An incredibly rare opportunity to own a light, beautiful, stone built cottage with three acres of land, views and extensive parking in a coveted location. There is full planning permission for an additional, dramatic four bedroom detached property or the potential to utilise the footprint of the outbuildings and the existing house to create a single fabulous property. St Helen’s House Farm has not been to the open market in 30 years.
Wirksworth (recently named in The Sunday Times as being the best place to live in Derbyshire!) is one of the oldest towns in Derbyshire and is a popular location for the exploration of the Peak District. The country houses of Chatsworth, Haddon, Hardwick, Bolsover, Kedleston and Tissington are all within easy reach and the opportunities afforded by outdoor pursuits in the Peak Park and nearby Carsington Water are endless. Approximately 14 miles from Derby, 23 from Nottingham and 27 from Sheffield, Wirksworth has become popular for commuters but remains a truly lived-in town with a real sense of community. It offers a good variety of shops, places to eat, several notable public houses and the independent Northern Light Cinema. There is a lively arts scene and this includes the renowned Wirksworth Arts Festival, which takes place over a fortnight in September. There is a market every Tuesday as well as a farmers market on the first Saturday of each month. St Helen’s House farm is around 10 minutes walk from the centre of Wirksworth. This beautiful home has undergone a ‘top-to-toe’ programme of remodelling, extension and refurbishment works, creating a light, spacious and extremely versatile space, which successfully integrates modernity with country character. The home has excellent sustainability and eco-credentials. It is surrounded by enchanting rural views over the (very private) garden, and land owned by the property.
This Derbyshire stone cottage exemplifies a thoughtful integration of traditional building techniques with contemporary sustainable technologies. Energy needs are provided by the air source heat pump, supplemented by eight photovoltaic panels on the refurbished rear roof, achieving 3.6kw of solar energy to support the heating, hot water, and electricity use, and provide an energy export tariff. The entire cottage (excluding the 48 cm thick original stone walls) has been rebuilt, remodelled and extended.
The ground floor features a ‘wet’ underfloor heating system throughout, segmented into three independently controlled zones via digital thermostats and timers, allowing precise, energy-efficient climate control. The master bedroom suite also has full underfloor heating, with a dedicated manifold, independently controlled zone and digital thermostat.
The programme of internal and external conservation work, utilising traditional lime mortar and render against stone masonry and dense woodfibre insulation. This ensures the fabric’s durability and ongoing ‘breathability’, maintaining the building’s integrity while supporting sustainable building principles.
St Helen’s Lane, is a quiet country lane which leads to Alport Heights and an array of beautiful countryside walks. A lovely one acre paddock sits in front of the property and further two acre field wraps around the side and back to the lane, surrounding the property on three sides. A spacious driveway, garage entrance, log store and small garden are found to the front. Further along the lane is the rear driveway, which could provide a completely separate entrance for the additional property if required. A pretty south-facing rear garden with spring-fed pond and newly-created terrace, a wild ‘secret’ garden, with mixed beech, hawthorn, and damson hedging, and a planted old driveway complete the rear. A walk along the lane immediately leads into incredibly beautiful open countryside and spectacular views of the Ecclesbourne Valley, while various paths leads back into Wirksworth – approximately 10 minutes by foot downhill, 13 minutes back up, or faster by electric bike!
A substantial porch with charming stained glass double doors serves as an excellent boot room, with stunning views to Bolehill. Individual Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT), both in the porch and throughout the entire ground floor, are laid in a parquet style of contrasting oak shades (pet and children friendly, whilst warm underfoot). A hallway, with a front-facing sash window and space for storage furniture, leads to an extremely well fitted utility/laundry room. Fitted with floor to ceiling, handleless cabinets, worktop space and further units, laundry cupboard (the laundry shute is on the landing above), plus a one and a half bowl stainless sink beneath the front-facing sash window, plumbing for a washing machine and space for a large fridge/freezer and tumble drier.
The downstairs cloakroom has a back-to-the-wall loo, a built-in chest of drawers, utilised as a vanity unit, and small sash window.
Two steps lead up the beautifully designed, contemporary kitchen with white handleless units. The thoughtfully designed storage includes numerous cabinets, most with internal sliding/pan drawers or Le Mans style pull-out storage shelves. These sit beneath deep white quartz worktops, extending to a versatile peninsula. All appliances are integrated and include: two NEFF fan ovens, one of which is a combination microwave; NEFF flush-mounted induction hob; and Miele fridge/freezer and dishwasher. A ‘fizz’ fridge is also integrated into the peninsula. There is a one and a half bowl stainless sink with mixer tap, also fitted into the peninsula. A hidden larder cupboard completes this lovely, modern, light space which overlooks the terrace room, terrace, garden and fields beyond.
