THE COTTAGE
GILLINGHAM, FOREST DEER, DORSET SP8 5QL
Property details
Tenure
FREEHOLD
Floor area
147 m²
Council tax band
TBC
EPC rating
F
Year built
England and Wales: before 1900
Last sold
£345,000 Nov 2023
Price per m²
£2,687/m²
Local average
£429,547 (-8%)
Deprivation
Decile 8 (25,397 of 33,755)
Street crime
0 incidents within 1 mile (Apr 2026)
Key features
- Attractive Detached Property
- Substantial Accommodation
- Four bedrooms
- Garage & Garden
- Far reaching views
- Requires some modernisation
Additional details
- Parking
- Yes
- Garden
- Yes
Description
‘The Cottage’ is a handsome, double fronted, detached that will require some TLC, located just a short distance from both Gillingham and Mere in a rural setting, with far reaching countryside views. The accommodation is spacious and offers scope to further alter and improve where required. The ground floor accommodation currently comprises two reception rooms, both with fireplaces, front aspects and doors to the stairs and kitchen. The sitting room also leads to the main garden via UPVC French doors. To the rear of the property is the kitchen and beyond this a useful utility room. A covered area leads from here to a W/C and the back of the garage. On the first floor are four large double bedrooms and the main bathroom with a sloping ceiling and which is accessed from a half landing.
SITUATION
Forest Deer is a hamlet located between Mere and Motcombe. Mere is a charming and historic town located south of the Wiltshire Downs. The bustling town centre offers a range of excellent local facilities within the vibrant high street, including Co-Op Post Office and hairdressers and doctors surgery. attraction include the Hillbrush visitors centre and restaurant, Mere Down Falconry, Stourhead and King Alfred’s Tower. Gillingham (4 miles) offers further amenities such as an excellent range of shops to include Waitrose and Asda and a mainline railway station serving London Waterloo and the West Country. Mere benefits from close access to the A303 with an easy route to London via the M3.
OUTSIDE
The property sits alongside the road with an attached garage adjacent to the former vegetable garden and greenhouse. To the other side of the property lies the majority of the garden which is predominantly laid to lawn with mature hedges and trees. There are two gates allowing access onto the lane. The property enjoys far reaching views to the front and rear.
COUNCIL TAX
Dorset Council Tax D
EPC: F
SERVICES
Mains water and electricity are connected to the property. An oil fired boiler provides heating and hot water. Drainage is via a septic tank. Note: the septic tank may not comply with all the current regulations.
DIRECTIONS
Post code : SP8 5QL
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Listed by
Shaftesbury
Woolley & Wallis
Reference: 136992053
EPC Rating & Upgrade Cost
Current rating: F
Potential rating: B
Inspection date: 06/12/2016
Expiry date: 05/12/2026
Current heating cost: £1,566/year
Potential heating cost: £657/year
Recommendations
- Cavity wall insulation (1,500)
- 50 mm internal or external wall insulation (14,000)
- Floor insulation (solid floor) (6,000)
- Increase hot water cylinder insulation (30)
- Draughtproof single-glazed windows (120)
- Hot water cylinder thermostat (400)
- Upgrade heating controls (450)
- Replace boiler with new condensing boiler (3,000)
- Solar water heating (6,000)
- Replacement glazing units (1,400)
- Solar photovoltaic panels, 2.5 kWp (8,000)
- Wind turbine (25,000)
Flood risk
Zone: 1
Risk: Low
Job (default Low)
Floorplans
Floorplan
Price history
| Event | Date | Price | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sold | 17/11/2023 (2 years ago) | £345,000 | — |
Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data. Crown copyright.
Sold Comparables
Sold comparables data is not available for this property.
Capital growth trend
Land Registry outcode average: last 12 months vs 5y and 10y ago (from sold prices).
House Price Index (HM Land Registry — official index, not sold-price averages): Dorset. Series: Detached. As of March 2026.
Rental Range
Estimated market rent for Dorset. Low = conservative, Realistic = average, Optimistic = best case.
Based on Local Authority from postcode lookup → Dorset.
Location
Nearby
Nearest stations, universities and amenities (distance from property).
| Type | Name | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Shop | Mere Fish Farm | 1.6 miles |
| Shop | Davies Butcher | 1.7 miles |
| Train station | Gillingham | 2.5 miles |
| Bus stop | Gillingham Station | 2.5 miles |
| Bus stop | Bus Shelter | 3.8 miles |
| Hospital | Wincanton Community Hospital | 7.3 miles |
| Train station | Tisbury | 7.5 miles |
| Hospital | Warminster Community Hospital | 10.1 miles |
Street-level crime
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Total incidents | 0 |
Within 1 mile during Apr 2026. Source: data.police.uk (England & Wales).
Schools nearby
Nearest open schools with Ofsted ratings (England). Closed schools are not shown. Data from Get Information about Schools and Ofsted.
| Name | Type | Distance | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milton-on-Stour Church of England Primary School | Primary | 1.6 miles | Good — 21 Sep 2023 |
| Mere School | Primary | 1.8 miles | Good — 29 Nov 2012 |
| Gillingham School | Secondary | 2.1 miles | Good — 4 Jul 2023 |
| Gillingham Primary School | Primary | 2.2 miles | Requires improvement — 25 Nov 2018 |
| St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School | Primary | 2.6 miles | Good — 9 Nov 2017 |
Rental Comparables
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Rent-driven metrics
Based on Area rent estimate.
- Rent ratio — Monthly rent ÷ purchase price (1% rule). 1%+ = strong, 0.8–1% = okay, <0.8% = weak for cashflow.
- Max investor price — Rent ÷ 0.8%; the price at which rent would be 0.8% of price (Stoke-style target).
- Target investor price — Rent ÷ 1%; the price at which rent would be 1% of price (strong cashflow band).
- Gross yield — Annual rent as % of purchase price (no costs).