Leiston Road, Aldeburgh, IP15 5QE

Set within an extraordinary 3.5-acre wildlife garden, Priors Oak offers a rare and exciting opportunity in one of the Aldeburgh’s most enchanting natural settings. The existing 2,351 sq.

ft bungalow is unmodernised and offers significant scope for redevelopment, subject to planning. Described by the East Anglian Daily Times as 'a gloriously quirky Neverland...

a place of peace, perfume, and tranquillity,’ the grounds are truly exceptional — a haven of biodiversity, seclusion, and character, making this a once-in-a-generation chance to create a remarkable new home in harmony with its surroundings.

Positioned directly opposite RSBP’s North Warren off the Aldeburgh to Leiston Road, Priors Oak was constructed in the 1960s by esteemed local builders WM. C Reades.

Accommodation comprises: Sitting room with dining area; Kitchen; Study; Three bedrooms; Two bathrooms; Cloakroom W/C; Workshop; Large part open-aired reception room/garden room.

Accommodation in more detail: Entering the property from the right-hand side and through to: The garden room / Carport - a large space (27'7 x 22'7) in rudimentary condition. Wood-clad ceiling.

Pair of skylights. Through to the: Utility room: With tiled worktop and stainless steel sink unit. Tiled flooring. Range of base and wall units. Off the inner wall there is a Cloakroom W/C.

To the right: Workshop / Garage: 19'0 x 16'0 (5.79m x 4.88m). Study/possible occasional bedroom: 10'2 x 7'0 (3.10m x 2.13m). Kitchen: 10'2 x 7'0 (3.20m x 2.13m). Tiled flooring.

Wooden worktop and range of base and wall units. Large stainless steel sink unit. Gas oven range. Freestanding fridge/freezer. From the kitchen through to a small lobby with tiled floor.

A sliding door leads out to the rear garden. Onward to the: Sitting room: With dining area: 12'0 x 10'0 (3.66m x 3.05m). Views over the rear garden. Sitting room: 18'0 x 12'0.

With sliding doors to the garden. Through to a small entrance hall. With glazed front door. Bedroom 1: 13'1 x 10'4 (3.99m x 3.15m). With large en-suite bathroom with bath and bath and separate shower.

Bedroom 2: 13'0 x 11.2 (3.96m x 3.40m) Bedroom 3: 10'5 x 7'5 (3.17m x 2.26m). Bathroom: Bath, wash hand basin & W/C. ............. Outbuildings of note: A wood clad chalet with decked area.

Two restored carriages providing rudimentary summer accommodation.

The Gardens: The property is situated toward the front of its expansive grounds and is approached via a gravel drive that sweeps around a central croquet lawn, offering an elegant sense of arrival.

A willow arbour provides access to a raised viewpoint with panoramic views across the RSPB’s North Warren nature reserve.

To the front of the house lies an open lawn area, while the mid-section of the grounds — located behind the house — is bordered on one side by a brick wall and on the other by lush ferns.

This area includes a charming cottage garden, ornamental sections with winding paths and herbaceous borders, as well as a dedicated salad and herb garden.

To the right-hand end of the garden sit two historic railway carriages, adding character and intrigue.

A gated entrance leads from here into the wildlife garden — the rear section of the property — where a meandering path guides visitors to a timber chalet with a decked terrace, currently used to display family memorabilia.

The decking offers an ideal vantage point for observing bird life in and around the adjacent ponds.

A buddleia-lined walkway leads into a small woodland area, while to the left lies an expansive wild grass meadow, rich in biodiversity which completes this truly unique and diverse outdoor landscape.

Owner's comment: When I look back on my childhood I cannot help but think that I was the luckiest child in England to have been born and raised at Priors Oak.

It was truly the most magical environment to grow up in! It is as if 47 years of love and happiness are engrained in the fabric of the garden and embrace all who spend time there.

Most of my young life was spent outdoors playing endless hours of hide and seek, and school holidays were spent camped out at the top of the garden in a tent.

As I grew up the garden also grew and my mum, the infamous ‘Trudie’ transformed it into an ever more intricate network of beautiful secret spaces, hidden pathways and unexpected surprises.

There was always a menagerie of animals on the door step, whether it be the current seasons bottle fed lambs, tortoises, Indian runner ducks, chickens or all manner of rescued and recuperating wild life.

When I was old enough to venture out alone my playground expanded to include the entire North Warren reserve, and my favourite haunt – The Thorpeness Meare.

One of the great joys of Priors Oak is that one only has to cross the road and you are on the RSPB reserve, at the convergence of a network of beautiful foot paths from which you can access all the neighbouring towns and villages without setting foot on another road.

People have often commented that Priors Oak appears to have its own climate, the garden is beautifully protected from the wind and the sun really does seem to shine more in East Suffolk than anywhere else in England!

Because it is so sheltered the bird life is quite extraordinary, the bird song in early summer has to be heard to be believed.

When I was about twelve, there was great excitement because the two Victorian railway carriages arrived at the top of the garden, even now the railway carriage are always my first choice of bedroom when I stay, and nothing beats waking up and having an outdoor shower surrounded by nature (even in Winter!).

Around the same time the railway carriages arrived, the wildlife garden really started to take shape… the butterfly meadow is probably my favourite place to be at Priors Oak with deer, foxes, badgers and hedgehogs all being welcome visitors, not to mention a list of birds, insects and butterflies so long that a book had to be written about the garden to list them all.

As much as I would dearly love to keep it all for myself, my life is now in Africa, and Priors Oak is a place that needs extraordinary people to live there all year round.

It is time for the next exciting chapter at Priors Oak to begin and I just know that the perfect people will find their way here to create their own remarkable legacy. ...............

Agent's note: NB the reference to 3.5 acres (plot size) is subject to measured survey. Services: Gas fired heating and hot water. Mains water. Mains electricity. Septic tank drainage.

NB a borehole provides water for the garden. Tenure: Freehold Guide price: £795,000 subject to contract