Enter Warners End Farm in Saxlingham - a fascinating 16th century farmhouse in North Norfolk for sale for £1.9million - and you are transported to a Mediterranean villa of beauty.
It's only the crop of sugar beet in the field yonder rather than perhaps rows of vines which remind you that you are in Norfolk and not southern France or Tuscany at this property which, as soon as you step through the front door, feels like you have been transported to a verdant villa abroad.
It's no surprise it is owned by a renowned landscape artist who enjoys painting French and Italian scenes because the light is beautiful in this house and you have an ever changing collection of inspirational scenes every time you look out of your windows.
The doors open onto sun drenched terraces and the heated outdoor swimming pool looks very inviting.
What you have at Warners End Farm, which is tucked away down School Road in Saxlingham, is an impressive amount of flexible accommodation which currently is divided up to offer a fine late 16th century farmhouse which has a beautiful kitchen complimented by a range of converted outbuildings including the most stunning vaulted barn which currently acts as a large and most impressive gallery.
The property has been adapted for use by an artist renowned for creating scenes of sun-dappled Venetian balconies and busy boulevard cafes of provincial French villages and it was a privilege to see inside his fabulous studio space, which faces north over the fields.
However, this property is ideal for anyone running a business from home; it could be developed for bed and breakfast or as a function venue – you have a lot of gorgeous space in one of the prettiest village locations in North Norfolk so its uses are endless.
Of course it could just be a very large home with room for lots of family and friends.
The main house has been beautifully converted over the 15 years the owners have lived there with some lovely features such as stripped wooden latch doors and there is a Mediterranean feel still with some very pretty tiled en suites.
You enter through a solid oak front door into a hall, off which is a sitting room with exposed beams and a large brick fireplace – a great space in winter when you want to cuddle around the fire.
There is also a super dining room painted in a rich dark red and the kitchen is very pretty with bespoke wooden units, an Aga and double doors leading to the gardens.
Upstairs there is a master bedroom and three further bedrooms.
However, this is only just a small part of what this property has to offer because adjacent to the farmhouse, across a pretty courtyard and drive, is a traditional red brick and flint barn under a pantile roof currently used as an art gallery.
Oak doors with handmade door fittings lead to a fabulous space with a limed oak timbered floor and a floor to ceiling fireplace and chimney.
It really is an absolutely stunning room. And there is more; attached to the barn is a cottage, comprising a ground floor sitting room which has services enabling a kitchen to be fitted.
A staircase leads to the first floor and two good sized bedrooms and a bathroom. Adjoining the cottage you will find an artist's studio with gorgeous views over the countryside – this property is situated on the edge of open farmland which is just breathtakingly beautiful.
Steps lead down from the studio to a summer room, with a terracotta floor, heavily timbered ceiling and a wine store.
Two pairs of double doors lead to a secluded enclosed courtyard with a large oak pergola and a detached double garage boasts a fabulous contemporary first floor apartment, a real luxury pad with an open plan sitting room/bedroom with double doors leading to a balcony with that uninterrupted country view – sugar beet, not vines but then we are in Norfolk.
• Warners End Farm, Saxlingham is for sale for a guide price of £1.9 million with Pointens on 01263 711880.
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