House For Sale £475,000
A Charming Character Stone Built Detached Property Originating in the 1720s as a Drovers’ Rest with detached workshop and private gardens with summerhouse, all situated in the Arrow Valley.
Porch – Entrance Hall – Sitting Room/Dining Room – Snug – Kitchen – Utility Room – Downstairs WC – Breakfast Room/Games Room – Boot Room – Cellar – 4 Double Bedrooms – Family Bathroom – 3 Attic Rooms – Extensive Gardens of approximately 0.4 acres – Workshop with Electrics – Summerhouse – Greenhouse – No Onward Chain
This detached character stone property is nestled in the hamlet of Penrhos, a short distance to the west of Lyonshall, in The Marches. Penrhos is home to the famous Penrhos Spirits Distillery, The Cattle Shed and The Python Arms at Penrhos Court and the site of the Kington Horse Show & Agricultural Society, all within a short walk of the property. The medieval market town of Kington lies 1 mile to the west and offers a good range of facilities, including a primary school and combined secondary school, chemist, medical practice, and farm supplies. In the Arrow Valley and in the shadow of Hergest Ridge, the town has several art galleries, pubs, cafés, delicatessen, and the UK’s only traditional clog maker. The town is a hiker’s dream with Offa’s Dyke Path, Mortimer Trail and the Black & White Villages Trail passing through the town as well as an annual walking festival. Hergest Croft Gardens is nearby and the highest 18-hole golf course in England with magnificent views across the countryside is just north of the town on Bradnor Hill.
The Property
Porch – The newly-built solid oak porch and wide door welcome you into the hallway revealing the heart of the home. Constructed of traditional green oak, the frame has built-in seating for evenings basking in the setting sun and overlooking the hills of Hergest Ridge, ancient woodland and agricultural landscapes beyond.
Hallway – The hub of the home, the hallway brings you to the sitting room, snug and the kitchen and family living space ahead. There is also a door to the cellar, which is currently unconverted and used as storage.
Cellar – The cellar is accessed from the hallway down some steep stone steps. The cellar was originally used to store cider barrels when it was a drovers’ rest and the drainage gullies are still visible in the original stone floor.
Sitting Room/Dining Room – An enormous and stunning reception room. At almost 25ft (7.5m) wide, this magnificent sitting room and dining room has been newly decorated creating the most amazing of family living spaces. There is an old stone fireplace and Charnwood wood burning stove within a carved wooden mantel. Thick stone walls create deep set, panelled windows with double glazing and a wide door that opens directly to the garden. The deep-set windows allow in plenty of light, while the traditional beam that runs the length of the room is a reminder of the character of the property.
Snug – Opposite the sitting room and accessed from the hallway, the snug is the perfect quiet second living space, ideal for family living. The Morsø log burning stove and half-panelled walls create the perfect reading nook on a winter’s evening or T.V. room away from the buzz of the main space. This room has enormous character and is an inviting retreat.
Kitchen – Accessed from both the hallway and the sitting room, the kitchen is a bright wide space with plenty of storage and cooking options. The shaker style cream base units and wooded worktop are perfectly in keeping with this character property, as is the oil-fired Rayburn that sits its own fireplace. There is also a gas 6-ring hob and electric oven for cooking in all seasons. The double ceramic sink and deep windows provide a space that is both practical and inviting.
Utility Room – Up two steps from the kitchen are the wonderful utility room and WC. This room features pantry shelving, a single ceramic sink and matching shaker base units. The pantry area could be further utilised to house a downstairs shower. An imaginatively reclaimed church pew has been hung upside down to create further shelving whilst adding to the character of this property. There is ample work surface space, as well as storage and shelving; a perfect area for baking whilst keeping the kitchen clear and functional.
Downstairs WC – Features a pedestal basin, WC and half-panelled walls creating a useful bookshelf to complete this stylish lavatory.
Boot Room – A recent addition to the property, a green oak framed storm porch with sloping cedar shingle tiled roof, works perfectly as a cloakroom and boot room with storage bench and coat hooks. The character of the property is immediately apparent as you enter this porch through the stable door and are faced with the original stone wall, now limewashed, and featuring the original wall tie pattress plate. Long deep steps lead down to the heavy wooden door and into the kitchen.
