Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
HighfieldStiffkey, Norfolk
£2,250,000 Freehold
Highfield is a contemporary four-bedroom house,occupying an exceptional position on the ruggedNorth-Norfolk coast. Completed in 2019, it sits in six and ahalf acres of private land, sloping down to the breath-takingsalt marshes at Stiffkey. The house has its ownnatural-water swimming lake, a writer's studio, twoseparate artist's studios and an annexed apartment.
Highfield has been sensitively designed in relation to itscoastal context. Drawing inspiration from the sweeping,rugged coastline, its cubic forms are clad in laser-cutgranite, establishing a dialogue between the prevailingEast-Anglian architectural vernacular and a more modular,contemporary approach to living.
The house is set back from a coastal road; a gabion wall,filled with flint, runs down the western aspect, towards acar port with a charging point for electric vehicles.
020 3795 5920
Access is gained via a gated courtyard garden. A wallsculpture, inspired by the interlocking abstract installationsof Paul Mount is positioned to one side. Within, Brazilianslate slabs wind around a box pool lined with elegant silverbirch trees, past a raised deck and seating area, to an annexfinished in cement. This accommodation comprises anopen-plan lounge and kitchen, and a bedroom with en-suiteshower room. This space is perfect for short-term lets, orholiday guests.
Access to the main house is via an entrance hall leadingthrough to a library, with bespoke bookshelves of birch-ply.An office space is tucked away, with birch-ply storagespaces and a built-in desk, while a lounge is positionedopposite.
In the kitchen, beyond reclaimed glass double-doors, thematerial palette is fully established; there are slateworktops on a centrally-positioned island and alarch-topped breakfast bar. A scullery with additional sinkand laundry is positioned to one side. The dining roomopens out, via glazed door, onto a patio area with raisedplanting, shielded from the wind by the orientation of thehouse and perfect for outdoor dining in the warmermonths.
A sitting room with double-height ceilings, natural-fibrewallpaper, large sections of glazing and a wood-burningstove is positioned just off the kitchen. Threedouble-bedrooms, a utility room and a family bathroom linethe hallway leading to a plant room and separate sauna atthe far end. All of the rooms on this floor have wide,reclaimed larch floorboards and woodland views.
A staircase leads off the hallway, up to the master bedroomand bathroom on the first floor. This room has spectacularsweeping views of the marshland, care of its elevatedposition and large sections of glazing which wrap the facade.The external profile forms a peak, which 'reaches out' to awriting studio below, seeking to create a visual bondbetween the two separate structures. There are 30 solarpanels on the roof which offset the house's energy use.
The writing studio is designed by Ecospace. It is clad inlarch externally and birch-ply internally. There is awood-burning stove, a kitchenette and shower room,adjoining the main living and writing spaces. Perhaps its
020 3795 5920
most appealing features are its floor-to-ceiling windows,which open out onto a small deck, with views out towardsthe salt marshes and the swimming lake.
The garden landscaping during the design and build of thehouse created space for a swimming lake. It has its ownpontoon and is filtered naturally by the vegetation,water-lilies, irises and reeds, at its banks. It is replenishedby an irrigation system, drawing run-off rainwater from theroof of the house and is home to great-crested newts anddragonflies.
The house's acreage gently slopes down towards thecoastal salt marshes at Stiffkey. The landscape ischaracterised by the array of cockle beds, sand banks andtwisting creeks that make up the Blakeney National NatureReserve. It is a haven for wildlife and wild-swimmingenthusiasts alike. The eastern aspect of the property isflanked by a woodland which has been replanted witharound 250 new trees, including Scotch Pine and HolmOak, as well as a row of Silver Birch trees, to guide the eyeout towards the sea.
Two artist's studios are positioned a short walk from thewriting studio; one is a former shipping-container and theother, a former Nissen hut.
Stiffkey is a beautiful village on the North-Norfolk coast,positioned within the Norfolk Coast Area of OutstandingNatural Beauty. The salt marshes define the landscape ofthe village, with their stunning array of wildlife, walkingtrails and swimming spots, including local favouriteGarborough Creek. Stiffkey has an excellent pub called TheRed Lion, as well as Stiffkey Stores, a very popular localshop, serving coffee, pastries and everyday provisions.
The closest town is Holt, a lovely rural Georgian townsurrounded by parks. A jumble of streets and alleyways fanout from the main high street, offering plenty of facilities,including a large central market, a clothing designer calledOld Town, an excellent fishmonger and a good gamebutcher.
Stiffkey is just under an hour from Kings Lynn, where trainsrun direct to London King’s Cross. Norwich is similarly justunder a hour away; trains to London run via Cambridge orIpswich in approximately two hours.
020 3795 5920
