dedicated teenage suite.
‘The second floor is Oliver’s,’ Chris explains. He has his bedroom with a bathroom and there’s a second double bedroom we have designed as a study for him. It’s great for him when he wants distance (very teen boy) and ideal for when he has friends round, too.’
The views from every room are spectacular, and Chris acknowledges he’ll miss this when the family moves on.
‘With three children all wanting greater independence, we have decided to move closer to Chester’s centre,’ he says. ‘There’s a lot here we shall miss, however – the views and the sense of nature and space; it’s so peaceful here. It’s also been such a safe and natural environment for our children growing up, which I know any family will really appreciate. Finally, I shall miss the wonderful community here. We’re such a small hamlet, there are so few of us that we all look out for each other, with true neighbourliness.
‘When we moved here we said, “we’ll try it for a year, we can always move back south”, but it’s now 14 years on and three children later, and we can’t imagine ever moving away. It’s a very special part of the country.
‘I believe the next family to move into Brookfield House will take the same enjoyment from living here that we have. We haven’t spared any expense with the fixtures and fittings, so it’s perfect just to move into and live in for a while, before putting their own stamp on it.’
Brookfield House is for sale for £1.5m, fishergerman.co.uk
