Take a Look Inside this Grade II-Listed Former Vicarage at the Coast
Westfield House is a Grade II-listed former vicarage in the coastal village of Longhoughton near Alnwick
This property might be called Westfield House, but could be more accurately entitled Westfield House, Cottage, Stables and Garden Chalet.
The main house was built in 1839 and is a Grade II-listed former vicarage, which housed the vicars of the Saxon Church of St Peter and St Paul over the road. It became a private residence in 1983, but subsequent owners have upgraded the house while continuing to showcase many of its original period features. The solid oak entrance door leads into a beautiful stone flagged hallway with a spindled staircase that sweeps up to the first floor. A sense of the house’s history is evident in elegant wooden panelling, architraves and mouldings throughout its many rooms. There’s also no shortage of fireplaces in this house, with three across the downstairs drawing room, office and snug as well as a further four fireplaces spread across the upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms.
This includes a particularly impressive inglenook fireplace with an ESSE Ironheart Eco wood-fired range cooker in the dining room. Of course, like all great country houses, the kitchen itself is equipped with a twin-oven AGA as well as ample space for more casual dining and dual aspect windows overlooking the garden and courtyard. The kitchen also leads directly into a large walk-in pantry and generous utility room.
There are four bedrooms on the first floor. The principal bedroom has views over the rear-garden and a show-stopping ensuite complete with a central freestanding tub, built-in seating and cabinetry, walk-in shower and a beautiful dark-wood floor. This bathroom is Jack-and-Jill to one of the other bedrooms, but could easily be closed off for further privacy. The rest of the bedrooms on this floor share a smaller family bathroom, also with shower and tub, as well as a separate WC.
Progressing upstairs again, the attic provides three rooms. These are heigh-restricted, but would make wonderful bedrooms for children. The house also has a cellar, great as additional storage space, accessed via stairs next to the kitchen.
Moving on from the principal accommodation, the gardens are also home to a substantial cottage with a private patio. This additional accommodation was created via a conversion from the former stables and coach house. The cottage is cosiness itself, with flagged stone floors, vaulted ceilings supported by huge beams, and beautiful exposed stone feature walls. It has its own kitchen, a sitting room with a wood-burning stove, a huge ensuite bedroom over the first floor and a separate WC on the ground floor.
As well as the cottage, a detached garden room was recently built to the south of the house. This is a large, chalet-like structure with its own decked patio, a wood-burning stove, drinks fridge and sink for easy outdoor entertaining.
Equestrians in the family will be thrilled to hear that the house comes with its own modern stable block. This includes two stables, a tack room, feed room, car port and hardstanding to the front as well as power and water.
Unsurprisingly, the garden is also extensive. To the back of the house there is a private walled garden with a gravelled terrace. This is the perfect spot to relax on a summer’s day overlooking the lawns, vegetable patches, flower beds, orchard and trees, shrubs and borders that comprise the rest of the garden. To the front of the house, there is a separate gardener’s WC as well as plenty of storage in the outbuildings adjoining the courtyard.
Westfield House is located in Longhoughton, a small rural village in Northumberland, and it takes around half an hour to walk from the house to Longhoughton’s picturesque beach. It is also a short drive from some of Northumberland’s biggest attractions; Alnwick Castle and Gardens are only four miles away and there is easy access to the rest of Northumberland’s heritage coast to the north or Newcastle to the south.
INTERNAL FEATURES
Entrance vestibule, hall, drawing room, snug, dining/garden room, office, kitchen/breakfast room, pantry, utility room, two WCs, four bedrooms, two bathrooms, three attic rooms, cellar.
EXTERNAL FEATURES
Garden room, kitchen courtyard, gardener’s WC, store rooms, stables, car port, gardens and grounds. Cottage with entrance hall, sitting room, kitchen, WC, bedroom and bathroom.
