Applefield

Once a part of historic Appleton Farms, “Applefield”, located on one of Ipswich’s most scenic country roads, has been owned and loved by the same family for 53 years. Stone gateposts flank a gravel driveway to 6.23+ acres of lawns, fenced paddocks, and pastures, and the iconic Colonial-style house sited on a raised plateau with pastoral views over the adjacent 1,000-acre conservation property. The house is configured in an ell-shape resulting from the merger of two 19th century farmhouses that were moved from Appleton Farm to this elevated site in 1901 to serve as a summer home for a member of the Appleton family. The open entrance hall with oversized front door, stunning staircase and fireplace with seating area immediately feels airy and welcoming. With just three very generous principal rooms on the first floor, the home is ideally suited for guests to circulate during the festive annual parties that have been hosted over the years. Well insulated for year-round comfort, the house is full of character with hardwood flooring, spacious kitchen, ornate moldings, wainscoting, built-in window seats and nine wood-burning fireplaces. The house includes a primary bedroom with an ensuite bath and dressing room, three additional bedrooms and three baths, an upstairs study, two partially finished third floor rooms, walk-through attic, an unfinished basement with a workshop, a three-car garage and an attached one-bedroom accessory apartment with separate access off the first-floor mudroom. The property is a private equestrian farm with a 6-stall center-aisle barn with heated tack room and wash stall, a utility building with a two-bay machine shed, a two-bay carriage barn/workshop, a covered truck and horse trailer bay and a small greenhouse, and over three acres of fenced grass pasture. The property offers unrivaled equestrian trail access with direct access to Appleton Farm, and the Essex County Trail Association trail network of miles of bridle trails to Crane Beach, Sagamore Hill reservation, or further to Bradley Palmer Park and Willowdale State Park. It doesn’t get better than this! The bridle trail easement along the western boundary of the property ensures the continued enjoyment of this incredible trail system.