4 bedroom detached house for sale

In a beautiful, tranquil location in the Lower Wye Valley, this imaginatively refurbished and restyled country cottage combines rustic charm, contemporary chic and modern-day practicality.

The charming property nestles into the hillside at the end of a no-through road, where it is surrounded by fields and woodland. The vendors say they were drawn to it by the wonderful views from the front of the house, the privacy and the feeling of open space and nature. They add: "It would be hard to replicate this location, overlooking the Wye Valley, with the trees and their wonderful changing colours throughout the seasons."

The cottage sits in a plot of 0.88 acres and its terraced gardens have been thoughtfully designed to make the most of the entrancing views and natural environment, with plenty of outdoor seating areas. Inside, the property has recently been transformed to provide comfortable, four-bedroom accommodation, which includes a unique and very successful one-bed holiday let. Careful thought has been given to potential future uses, with planning permission in place for a first floor extension to the rear of the property to create a further bedroom with an en-suite (Planning ref: DM/2022/01439, dated 13/12/2022). Alternatively, there could be potential to extend the holiday-let business, subject to planning, by converting a tandem length double garage at the end of the no-through lane and by installing a Shepherds Hut in the grounds to the side of the property.

Folly Cottage is situated in the pretty, historic village of Whitebrook, in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a wonderful location for those who enjoy the outdoors. There are plenty of opportunities for walking, climbing, cycling, canoeing, riding or simply enjoying the scenery and wildlife. There are a number of good pubs and restaurants in the vicinity, including Michelin-starred The Whitebrook.

On the west (Welsh) side of the River Wye, Whitebrook is mid-way between the village of Tintern, with its renowned Cistercian abbey and the market town of Monmouth (each about 6 miles distant.) Monmouth provides a variety of independent shops, restaurants, tea rooms and coffee shops and has a Lidl, a Waitrose and an M&S Food. The town hosts regular markets and a busy programme of events, boasts good leisure and recreation facilities and nearby world-class golf courses.

The cottage is approximately 3.5 miles from Trellech Primary School and Monmouth benefits from well-reputed state schools and the Haberdashers' Monmouth independent boys' and girls' schools. There are further schools in Chepstow, about 11 miles away. From Whitebrook, there is good access to the motorway network, linking to Cardiff, Bristol and the Midlands, making this rural location attractive to commuters.

Step inside:- - The beautifully presented cottage has its origins in the 1800s, with later additions. Whilst it has recently undergone a huge transformation, to make best use of the space and adapt it to contemporary living, a host of lovely, historic features have been maintained and restored. The vendors have used reclaimed and repurposed materials to enhance the cottage's rustic appeal, they have been creative with textures and paint effects and they have introduced a trendy, vintage industrial-style twist, complete with modern, high-end fittings.

"We wanted to create a bespoke, country property, with open-style living. We sought to be sympathetic to the age of the cottage, at the same time introducing modern features."

The front door, set to one side of the property, opens to an entrance hall with a useful utility/boot room off. The hallway features original exposed wall timbers and recently-laid Cotswold Stone floor tiles. These tiles continue throughout the ground floor, except in the sitting room, where the flooring is engineered oak.

The sitting room, in the oldest part of the cottage has a wealth of lovely, original ceiling beams and a traditional stone-built fireplace, with a stone hearth and an oak beam over. The fireplace features a bread oven and houses a Mors woodburning stove. To one side of the fireplace, the vendors have uncovered the old stone steps which lead up to the first floor principal bedroom. "They were a nice little discovery having previously been hidden by a false cupboard."

The sitting room, with two windows and a door to the front of the house, is comfortable and full of character. "It's my favourite room it feels very different from the rest of the house it's a place to hide away and be cosy."

