The Property
Set on the edge of the sought after village of Near Sawrey, between Hawkshead and Far Sawrey, Little Ees Wyke is a 1960s home that frames extraordinary vistas at every turn. From almost every room and terrace, the outlook stretches across meadows to Esthwaite Water, The Coniston Fells and The Langdale Pikes.

With its historic outbuildings and dry-stone walls, the grounds were formerly the winter garden of Ees Wyke Country House, where Beatrix Potter spent several summers in the late 1890s and early 1900s. Owned by the V&A, her painting “Garden at Ees Wyke” dated 1900 shows the view towards Wetherlam from the top of the garden. The stone terrace and boundary wall featured in the painting can still be seen in the garden of Little Ees Wyke, creating a tangible link to Beatrix’s time here.

The interior is thoughtfully arranged to draw the surroundings in, with expansive glazing and generous decking areas providing further seating from which to savour the landscape at every hour. The layout also offers notable flexibility, working as a sizeable single home with a self-contained annexe, or configured with an additional independent first-floor apartment for multi-generational living or income potential.

The attractive leaded-glass front door opens to a generous entrance hall with a full-length leaded-glass side window and oak flooring. To the left is a shower room with WC. To the right, a door gives access to the staircase for the first floor. Further along the hall, the oak flooring continues into a walk-in linen cupboard and a walk-in understairs coat and boot cupboard.

Double bevelled-glass doors open to a striking reception room (with wooden flooring and a wood-burning stove), where glazing to three sides captures the panorama the moment you enter. French doors to both the left and right open onto decking areas.

The kitchen is thoughtfully planned, featuring a gas hob, neutral cabinetry, tiled flooring and generous storage. A utility room offers further storage and accommodates the boiler, water tank, washing machine and tumble dryer. The dining room has double French doors opening onto a generous decking area with space for dining inside and out. The sitting room (again with a warm-toned wooden floor and wood-burning stove) has double sliding doors onto the balcony-style decking area.

Also on this level is the principal bedroom, dual aspect with uninterrupted views to Esthwaite Water and the Coniston Fells, and direct access to the decking and veranda. Two further doubles complete the sleeping accommodation on this floor. These bedrooms are served by a beautifully appointed family bathroom featuring a freestanding roll-top bath, double heritage basin, rose gold fittings and a rose gold Laura Ashley crystal chandelier.

Esthwaite Muse
Within the main house, the first floor can function as a self-contained two-bedroom apartment with its own private entrance, previously run successfully as the holiday let called ‘Esthwaite Muse’. A dedicated entrance hall with a full-length leaded-glass window provides a bright welcome, with stairs rising to the accommodation. The open-plan living/dining area sets the view centre stage, with a Juliet style window framing sweeping lake and fell vistas, a fitted kitchen with dishwasher and discreet eaves storage housing a washing machine, tumble dryer and fridge/freezer. To the left, the larger double bedroom, currently a study, enjoys a Juliet balcony with panoramic lake and mountain outlooks and has an en-suite shower room. To the right, a second generous double also features a Juliet balcony to enjoy the vista, built-in storage and an en-suite.

Esthwaite Cottage
To the left of the main house, Esthwaite Cottage is a self-contained, ground floor one-bedroom annexe, currently operating as a successful holiday let. A leaded-glass entrance door opens directly into the kitchen-diner with bespoke tiling, washing machine and window to the front. From here, a door leads to the lounge centered around a wood-burning stove. At one end a picture window and at the other double French doors opening onto the decking, offer views of the summerhouse, garden and meadows to the lake. A further door leads to the double bedroom with a front-facing window, served by an en-suite shower room with bespoke tiling. Esthwaite Cottage has its own secure garden comprising decking and a gravelled patio area, set within the wraparound grounds of Little Ees Wyke.

Externally
A grand stone gateway welcomes you to Little Ees Wyke. The property benefits from ample parking: a generous tarmac driveway, an attractive detached double garage with clock turret and weathervane and two additional gravelled parking bays. With lighting and electricity, shelving and work surfaces, the garage is also a great workspace.

Mature landscaped gardens wrap around the house so that the view can be enjoyed from many positions, with lawns, gravel and stepping-stone paths, streambeds, mature flowering bushes (including rhododendron, azalea, camelia, lilac, pieris, hydrangeas and roses), borders and stunning flowerbeds. High stone walls form the boundary on two sides with hedging now separating the property from Ees Wyke Country House. To the rear, lower stone walling and livestock fencing afford an uninterrupted view from the garden into the meadows and beyond.

Outbuildings include a large modern wooden shed with electricity, lighting, shelving and a work surface. The three historic stone outbuildings comprise a summerhouse with arched doors and windows, a potting shed and the remains of an old Victorian heated greenhouse, which now forms a charming sunken garden.

The garden is a haven for wildlife with many different birds nesting within the grounds. The expansive rear lawn offers space for children or dogs to play and quiet seating areas for adults to take in the setting. Barn owls hunt over the meadow at dawn and dusk, rabbits graze the lawns, swans glide across the lake and osprey can sometimes be glimpsed fishing on Esthwaite Water.