Tiny Somerset toll house on sale for £110k: The Round House is half the size of a Tube carriage

This Grade II-listed property is brimming with character and is just eight miles from Bristol.
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Jess Denham26 December 2016

Owning this historic landmark in the heart of the West Country could be a tempting prospect, even if it is half the size of a Tube carriage.

The one-up, one-down Round House in Somerset runs to just 258sq ft and sits on a small triangular island flanked by two roads between the villages of Chew Magna and Pensford.

A local landmark, the Grade II-listed former toll house is brimming with character, from its thatched roof, brick porch and arched door, to the leaded, Gothic-style windows and charming wooden beams.

Its hexagonal layout will appeal to anyone looking for an unusual home in peaceful surroundings with spectacular views over the countryside.

A converted toll house: now a one-bedroom home, the toll house was once lived in by families who would collect toll money as travellers passed by

The ground-floor kitchen has space for a small dining table, there is under-stairs storage, while the upstairs bedroom is big enough for a double bed and has high ceilings. The feature fireplace is a highlight.

Offers over £110,000 are being considered, with first-time buyers and holiday-let investors showing interest since it went on the market at the beginning of December.

The Round House was built by the West Harptree Turnpike Trust in the late 18th century and was lived in by a family of toll collectors - a pouch for carriage drivers to pay the road toll hung from the hook which survives at the front door. The current owner has been renting it out for the last 16 years but no longer lives nearby, so is keen for someone else to take it on.

The property has been well-maintained, although the small shower room and WC needs modernising. The house has mains water and electricity, with private drainage and electric-fired central heating.

The house is part of the village of Stanton Drew, famous for its ancient stone circles, including one 370ft in diameter, the second largest in Britain after the one in nearby Avebury.

London commuters can catch direct trains to Paddington from Bristol, which is just eight miles away, and Bath, 13 miles away, with services taking one hour and 45 minutes and an hour and a half, respectively.

The Round House in Stanton Drew is for sale through Killens for offers over £110,000