5 bed detached house for sale

Halls Lane, Waltham St. Lawrence RG10

Contact Tim or Julia from Stowhill Estates Berkshire for more information about this property.

Unmatched village location

Some locations remain ever popular, and Halls Lane, in the heart of Waltham St Lawrence, is a terrific example. Quietly positioned in this Conservation Area, away from the main road yet wonderfully close to village life, The Chimneys places the local pub, historic church, village hall and a network of country walks and footpaths all within easy reach.

It is also an extremely practical place to live. Twyford station and the Elizabeth line are around 10 minutes away, while Heathrow can be reached in approximately 25 minutes. It is a rare combination of rural village setting, genuine community and excellent connectivity.

Perhaps it is no surprise, then, that detached homes offering this much versatility, presented in such turn-key condition and set within such private plots do not come to the market all that often. The addition of a genuinely self-contained ground-floor annexe makes The Chimneys an especially interesting proposition.

A fittingly private arrival

The house occupies a slightly elevated position, discreetly screened behind mature trees and shrubs. It is so well tucked away that you could almost drive past the pair of manual five-bar gates without realising what sits beyond them.

The gates open onto a broad gravel driveway with easy turning space and comfortable parking for six cars. Despite being so close to the centre of the village, the immediate impression is one of privacy and calm.

The front elevation gives an early clue to the flexibility within, with two separate front doors. One opens into the main house, while the other provides independent access to the adjoining annexe, allowing its occupants to come and go without passing through the principal accommodation.

A warm welcome

The entrance hall provides a practical central point from which the ground floor unfolds. The staircase rises to the first floor on the left, with a couple of steps leading down to the cloakroom, while the kitchen is positioned to the right.

Straight ahead, a further doorway leads into the dining area, which forms part of a bright, L-shaped kitchen and dining space wrapping around the side of the house.

New carpets have recently been fitted throughout the property, while the principal bedroom has also been freshly decorated, helping to reinforce the sense that this is a home ready to enjoy from the outset.

Cooking and dining

The kitchen is modern, well maintained and thoughtfully equipped, with granite worktops and an excellent range of appliances. These include a Fisher & Paykel double oven and hob, Neff dishwasher, Siemens washing machine, SensoDry tumble dryer and Bosch wifi combination oven. There is also a water softener installed to look after your appliances and glassware.

The room is warmed by underfloor heating and enjoys plenty of natural light, with a window looking across the front driveway and an external door providing direct access to the side of the house.

The kitchen opens into the adjoining dining area, creating an easy, sociable space that should work just as well for family breakfasts as it does for longer dinners with friends. Bi-fold doors open onto the hardwood decked terrace, making the garden feel like a natural extension of the room during the warmer months.

This is likely to become the everyday heart of the house. It is practical enough for busy family life, but open and welcoming enough that whoever is cooking need never feel removed from everyone else.

Room to entertain

Double doors from the dining area lead into the sitting room, the largest reception room in the house. It is an attractive, double-aspect space with a gas fireplace at one end and French doors opening directly onto the rear garden.

There is ample room here for several seating areas, making it equally suited to quiet evenings, larger family gatherings or entertaining guests. The outlook onto the mature garden is particularly appealing, and the doors provide another easy connection between the interior and outside space.

The separate living room sits towards the front of the house, just beyond the foot of the staircase. A large picture window overlooks the driveway and draws in plenty of natural light, while a second gas fireplace gives the room a warm focal point.

Used as part of the main house, it provides a valuable second sitting room, television room or playroom. However, its position beside the annexe kitchen means it could also be incorporated into the annexe accommodation, creating a substantial private living room if a future owner wanted to divide the space differently.

A home from home

The attached annexe is one of the defining features of The Chimneys. Entirely arranged on the ground floor, it has its own front door, separate independent heating system and an internal connecting door that can be closed whenever separation is preferred.

Its kitchen area is generously proportioned, with wooden worktops, underfloor heating and a comprehensive collection of appliances including a Neff dishwasher, fridge-freezer and washer-dryer, together with a John Lewis hob.

There is direct access to the separate front door from the driveway at the front and a door opening into the rear garden from the kitchen, giving the annexe a genuine sense of self-sufficiency.

The ground floor double bedroom overlooks the garden and includes built-in storage. Alongside it is a spacious bathroom with underfloor heating and a walk-in shower. These two adjacent spaces could also be used more creatively if desired. For example, the bedroom has instead previously operated as a gym and home office with direct access to bathroom and shower.

This arrangement offers a great deal more than occasional guest accommodation. It could suit an older relative, adult child, live-in support, long-term visitors or anyone needing their own private space while remaining connected to the main household.

Four bedrooms upstairs

The staircase rises and turns to a broad first-floor landing, from which all four bedrooms and the family facilities are accessed.

