08 August 2022

Two interesting houses in
Comberford are on the market

The gate lodge at the entrance to Comberford Hall is currently on the market (Photograph: Hunters, Tamworth)

Patrick Comerford

Two interesting houses close to Comberford village, between Lichfield and Tamworth in Staffordshire, are currently on the market for sale through local estate agents. The Lodge at the entrance to Comberford Hall and Waterloo Cottage on Elford Road are in Wigginton and Hopwas civil parish in Lichfield District, about two or three miles north of Tamworth and about five miles east of Lichfield.

The Lodge on Hallfields Drive at the entrance to Comberford Hall is a three- or four-bedroom detached bungalow on sale through Hunters of Tamworth, 6 Victoria Road, Tamworth, B79 7HL (Telephone: 01827 66277), with an asking price of £450,000.

The Lodge is situated at the entrance to Comberford Hall, with views across open fields. It is described by the agents as ‘detached character property’ that is ‘packed with charm and character, spacious throughout and offers an abundance of internal space.’

The house on the former grounds of Comberford Hall is being sold freehold.

This bungalow includes: entrance hall, living room, kitchen, sitting room, three bedrooms, study or fourth bedroom, conservatory, cloakroom and a family bathroom. To the front is a detached garage and driveway and there is a delightful enclosed garden to the rear.

Waterloo Cottage in Comberford is surrounded by open farmland (Photograph: Henley Charles, Handsworth)

Waterloo Cottage on the east side of Elford Road, is surrounded by open farmland. It stands on the opposite side of the road and north of the entrance to Comberford Hall and just south of Tollgate Lane and the entrance to Comberford village.

This freehold detached house is an impressive country residence and dates from ca 1815, the year of the Battle of Waterloo, which gives the house its name. It is being sold through Henley Charles estate agents of Birmingham, with an asking price of £895,000.

The house stands on almost an acre of gardens and grounds close to Comberford Village just outside of Tamworth and surrounded by open farmland. There are gardens on three sides of the house, with mature gardens, rolling lawns, a south facing raised paved terrace, an ornamental pond, and views and direct access to the surrounding farmland.

This accommodation provides nearly 3,000 square feet. Inside, the house offers the charm of a period property. There is a reception hall on the ground floor and three reception rooms: a formal drawing room with open fireplace, sitting room with Inglenook fireplace and a lounge with log burner. The farmhouse-style kitchen has a dining area, and there is a separate utility room and guest WC. The home office study has separate access to the gardens.

On the first floor, the gallery landing leads to access to five bedrooms, all with fitted wardrobes, two bathrooms and a storage cupboard.

In addition to the main house, a detached one bedroom and bathroom annex could be used as a home office or gym. A brick outbuilding provides storage for machinery and pond equipment.

Comberford and the Tame River corridor have been described as ‘something of a biological hotspot’ (Photograph: Patrick Comerford; click on image for full-screen view)

Naturally, I have long been interested in the historical, archaeological and architectural heritage of Comberford. But some years ago, a biodiversity audit of the Tame and Trent River Valleys in Staffordshire by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, based at the Wolseley Centre, also described the part of the Tame River corridor at Comberford as ‘something of a biological hotspot.’

It referred in particular to Manor Farm, with its damp riverside pasture with a large oxbow lake and a pond that is graded a Biodiversity Alert Site. Great crested newt, grass snake, water vole and otter have all been recorded there and there are anecdotal reports of white-clawed crayfish from the River Tame at the Comberford Brook confluence.

Manor Farm is part of the Entry Level Scheme (ELS) and Sheepwash Farm is part of a Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS).

The report’s recommendations included creating a river island using living willow branches from the Manor Farm landholding, and undertaking surveys and monitoring for crayfish, water vole, GCN, otter, grass snake and barn owl.

Referring to the living large woody debris at Comberford the report said the landowner was happy to leave the tree in position and to monitor this feature that provides additional habitat for fish, invertebrate species such as crayfish, and otters. In addition, a pond at Comberford known as ‘The Gravel Pit’ had been stocked with coarse fish.

The recommendations for Comberford in the biodiversity audit of the Tame and Trent River Valleys in Staffordshire by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, based at the Wolseley Centre, which describes the part of the Tame River corridor at Comberford as ‘something of a biological hotspot’

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