On the edge of the beautiful Forest of Dean, conveniently positioned both for commuting and for travelling to equestrian events across the country, this charming, extended country cottage in 3.36 acres is an appealing proposition for horse owners.

The vendors were drawn to the 4-bedroom property, in the hamlet of Stroat, near Chepstow, by the size of the plot and the roomy and flexible accommodation. Having bought it 20 years ago, they have gone on to install a wooden stable block for 3 to 4 horses, an all-weather floodlight manège and a four-bay horse walker.

"Being able to have our horses in our back garden' has made life a lot easier. Because we have our own floodlight manège, we could come home from work, have a cup of tea and then school the horses. We competed at national level and this is very well located for an equestrian property, with immediate access to the A48 for the horse lorry."

The plot and the adaptable accommodation, suitable for home working and/or multi-generational living, have potential for a variety of alternative uses, with particular appeal for those who revel in outdoor space. The property is situated in a popular area close to the renowned Forest of Dean, one of the oldest surviving ancient woodlands in England, with more than 42 square miles of mixed woodland. The Forest provides a wealth of walking, biking, riding and other opportunities for the outdoor enthusiast. Yet with all this on the doorstep, the property is only three miles from the market town of Chepstow, with Bristol, Newport, Cardiff, Cheltenham and Gloucester a commutable distance away. Bristol Airport is around 31 miles away and Bristol Parkway, from where there are regular trains to London Paddington, is about 17 miles distant.

Step inside:- - The original stone-built cottage is thought to date from the early nineteenth century and it was extended with a single storey addition and a large conservatory in the early 1990s. The current owners have modernised the kitchen, family bathroom and shower rooms and the property has potential to be further upgraded to suit a purchaser's needs and tastes. There is practical laminate flooring throughout much of the ground floor.

The accommodation in the older part of the property, at the front of the house, has a cottagey character. The central front door opens into a room that is currently used as an office, with stairs leading to the first floor, a dining room off to one side, a lounge to the other side and a hallway leading into the modern extension. The dining room has an exposed stone wall and a pretty, painted ledge and brace door leading through to the large farmhouse-style kitchen/breakfast room. This has hand-made units including a double larder cupboard. There is a propane gas five burner range with an extractor fan over and there is an integrated dishwasher. The kitchen area is divided from the spacious breakfast area by a wall incorporating an inbuilt rustic-style wine rack made of terracotta pipes.

A door from the kitchen leads to the utility room which has fitted cupboards, a sink unit, plumbing for an automatic washing machine and a door to the garden.

Off the inner hallway there is a single bedroom, currently used as an office. There is also a WC. The hallway leads through to a large conservatory which overlooks the lawns and rose border at the side of the house and is currently used as a home gym and for a hot tub.

At the back of the house is a living room which has French doors opening to the garden and to a sun patio. "This is my favourite room. It is a quiet, pleasant room from which I can look out into the garden and I always have my guide to birdlife handy because we get quite a lot of birds."

From the living room, a door opens to another inner hallway which leads to the principle bedroom suite. The light and airy bedroom has a window overlooking the back garden and another to the side. Adjacent is a modern shower room with a corner shower.

Upstairs, in the original part of the property, there are two delightful double bedrooms, with windows giving views over the front garden to the Severn Estuary. The larger of the bedrooms has built-in wardrobes and an ensuite shower room. Also on this floor is a modern family bathroom with a corner bath with a shower over.

Outside - A driveway leads round to the back of the house, where there is parking for several cars in front of a detached double garage, to the side of which there is also a carport. In the parking area, near the conservatory, there is an electric car charging point. At the front of the house, a gravel path leads across the lawns to the entrance door.

The plot is screened from the road by mature, stock proof hedging which provides privacy. The established gardens, which are dog secure, include lawns, rose borders, flower beds, an old well and an orchard with plum, greengage and apple trees. "In the field there are also a large number of cherry trees which produce a proliferation of fruit".

A patio at the back of the house, accessed along a path from the living room, gets the evening sun and makes a lovely place for al fresco dining.

There is also a vegetable patch, a greenhouse and a garden shed. "I love the huge garden. Now I have given up work I enjoy growing my own vegetables."

On the roof of the extension there are solar hot water collectors which contribute to the domestic hot water requirements.

The well-planned equestrian facilities comprise a wooden stable block, incorporating three stables and a tack room (which could be used as a fourth stable) around a stable yard (we are advised by the vendors that the stable block roof has been replaced - May 2023). There is a separate metal shed used as a feed room. The all-weather floodlight manège measures 40 metres by 20 metres and there is a four-bay horse walker. The stock-proof paddock comprises one large area, currently arranged to provide a small paddock for the vendors' Shetland ponies and two larger paddocks for their horses.

Viewings

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