Quakers Farm

History and Heritage

Quakers Farm was originally built by a noted Quaker, John White, in circa 1640 and twelve weddings are recorded as having taken place in the property during the 1600's. Other well known Quakers including William Penn, founder of the US State of Pennsylvania, and the poet John Milton, visited the house. The earliest recorded mentions of Meadle hamlet are when it was caught up in the battle between the Royalists in Oxford and the Parliamentarians in London during the English Civil War and there are rumours that a group of Parliamentarians were hidden up in the inglenook chimney in Quakers Farm at one point during the conflict. A local farm, Armour Farm, is believed to have acquired its name after it was used as a store for armaments for Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army.In more recent times, the American actor Dick Van Dyke was entertained to tea in the kitchen when Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was being filmed in Meadle. The property has been in the vendor’s family since 1910.

Ground Floor

A porch shelters the front door which opens into a spacious entrance hall with quarry tiled flooring and an original carved oak staircase to the first floor. Steps down at the rear of the hall lead to the cellar which has slightly restricted head height but which can be used for storage and has windows for natural light. At the rear of the property there is a boot room which has doors to both sides, space for coats and shoes and access to the cloakroom.

Reception Rooms

The sitting room has an exposed ceiling beam, two sash windows overlooking the front and a deep inglenook fireplace with a timber bressummer and a log burning stove. There are original built-in storage cupboards in the chimney recess on one side of the fire. The dining room also has an exposed ceiling beam and has dual aspect windows overlooking the garden to the front and side. The brick fireplace houses a feature red cast iron log burning stove. The family room is to the rear of the property and is accessed from the sitting room. It is also dual aspect with exposed ceiling beams and a fireplace with a wooden surround and mantel. The wood burning stove is not currently connected.

Kitchen/Breakfast Room

The dual aspect kitchen breakfast room overlooks the garden to the side and rear and has a part vaulted ceiling. The kitchen is fitted with a range of wooden wall and base units, including glazed display cabinets, with complementary work surfaces incorporating a sink and drainer. There is a built-in cooker with an extractor over and space for a dishwasher and fridge/freezer. A brick fireplace houses a cast iron wood burner, and the breakfast area has a partly panelled wall and space for a table and chairs.

Bedrooms and Bathrooms

The first floor landing has a window overlooking the front and space for a seating or study area. There are three double bedrooms on the first floor, all of which have exposed beams and feature fireplaces. The principal bedroom has an en suite which has a corner shower cubicle, a washbasin and a WC, and a door to a gallery area overlooking the kitchen/breakfast room. Bedroom two has a shower cubicle on one side of the chimney breast and an en suite cloakroom on the other, and bedroom three also has an en suite cloakroom. There are two further bedrooms on the second floor which have exposed floorboards and share a three piece bathroom which includes a bath with a shower over.

Outside

The property has a plot of approximately 0.75 acres with gardens which wrap around three sides of the house. The main garden faces south west and is very secluded with wild flowers, mature trees, herbaceous borders and established shrubs. There is also a section of orchard land behind which will require enclosing to separate from the neighbouring The front of the property has a paved driveway for off street parking and a gravelled parking area for three further cars, a gravel and stone paved seating area, and an ornamental pond. Fencing is required to enclose the front from a section of neighbouring land.There are panoramic views to the rear over the surrounding countryside.

Outbuilding

The brick built outbuilding has a vaulted ceiling and power connected. It is a former wash house which is currently used as a utility room and for storage but which has potential, subject to obtaining the necessary planning permissions, for conversion into a gym or home office.

Situation and Schooling

Meadle is situated approximately 2.5 miles from the market town of Princes Risborough which has a variety of shops, supermarkets, boutiques, restaurants, GP and dental surgeries, a sports centre and a railway station with services to Marylebone, Oxford and Birmingham. There is schooling for all ages and the property is in catchment for grammar schools in Aylesbury. Orchard View farm shop is about 3 minutes’ drive in the neighbouring hamlet of Little Meadle and has a café, shop, and butchery.Meadle is mostly known to visitors for the Kimble Point-to-Point, a traditional horse-racing event held on nearby fields each Easter Saturday.