Breakfast Room/Games Room – Through a door with two portholes (lower porthole for the cat!) lies the light and bright breakfast room or games room. Currently used as a games room and bar, this extension has direct access to the driveway and dual aspect windows overlooking the gardens. This room also cleverly houses the oil boiler (not currently used) and the washing machine and tumble dryer in a built-in cupboard unit. This space, while currently working perfectly as a sociable bar area, would lend itself equally to an informal breakfast room or playroom, handily situated just off the kitchen.
Landing – The stairway boasts an elegant balustrade and a half-landing with a small window, as well as the access door to the attic and 3 of the Double Bedrooms, the 4th Bedroom and the Family Bathroom are down the long hallway.
Bedroom 1 – Accessed up a few steps from the landing, lies the largest of the 4 Double Bedrooms. With a second door at the end of the corridor, next to the family bathroom, this room offers views over Bradnor Hill. One end of the bedroom is currently utilised as a dressing area where the beams create a natural zoning of the space.
Bedroom 2 – A further well-proportioned double bedroom, with double glazing and deep sill windows looking out across the nearby farmland. There is a small built-in cupboard and plenty of space for a freestanding wardrobe and chest of drawers.
Bedroom 3 – Similar in proportion to Bedroom 2, this double bedroom with views to the front of the property, is light and bright and could easily house a large wardrobe. The deep-set windows are all double glazed and have deep sills and panelling adding to the character.
Bedrooms 4 – At the end of the long corridor lies the fourth bedroom, also with views over the front of the property and double glazing. Although this is the smallest of the four bedrooms, due to privacy at the end of the corridor and proximity to the bathroom, this is currently used as the master.
Family Bathroom – Accessed up a few steps is the family bathroom with corner electric shower, pedestal sink, WC, and full-sized bath. There is a built-in linen cupboard and a window with views down the length of the garden.
Attic Rooms – Accessed off the landing are the stairs to the three attic spaces with skylight window in the central space and doors accessing rooms at either end, one with a small square window out to the garden, allowing light in a good-sized storage space. This space totals over 43sq meters of storage space but could easily be converted into living space or further bedrooms subject to approval. In its current condition, it still makes an ideal games room or playroom and has ambitions to home a trainset or Scalextric set.
Outside
The property which, in all, extends to approximately 0.4 acres, is approached by a gravel driveway, which benefits from a parking area suitable for several vehicles, a workshop, and tiered gardens that wrap around the entire property.
The gardens at the front are accessed through a wooden carved gate with Gaelic cross and contain mostly floral and herbaceous plants around a gravel area neatly fenced in with iron railings. The main gardens to the rear and side are situated up a line of sleeper steps. The first section of several tiered levels houses a large table and benches, perfect for enjoying a meal whilst enjoying the beautiful countryside surroundings. Behind that is the flat expanse of lawn edged with box hedging and, under an old apple tree, the summerhouse sits in a perfectly elevated but private position. Around the first ancient yew tree is a garden pond area with beautiful floral, shrub, and tree borders. The gardens wind their way under another yew tree to reveal the lower end of the 0.4-acre gardens and uncover the shed, greenhouse, and composting areas, perfect for the budding gardener. The magnificent gardens have an exceptional range of well stocked borders and trees attracting an abundance of wildlife.
The large double garage/workshop (5.47m x 5.03m) is currently split into two sections, front to back, and benefits from lighting, power, and useful work units. The pretty front with climbing rose and triple doors also has two symmetrical small windows and, stretching down the length of the workshop, a line of reclaimed windows allowing the light to spill in. With a footprint of over 25sq meters, there are obvious possibilities to convert to an annexe or holiday let for hikers (STP).
Practicalities
Herefordshire Council Tax Band ‘E’
Mains Water, Mains Electricity, Oil Supplied Rayburn
Fully Double Glazed
Private Drainage
Ultrafast Full Fibre Available
Directions
From Hereford, take the A438 towards Brecon, after approximately 13 miles, at the Brecon and Hay-on-Wye turn, continue straight on to the A4111 towards Kington. At the Kington Roundabout take the 3rd exit on to the A44 towards Pembridge and Lyonshall. Continue for about 1 mile and the property can be found on the left-hand side.
What3Words: ///jumbled.received.graph
Council Tax Band: E
Tenure: Freehold