The kitchen is open to the terrace room, an extension to the original cottage. A lovely space with three sets of bi-fold doors and two large rooflights, electrically operated by remote control, which create a wonderfully light, bright space which truly brings the outdoors in. There is space for a large dining table (which has seated 12) and a separate cosy reading area. A large opening leads into the sizable sitting room, with its beautiful and grand Derbyshire fossil and Hoptonwood stone surround, integrated book shelves and a large Clearview stove, limiting the need for heating and warming the entire downstairs in winter. The space has completely private views over the garden and fields beyond.
A white wooden staircase curves up to a small semi-glazed landing. Wide painted floorboards throughout the upstairs continue the contemporary cottage feel. Over the stairs are two large concealed cupboards for suitcases etc. A pocket door leads into the master bedroom, which also has underfloor heating. A lovely, light and bright space across the first floor frontage, with four Velux windows (with blinds) and two front-facing sash windows, both with window seats. There are truly spectacular views over the front field to Bolehill and Black Rocks beyond. The master includes a bedroom area, dressing space and a spacious ensuite with corner shower cubicle, modern ‘egg’ corner bath, back-to-the-wall loo, heated towel rail and a very cleverly integrated large basin, set over the stairs with a small storage cupboard above.
Three steps lead up to a further large double bedroom which has a wide sash window with window seat and a lovely view over the rear garden and fields beyond. A white column radiator sits beneath the window. The third (again double) room has the same lovely views and modern column radiator, set beneath a wide sash window and window seat. The pretty shower room features a spacious walk-in shower, a fully tiled space with stone resin tray and small sash window facing the woodland beyond. There is a wall mounted basin, back-to-the-wall loo and heated towel rail.
From St Helen’s Lane, the front of the property is accessed either via the pedestrian gateway and across the front garden by stepping stones or from the driveway utilising wide reclaimed stone steps to the lovely front doors. The driveway can accommodate several cars with access to the garage.
Wide reclaimed stone steps also lead up from the planted rear driveway or down from the garden to the sweeping south-facing Mediterranean style terrace, where three sets of bifold doors provide access to the Terrace room. Stylish ‘Ship’s Lights’ are fitted to the porch and Terrace room extension. The rear garden is surrounded by mature beech and hawthorn hedging, providing complete privacy and beautiful views over the fields.
A further ‘secret’ garden sits beyond, adjacent to the rear drive access, and is entirely screened with mixed hedging and contains rhubarb, raspberries and two large apple trees.
As mentioned, there is a one acre grass paddock, with mature birch, greengage, hawthorn, apple and damson, and a number of newly planted oak trees. A babbling brook flows at the boundary end of the field. A mature woodland sits to the western boundary, providing complete screening from the town in the valley below. A further sloping two acre (approx) field wraps around the side and rear of the property, and features a stunning willow which provides a lovely aspect for the rear of the cottage.
From the front driveway, attached to the house, is a large single garage with high vaulted roof. There is a door into the ‘plant’ room which houses the water tank and system for the air source heat pump and underfloor heating. A further, high level entrance provides access to the hay loft (with very high vaulted roof) of the adjacent stable.
The outbuilding layout is as follows:
Facing the driveway (attached to the garage) is a two storey stable, which still retains the cow stalls on the ground floor, with two windows and stable door.
Adjacent to the stable in a long run from the north to the south side of the property, facing west are:
-a further single storey barn with cow stalls
-a large double height open hay barn
-a single storey ‘potting shed’, previously dairy space
-a further single storey cow shelter
The latter four stone outbuildings (following demolition) comprise the footprint of the new property which has recently received full planning permission. This beautifully designed four bedroom property can be seen at: Derbyshire Dales Planning Portal – decided planning applications, reference: 24/00904/FUL.
Facing the driveway (attached to the garage) is a two storey stable which still retains the cow stalls on the ground floor with two windows and stable door. Adjacent to the stable in a long run from the north to the south side of the property, facing west are:
- a further, single storey barn with cow stalls
- a large, double height open hay barn
- a single storey ‘potting shed’, previously a cow shelter
- a further single storey cow shelter
The latter four buildings (following demolition) comprise the footprint of the new property which has recently received full planning permission. This beautifully designed four bedroom property can be seen at: Derbyshire Dales Planning Portal – decided planning applications, reference: 24/00904/FUL.
Heating and hot water supplied by electric air source heat pump with PV solar panels (gas is actually on site but not connected). Mains sewage, mains water and broadband. Spring water could be accessed from the fields if desired. Council Tax Band E. EPC B.
From our office, turn right onto St John’s Street and next right onto Coldwell Street. Continue on this road, up a steep hill, beyond the last houses and turn right at the sign to Alport. St Helen’s Lane is unmarked. Our property is the first on the right.
Please note that there is an uplift clause of 25% on the land (excluding main home and building plot) for 25 years. Further details are available on request.
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