Cranes Road, Sherborne St. John, Basingstoke, Hampshire

Some homes are lived in. Abbotsfield has been loved. The same family have been here for over forty years, and from the moment you arrive you can feel that this is a home that has been cared for and enjoyed across generations. It sits well back behind a sweeping driveway in one of the most sought-after lanes north of Basingstoke, a handsome period house of around 3,333 sq ft, and 3,674 sq ft in all with its outbuildings, wrapped in magnificent mature gardens of over a third of an acre. It comes to the market chain free.

The living room is a highlight, a generous room of more than 25 ft, with light pouring in through its many windows, a brick fireplace to gather around and window seating that invites you to slow down. The dining room is just as generous, the house flows easily from one room to the next and out to the lawns.

At the heart of the home is the farmhouse kitchen and breakfast room, a sociable space of some 27 ft with a central island and room to gather, the kind of kitchen buyers are so drawn to at the moment. A study and library gives a proper reception room to work or read in.

A separate home office and a substantial workshop sit in the adjoining single-storey wing, along with a utility and a downstairs shower room, so the whole ground floor is set up for how families live now.

Upstairs are five bedrooms, including a generous principal with its own en suite, and a particularly spacious second double. They are served by the family bathroom, and with the shower room downstairs the house is well set up for busy family mornings. It is a home with genuine space and flexibility, and rooms that lend themselves to whatever life needs of them.

Outside is where the home really tells its story, and it is the part the family speak of most warmly. The gardens have been lovingly cultivated over decades into a true oasis, wrapping the house across more than a third of an acre, with mature trees, colourful borders, established planting and secluded places to sit that give year-round interest and complete privacy. Whether you are entertaining, enjoying a summer evening or simply sitting out with a coffee, it is a haven that is rarely found this close to a village, and there is a charming round glasshouse for anyone who loves to grow.

The workshop and office hold exciting potential too. Subject to the necessary planning, they could become an annexe for multi-generational living, guest accommodation, a home business suite or a studio, so the home can evolve as a family changes. Parking is a real strength too, with a detached double garage, an integral garage and a generous driveway.

The family have invested thoughtfully over the years, so the home is as sensible as it is characterful. Solar panels and solar thermal feed a 5kW battery that charges overnight on cheap-rate power and runs the home through the evening, there is an EV charging point and added insulation behind the EPC rating of C, the roof was replaced around five years ago, and the Green Star gas boiler carries eight years of guarantee remaining. A large water tank gives hot water from gas, electric or solar, a Kinetico water softener is fitted.

Then there is the village itself, the quiet luxury here, and it is a lovely place to raise a family. Sherborne St John is a settled, sought-after village just north of Basingstoke, with The Swan pub, St Andrew's Church, the village green and the local shop all within walking distance, and the primary school at its heart. The catchment primary is Sherborne St John Church of England Primary School, with well-regarded state secondary schooling nearby, and there is an excellent choice of independent schools within a short drive, including Sherfield School and Daneshill School, with more around Newbury a little further afield. Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital is close by, and the town's mainline station runs fast trains to London Waterloo in around forty-five minutes. The M3 is within easy reach at Basingstoke, with the M4, Reading and the wider commercial base a little further north. It is the kind of village that simply works for family life.

This is far more than a house. It is a home filled with warmth and happy memories, ready for its next chapter, and offered chain free. Early viewing is recommended.