'It is rare to find a home so well located in a rural setting.' Photo: Savills.'It is rare to find a home so well located in a rural setting.' Photo: Savills.
'It is rare to find a home so well located in a rural setting.' Photo: Savills.

Take a tour round this award-winning Whipsnade property with its private bluebell wood and bespoke art studio

'Set in approximately one acre of formal gardens and surrounded by ancient woodland, this is rural living at its finest'

Surrounded by ancient woodland and hailed a "triumph of design", this award-winning Whipsnade property is on the market for a guide price of £1.65m with Savills.

The unique family home has its own bluebell wood and bespoke art studio, as well as an orangery and a timber barn with space for three vehicles.

The house is fitted with fibre to the property (FTTP) so ideal for home working, while it has been awarded not one, but two accolades: 'Best Craftsmanship' and 'Best Designed House' in Bedfordshire from the Bedfordshire Association of Architects.

Barry and Avril Gowers have lived at Ever Green Lodge for 18 years – undertaking a redesign and rebuild with the help of architect and school friend Philip Woolston in 2008.

Mr Gowers said: “It was a labour of love and we were able to design the house exactly as we wanted it, free from having to consider our children’s needs as they had flown the nest to university. The result is a home truly as one with the oak woodland that surrounds it.”

Property agent Nick Ingle, who leads the residential team at Savills in Harpenden, said: “Set in approximately one acre of formal gardens and surrounded by ancient woodland, this is rural living at its finest.

"The house enjoys great seclusion and it is easy to believe you are miles away from anywhere – yet you are perfectly positioned for access to amenities just a few miles from the M1 and close to Harpenden, Berkhamsted and Luton Parkway Station. The property itself is a triumph of design – a double award winning house with double height spaces and vaulted ceilings that has been completely refurbished to provide a contemporary family home with charming Arts and Crafts overtones. Extensive use of exposed structural green oak beams and attractive solid oak flooring give it a traditional feel, perfectly complemented by modern touches such as underfloor heating and superfast broadband.”

The house is fitted with fibre to the property (FTTP) so ideal for home working, while it has been awarded not one, but two accolades: 'Best Craftsmanship' and 'Best Designed House' in Bedfordshire from the Bedfordshire Association of Architects.

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