In contrast to the sitting room, the wonderful kitchen/diner, adjacent, has a more contemporary, open plan feel. The kitchen is accessed from the hallway through stunning part-glazed doors, which the vendors discovered in a reclamation yard and restored and reglazed. The bespoke kitchen units have been cleverly created from an assortment of reclaimed furniture, painted in Farrow and Ball Old White and with quartz work surfaces. The central island, a repurposed industrial item, incorporates a hob with an extractor over, an oven and a dishwasher. The stylish sink unit is made from an old Danish baker's workbench and incorporates a double, stainless steel sink. A large wooden dresser has also been repurposed as part of the kitchen and there is a two-oven Aga which runs on LPG.

The kitchen features an attractive, working open fireplace, to one side of which there is a recess for a large, upright fridge/freezer (to check included in sale). To the other side is a larder cupboard with a door with a porthole in it.

The room includes plenty of space for a dining table and the kitchen/diner is flooded with light from four windows, two to the front and two overlooking the gardens to the side of the cottage. We love the natural view from the large bay window to the side of the house, over the grass bank and the greenery and the rhododendrons and shrubs, say the vendors, adding that there is planning permission to enclose this area with a post and rail fence to create a family-friendly side garden, if required.

From the kitchen/diner, French doors open to a paved patio which runs along the front of the cottage, taking full advantage of the views and providing generous space for indoor/outdoor living and entertaining.

Back along the hallway from the kitchen there is a ground-floor double bedroom, with an exposed ceiling beam and two windows with window seats overlooking the front of the property.

On the opposite side of the hallway, double ledge and brace doors open to a WC with attractive heritage wall tiles and a washstand made from a repurposed dresser base with a circular stone sink on top.

The cottage benefits from underfloor heating through the ground floor of the property laid on cotswold stone and able to be controlled via a mobile phone app.

From the family bathroom there is a concealed service door to the strikingly presented lettings annexe, which comprises a trendy, industrial-style double bedroom with a space-saving wall bed. The bedroom walls are clad with repurposed timbers from an old gym and the floor boards are also reclaimed. The ensuite is a unique mix of heritage wall tiles, reclaimed wood and galvanised corrugated metal sheets (used for the wall covering) and there is a vintage reclaimed cupboard with a stylish round stone sink atop. There is a large walk-in shower with an electric power shower. The annexe benefits from electric heating run independently from the main house, where the downstairs underfloor heating and upstairs radiators are run by a newly installed LPG boiler.

The annexe bedroom has French doors to a private, paved courtyard from which there is a boardwalk leading to a small, detached stone barn. This has been imaginatively converted into a compact kitchen/dining/living space dedicated to the annexe. The green Elfin mini-kitchen, made from stainless steel, includes a dishwasher, sink, microwave, fridge and induction hob. The room is warmed by electric underfloor heating and a small wood burning stove. Glazed doors open to a decked area which enjoys the incredible views and steps lead down to the no through road, providing a private access for guests. The holiday let also has dedicated use of a decked area higher up the garden, from which there are also fantastic views and where there is a wood fired hot bath.

The holiday let has operated as a successful Airbnb since February 2023, generating useful additional income.

Outside - Folly Cottage is approached up a flight of steps from the no-through road. The steps lead up from the side of an oversized double garage with an electric roller door, designed to accommodate a 4x4. There is a further tandem length double garage situated further up the road, currently used as a workshop.

The cottage sits in a terraced plot of 0.88 acres. The enchanting gardens have a natural feel, with plenty of mature shrubs and spring bulbs. There is a large wildlife pond bordered by soft planting and there is a beautiful bank of wildflowers along the front of the property. There are several seating areas to enjoy the breathtaking views across the valley. These include the paved patio which opens from the kitchen and a porcelain-tiled veranda above the double garage, festooned by a flourishing wisteria.

A further feature of the garden is an old mill stone, thought to be a relic from the period when, in the mid 1700's, paper mills were the main industry in the area.

The gardens have a dog-secure area and the property is surrounded by wonderful dog walks, with the Wye Valley Walk long distance footpath close by.

Viewings

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