Found in the centre of the charming village of Freshford is this wonderful Grade II-listed, double-fronted Regency house. Set in an idyllic position overlooking Somerset’s verdant Avon Valley, the house has striking views over the village’s earliest building, the Church of St Peter, whose tower dates back to the 15th century. Constructed in the early 19th century, the house unfolds over 1,700 sq ft., including four/five bedrooms and a glorious, south-west facing roof terrace. Framed by hills and woodland, these natural boundaries enclose the village and emphasise its secluded nature within the landscape.
Setting the Scene
Freshford is found in the Avon Valley at the confluence of the Rivers Avon and Frome, just six miles southeast of Bath. It lies in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and within a local conservation area that covers the entire village and the nearby hamlet of Sharpstone. Much of the village’s charm derives from its narrow streets lined with rubble stone walls, where gaps reveal vistas over the dramatic open landscape.
From the early 17th century through to the Victorian era, the cloth trade proliferated here, taking advantage of water power from the two rivers to power textile mills. For a while, laundry was sent to Freshford to be washed and dried in the country air, influencing the village’s vernacular, with many buildings from that time remaining beautifully intact today. For more information, please see the History section.
The Grand Tour
This imposing house is constructed of honey-coloured local stone in fine ashlar style. The main entrance sits behind a set of cast-iron railings and a private front garden. The central six-panel door, set beneath a fanlight with hexagonal and diamond glazing, opens to a generous hallway. The kitchen to the right is a wonderfully bright room lit by a large sash window with its original shutters. White-painted cabinetry, including smart glazed cupboards perfect for displaying ceramics, is set beneath black granite worktops. The room is crowned by intricate original cornicing. There is ample space in the centre for a dining table and chairs, and new oak floorboards have been added underfoot.
On the opposite side of the plan is a lovely drawing room. Once again, a large sash window with shutters allows light to pour into the room, framing lovely views of the historic church. A Jetmaster open wood burning fireplace warms the room, positioned between two arched alcoves. Again, the room is decorated with fine original cornicing.
The hallway leads past a useful coat cupboard, where a staircase ascends to the top floor. On this floor, there is an additional sitting room, painted in the warm grey shade ‘Elephant’s Breath’ by Farrow & Ball. This room could easily double as a generous bedroom. This room also features an original mantelpiece, as well as some built-in cupboards and open bookshelves. The garden room/bedroom has folding glazed doors, which open straight onto the terrace. At the moment, this space makes a brilliant study. There are a further three well-proportioned bedrooms on this floor and two bathrooms.
The Great Outdoors
A large, glazed bi-folding door along the exterior wall of the garden room/bedroom opens directly onto the spacious south-facing terrace constructed by the current owners. This terrace is completely private, making it the perfect secluded spot to enjoy a morning coffee or lounge in the afternoon sun. Paved with white pebble mosaics from Mandarin Stone, it feels like the garden of a Mediterranean villa. The terrace has ample space for potted plants and creating a private garden, while gaps between the surrounding buildings provide glimpses of the surrounding countryside.
Out and About
Just off the doorstep is The Inn at Freshford, a 16th-century gastropub with open fires and a beer garden sitting on the banks of the River Frome. Follow along the canal towpath to the east to reach The Cross Guns at Avoncliff, another 16th-century country pub connected by the Two Valleys Walk. About a 20-minute walk west, find the Homewood Hotel and Spa, home to the lovely Olio Terrace, a restaurant and bar overlooking the stunning Somerset hills. At the heart of the community is Freshford’s village shop, Galleries Shop & Café, a community-run shop focusing on local and sustainable goods.
The village is crossed by numerous paths and bridleways, with several nice trails along the rivers leading through the Cotswolds AONB. There are several charming heritage attractions in proximity, including the Avoncliff Aqueduct, a 100-metre-long waterway over the River Avon that opened in 1805 and is ever-popular for cycling, walking and canoeing. The Grade I-listed Iford Manor Gardens are located about a mile south of the village and offer numerous year-round activities for all ages, including a renowned opera and jazz festival each summer. Be sure to stop in the team room after taking a stroll through the Italianate Peto Garden, named for revered Edwardian architect Harold Peto when Iford Manor was his home from 1899-1933. Its cloister garden is full of terraces, columnar cypresses and Peto’s vast collection of statues, urns, sarcophagi and terracotta.
Freshford is located just across the River Avon from Winsley, a very charming and sought-after village, only 20 minutes from the centre of Bath. Traffic is limited in the village thanks to a bypass which filters cars via another route. The village is home to a Church of England primary school, two churches and a popular country pub, The Seven Stars. Nearby is the Hartley Farm Shop and Kitchen, an independent shop and restaurant which champions local and seasonal food.
The picturesque riverside town of Bradford-on-Avon is a pleasant three-mile walk along the River Avon, a quick 13-minute drive, or a seven-minute train from Freshford Station. It has numerous supermarkets and greengrocers, as well as some wonderful independent restaurants and shops, as well as a good secondary school and railway station.
Bath is around five miles from the house and is well-served by outstanding retailers and restaurants, focusing on independent provisors. Colonna and Small’s, Beckford Bottle Shop, Café Lucca, Corkage, Landrace Bakery, and the weekly Farmer’s Market are of particular note, while the Olive Tree restaurant, Bath’s Michelin-starred establishment, is conveniently located at the northern end of nearby Russell Street. The city’s cultural distractions are plentiful, with brilliant theatres and galleries; the Holburne Museum, the Fashion Museum and The Edge arts centre all hold world-class exhibitions, while the Theatre Royal hosts many pre-London West End shows. Bath is also home to a host of amazing cinemas, such as the well know Little Theatre Cinema, along with the lovely Tivoli and Odeon cinemas.
The village has attracted many families because of its phenomenal education options, including an Ofsted-rated Outstanding primary school, as well as an amazing selection of both state and private schools just up the road in Bath.
Freshford has its own train station, with regular services to Bath, Bristol, and Weymouth on the Dorset coast. It’s only a 13-minute train to Bath Spa station, which provides a direct line to London Paddington in under 80 minutes. The M4 motorway lies north of the city and is reachable by car in about 40 minutes, while Bristol’s busy international airport is about an hour’s drive.
Council Tax Band: F
History
The earliest record of the village dates to Anglo-Saxon times, when the land at “Fersceforde” was given to Bath Abbey following the Norman Conquest. Freshford’s position at the confluence of two rivers made it ideal for water-based industries such as textile production, and there is evidence a mill existed here as early as 1086. Both Freshford Bridge and Freshford Mill, a former mill site just across the river, were built in the early 16th century and, along with surviving millworkers’ cottages, represent the lasting impact of the area’s industrial heritage.
Overlooking the village and its picturesque surroundings is Freshford Manor, a Grade-II* listed manor house from the 1700s. A stone table on its ground is also listed, as it is believed that the soldier and military historian, Sir William Napier, wrote part of his “History of the Peninsular War” at the table.
In 1857 the railway arrived, allowing easy access to Bath and Bradford-on-Avon and making this charming village a popular stop for romanticists. In 1872, esteemed gazetteer John Marius Wilson described, “The village stands amid charming environs, on the southern declivity of a richly wooded hill, with extensive and interesting views . . .”. At the centre of the village is an early 19th century brewery that was saved by local conservationists in the 1960s and later converted to architect offices.
The house itself dates to the 19th century, and a post office was later added to the elevation facing the High Street. In the late 19th century, Morris Stores took over both the private residence and the old post office and operated here for over a century. These are now two separate private dwellings.
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