Rural residence with spacious living

Loxley House is a beautifully designed seven bedroom country home ideal for hosting family gatherings and celebrations.

Situated on the edge of the peaceful village of Digby, Loxley House was designed and constructed in 2002 by a builder who used a lifetime of expertise to create his “dream home”.

This prominent detached residence in a private position offers extensive light and airy accommodation, including three reception rooms, seven bedrooms and four bathrooms.

automatic gates, Loxley House extends to an impressive 5,182 square feet of living accommodation to include a beautifully proportioned and spacious open-plan kitchen with both living and dining areas flooded with light from an extended orangery.

Also on the ground floor are a study, lounge, dining room and a nicely proportioned entrance hall, as well as a utility room and double garage.

Its current owners, Barry and Joan Roe, who are originally from Cheshire, moved here with their teenage daughter in 2006 from a village just over the Nottinghamshire border to be closer to Barry’s work – a decision which further emphasised their decision to fully embrace rural life.

“We moved here simply because we both agreed that from the first time we saw it, the house had the ‘wow’ factor,” explains Joan.

“We also liked the fact that Digby was a village with amenities, including a church, public house and the picturesque beck complete with families of ducks.

“When we moved in, our 14-year-old daughter learned to ride horses in the field at the side of the house and prior to her leaving for university, she was also the village litter-picker.”

Easy living
Although Loxley House was built as a family home, now that Joan and Barry’s daughter has left home, they say they have continued to enjoy living here as a couple.

The house incorporates many innovative features from the builder’s expertise in design, including an integral vacuum cleaner system, lighting to the bathroom beneath glass panels on the shelves as well as in the ceiling, gas underfloor central heating on two floors, and a water softener in a bespoke boiler room housing the two boilers used for heating and the hot water.

“In fact, we have become so accustomed to it that this was a feature we prioritised when looking for our new home!

“We’d never owned a property with electric gates before, so when we first came to view and pressed the buzzer to say who we were, we heard the humming as the gates opened for us and my husband Barry was sold already!

“Then the previous owner showed me the sun room (now apparently called an orangery in modern parlance) and I too was sold on moving here!

“The whole house is full of natural light with large rooms, which meant that when we moved in, we had to purchase much more furniture to fill them. However, that also gave us a unique opportunity to put our own stamp on the house.

“From day one of moving in, we also liked the layout so we haven’t made any major changes, apart from decorating from top to bottom. We also updated the orangery with a new roof and replaced the original decking with areas laid with specially selected slabs, complete with rotundas to the front and rear of the house.”

Views and gardens
Joan says their favourite room is the orangery with views across the easy to maintain gardens and lawn area, which from spring to autumn the couple use as a dining room.

“It feels like we’re eating in the open air without fear of being rained on, or coming under attack from annoying insects. The gardens to the rear of the house are south facing and the patio areas are a suntrap in summer.

“The garden borders all have a membrane covered with small stones which makes for easy maintenance. Over the years many plants have been replaced, providing seasonal colour. Neither of us like to spend all our time gardening, but the current layout means that it doesn’t take much work to keep the garden looking in good shape.”

Surroundings
The house sits in a rural location with farmland to the rear and one side, but within easy access of Sleaford for supermarkets and local shops, as well as just a short drive to the city of Lincoln.

Joan says: “Before retiring, my husband used to have to travel by train to London once a month.

Grantham is an easy 15-mile drive and provides plenty of choice of trains in both directions, with London just over an hour’s journey. Fifteen miles driving along Lincolnshire roads feels very different from crawling 15 miles in big city traffic!

“In Digby, you are in significant farmland in just five minutes of leaving the front door, a fact which very much proved it’s worth during the Covid lockdown.

“Today, our family is spread throughout the UK, but mostly in the north-west, so the house has been brilliant for family gatherings, with special occasions hosted at our home as we can all stay together without the need for hotels.

“I will miss watching the sunset while eating our evening meal, as well as our large bedroom and adjoining bathroom with its double bath. I will also miss my daily walk around the village chatting to neighbours, many walking their dogs.

“Sadly we are moving to a much smaller new build bungalow in Woodhall Spa, as my husband has a progressive neurological illness, and struggles with stairs. We have enjoyed 17 happy years here in Digby for which we are very grateful.”

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