Song of the River
Cruising on the river on a Sunday afternoon or picnicking on the bank listening to the sound of the Great Ouse, life at Long Acre has been a waterside dream.
The breathtaking, country home was built just 15 months ago by its current owner after he fell head over heels in love with the secluded Cambridgeshire beauty spot.
"The views were wonderful and, with its own river frontage and private mooring, we knew it would be a superb place to build a home," he explained.
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Contemporary living
Today the fabulous property, which sits easily within its attractive, green surroundings of just over an acre, features five bedrooms and six bathrooms.
The owner wanted to build a home that would blend beautifully into its environment, somewhere was that had a traditional appearance. To achieve this he used mellow hand-made bricks, clay roof tiles and stone features.
But he wanted it to open up to reveal bright, contemporary spaces with high quality finishes as well as every comfort for modern day living.
"I wanted to build a home that I would really enjoy living in, somewhere that would be great for entertaining and would really make the most of the magnificent views," he said.
"I wanted large, spacious rooms with a really modern feel and every comfort, from under-floor heating through to air-conditioning."
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Beautiful light
His favourite space is the expansive sitting room area, which also doubles as a cinema room. Here he and his family and friends can either choose to relax and watch a movie on the big screen (which has a full Opus 500 surround sound system) or can simply enjoy the wonderful views through the wall of windows.
"It's lovely, there are views down the nice long garden, with trees either side. You can see down beyond the river and out over the meadows," he said.
"It's so beautiful, especially when the light comes piercing through the trees, casting shadows."
Welcoming guests
With five bedrooms, there's plenty of space for guests to come and stay at Long Acre. Each of the bedrooms has its own bathroom, except the master, which enjoys both a bathroom and a shower room, as well as a dressing area.
"The bedrooms are very nice indeed, particularly the master bedroom, which is very large indeed," he said.
"This house lends itself to family living and to entertaining. The great hall is a wonderful place to welcome guests when they arrive for a party."
With its solid oak stairs sweeping upwards, and sunshine pouring in through a skylight above, it makes an immediate impact before flowing easily on to the rest of the house.
Magnificent home
From the impressive layout through to the solid oak architraves, the marble floors and electric gates, CCTV and security lights, the owner of Long Acre has considered every detail in the planning of his magnificent home.
The tranquil riverside setting and private mooring has allowed him to make the most of weekends by taking out his boat and cruising down to pretty St Ives.
In the summer, the family enjoy picnics by the water, as well as long lunches out on the terrace, where they can take in the beautiful views of the garden.
"We love living here. It is wonderful being able to go down to the river at the weekends, to boat down one of the prettiest sections of the Great Ouse," he said.
"This is a fantastic house in a really beautiful area."
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Superb views
The stunning semi-gloss and granite kitchen, with its sleek, black and white contemporary style, leads into a dining area and family living room.
"Again there are folding doors, which are great to pull open in the summer. We usually eat together in the kitchen.
"The dining room is a lovely place for meals though as well, it has superb views through its double doors," he said.
"There's a hand-carved marble fire surround in the dining room. We also have a large oak table in there too that can seat up to 12 people, so it is ideal for dinner parties."
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Welcoming guests
With five bedrooms, there's plenty of space for guests to come and stay at Long Acre. Each of the bedrooms has its own bathroom, except the master, which enjoys both a bathroom and a shower room, as well as a dressing area.
"The bedrooms are very nice indeed, particularly the master bedroom, which is very large indeed," he said.
"This house lends itself to family living and to entertaining. The great hall is a wonderful place to welcome guests when they arrive for a party."
With its solid oak stairs sweeping upwards, and sunshine pouring in through a skylight above, it makes an immediate impact before flowing easily on to the rest of the house.
|
Magnificent home
From the impressive layout through to the solid oak architraves, the marble floors and electric gates, CCTV and security lights, the owner of Long Acre has considered every detail in the planning of his magnificent home.
The tranquil riverside setting and private mooring has allowed him to make the most of weekends by taking out his boat and cruising down to pretty St Ives.
In the summer, the family enjoy picnics by the water, as well as long lunches out on the terrace, where they can take in the beautiful views of the garden.
"We love living here. It is wonderful being able to go down to the river at the weekends, to boat down one of the prettiest sections of the Great Ouse," he said.
"This is a fantastic house in a really beautiful area."
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With Easy Reach
Long Acre is, however, also well situated for travelling across Cambridgeshire and the country.
Both Cambridge and Huntingdon are just a short drive away, each offering major road links, rail connections to London and central, high street shopping areas.
"We are also within easy reach of the A11 and A14, which connect to the M11 and other major connections, so travelling is easy," he said.
"At the same time, however, there are some very pretty, quiet villages nearby that are nice to visit, as well as some beautiful walks and cycle rides."
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