At the far end is the principal bedroom, a freshly decorated, double-aspect room with a Juliet balcony overlooking the rear garden. It has its own stylish en suite, fitted with a bath, WC, walk-in shower and underfloor heating.

Bedroom two is actually the largest bedroom on the first floor. Full of character, it has a substantial window overlooking the rear garden together with Velux skylights, creating a bright and airy room with ample space for wardrobes and additional furniture. The current owner has sometimes favoured this as their main bedroom simply because of its scale and outlook.

Bedroom three is another comfortable double, positioned at the front of the house and benefiting from windows on two sides as well as built-in storage.

Bedroom four, also a genuine double, is currently used as a home office. It includes built-in storage and would work equally well as a bedroom, study or nursery.

The accommodation is completed by a three-piece family bathroom with a bath, walk-in shower and underfloor heating, together with a separate additional WC. A partially boarded loft with lighting and a pull-down ladder provides useful storage above.

A private west-facing garden

The sense of seclusion established at the front of the house continues into the rear garden. Mature planting, established trees and well-screened boundaries combine to create an unusually private space that is entirely unoverlooked by neighbouring houses.

Principally laid to lawn, the garden includes planted borders and raised sleeper beds, giving it a mature, verdant character without making it feel over-managed.

Immediately outside the dining area is a generous decked terrace, ideally positioned to enjoy the west-facing aspect. The garden receives sunshine from the afternoon through into the evening, making the terrace a natural setting for summer lunches, drinks at the end of the day or relaxed evenings outdoors.

An attractive timber-clad shed sits within one corner, while a second shed and working area are discreetly screened by hedging and planting. To the side of the house, a gated utility space provides access to the oil tank and useful space for storing barbecues, garden furniture and other practical items out of sight.

A house that can adapt

The Chimneys is a home with a great deal of flexibility built into it. The main house provides four proper double bedrooms and a choice of reception spaces, while the annexe can operate independently, be configured to include the front living room or just become absorbed into the overall footprint, extending and enhancing the capabilities and possibilities the house provides.

That makes the property suitable for a wide range of households and changing circumstances. It can accommodate several generations, provide separation for guests or relatives, create generous working space or simply offer more room for everyday family life.

Combined with its private west-facing garden, ample driveway parking, turn-key presentation and no onward chain, this is a particularly complete village home in one of the area’s most sought-after settings.

Round and about

Waltham St Lawrence is a characterful Berkshire village, ideally placed for road and rail links while retaining the rural qualities that make this part of the county so appealing. Village life centres around the church, village hall, local pub and cricket ground, while footpaths and country walks begin almost from the doorstep.

The Bell Inn is only moments away and serves as the village local, offering real ales, seasonal food, log fires in winter and a garden for warmer days. The Horse & Groom, The Beehive in White Waltham, The Shurlock Inn and The Castle in Hurst are among several other popular pubs and restaurants nearby, while Twyford provides a wider choice of cafés, restaurants and independent businesses.

For everyday shopping, Hare Hatch Sheeplands is approximately two miles away and offers an extensive farm shop and garden centre. Twyford has a Waitrose, Tesco Express, M&S Simply Food and a range of smaller shops and services.

Country walks, cycling routes and village sports are plentiful, with golf available at Castle Royle, Hennerton, Billingbear, Bird Hills and Sonning. There are also tennis, cricket, football, rugby and polo clubs throughout the surrounding area.

When it comes to fitness you are spoilt for choice with country walks on your doorstep, including the Church Farm circuit, Shottesbrooke Park loop and plenty of other routes that include some excellent country pubs. Golf is just as plentiful with courses at Castle Royle, Hennerton, Billingbear, Bird Hills and Sonning. Nearby Twyford or Maidenhead have a choice of gyms and yoga studios and there is a thriving cycling scene. Several polo, tennis, cricket, football and rugby clubs surround this area in Twyford, Wargrave, Wokingham, Binfield, Hurst and Maidenhead to name but a few.

Local schooling includes Waltham St Lawrence Primary School just 1 mile away and rated Outstanding by ofsted. A little further is another outstanding primary school, Knowl Hill CoE. White Waltham CoE Academy, Newbold School Manor Green, Cox Green and The Piggott are all other local options with good ratings. Regionally there are several excellent independent options, for example Reading Blue Coat in Sonning, Queens Anne's School in Caversham, St. George's in Windsor and both Eton and Wellington Colleges.

Twyford station provides direct services into London Paddington and access to the Elizabeth line, while the M4, M3 and Heathrow Airport are all readily accessible. It is this combination of village character, countryside, community and connectivity that makes Waltham St Lawrence such an enduringly desirable place to live.

EPC Rating: D