The house was built in 1580, as a small Elizabethan Manor house, for the daughter of the then owners of Wigborough Manor, which lies a mile across the fields to the south, at Lower Stratton. Wigborough is a classic E-shaped Elizabethan Manor but Old Bridge is more modest - not quite a full 'E', but, never-the-less, an ideal and manageable family home. During the 19th century, the house was surrounded by farm buildings, which have long since gone. When the Blake family settled in Petherton in early Victorian times, they built a large, 21 bedroom mansion just to the North of us, and they built the farm half a mile away up the hill to the south. Old Bridge was converted into 3 farm workers cottages. 60 years ago the Victorian pile was sold to the County Council and eventually pulled down. The family moved into Old Bridge, putting the house back into one home, and discovering, for instance, the inglenook fireplace hidden behind an old cottage range, - shaping the house much as it is now.As far as we know, the house is not haunted (sorry), but you are welcome to invent your own stories! There is no cellar - Elizabethan houses never did.
The kitchen, with 4 oven Aga. The larger sitting room & formal dining room
Entrance to the kitchen, from outside, is through one of two 'back-kitchens', one with the dishwasher, the other with the washing machine, tumble drier, freezer and downstairs loo. The kitchen is spacious with four-oven Aga, old pine dressers and a large kitchen table. We also have a gas cooker with oven and grill for those not used to, or daunted by, the Aga! The kitchen looks out onto an enclosed sheltered yard area. We suspect that most meals will be taken in the kitchen though there are two dining rooms to use also if you wish to be more formal. The closest to the kitchen seats eight on a period refectory table in a baronial hall type atmosphere with portraits and shields with velvet curtained mullion windows, however the other dining room seats twelve on a large circular polished gateleg table. The two sitting rooms, both with televisions, video, DVD, FreeView etc., are very comfortable with deep sofas; both have wood burners, one in a large inglenook. The smaller sitting room also has a piano.
There are two main doors out into the garden, one leads to the patio on the south side, and the other, through the front porch, onto the front lawn. There is a bar-b-que and plenty of garden furniture and a croquet set for the seriously summery evenings!
On the first floor, there are two large bedrooms rooms facing south, both with hand basins and beautifully furnished in pine; one with three single beds and the other with a kingsize double and single. There is also a smaller single room, also with hand basin. The main bathroom has toilet, basin, large enamel bath and airing cupboard. The master bedroom, with windows east and west onto the front lawn, has a luxuriously large 5ft6in double bed, walk-in hanging cupboard and en-suite shower and loo.
On the top floor, two attic rooms, one single and one double (5ft bed but mind your head) with sloping ceilings are tucked away with their own shower room (power shower), basin and loo, making an ideal teenage penthouse. We also provide a cot and a spare folding bed for additional flexibility, should the bedroom configuration not match your requirements. We do, however, limit the accommodation to twelve (plus cot).
Hand and bath towels and all bedding is provided. Please bring your own swimming towels. Electricity, gas and oil for the Aga is included in the weekly price.
For safety, and for the consideration of subsequent guests, we ask you not to smoke in the house please.
The smaller sitting room One of the double bedrooms
