Southwell Arms
This four-bedroom country cottage is set within a tranquil village, surrounded by rolling farmland. The home boasts a plethora of classically handsome details - such as exposed beams, vaulted ceilings and attractive fireplaces - yet it also offers all the touches that are desirable for modern life.
Location
The small village of Broad Oak is tucked away in a peaceful corner of south Herefordshire and includes a petrol station-cum-village shop. The neighbouring village of Garway, two miles away, offers an assortment of quality local amenities including a welcoming country pub - The Garway Moon Inn, which dates back to the 18th century and overlooks the Garway Common; a pretty recreation area. The village also includes a primary school, which is rated as 'Good' by Ofsted.
The nearby summit of Garway Hill is a popular walking destination within Herefordshire as the peak offers far-reaching panoramic views of rugged landscapes.
Broad Oak is around a ten-minute drive from the Welsh market town of Monmouth and a 15-minute drive from the English border town of Ross-on-Wye. Both towns offer a variety of supermarkets, shops, independently owned boutiques, restaurants, bars, reputable schools, and leisure facilities, but it is worth noting that Monmouth also includes private schooling options.
In addition, both towns give easy access to the A40 and other major road networks. The cathedral city of Hereford, around 20 minutes away by car, also offers a wider selection of supermarkets, dining and leisure facilities.
The home at a glance
The main entrance into Southwell Arms leads to an enclosed porch, which offers ample space to remove shoes and coats after enjoying the rural surroundings.
This then leads into an expansive south-facing sitting room, which presents a charming first impression as it carries elegant exposed beams, an engineered oak floor, an inset fireplace for a wood-burning stove and a former inglenook fireplace which offers an attractive space to store logs.
An open-plan dining kitchen sits beyond and this bright and airy zone includes a vaulted ceiling, skylights and a set of French doors that lead out to the garden. The kitchen features solid wood shaker units with granite worktops and a central island equipped with pop-out power points. There is a recess for a range cooker, provision for a dishwasher and a sink that sits below a window overlooking the peaceful rear garden. A Travertine tile floor flows through into the generously sized utility room, which gives an alternative entrance into the home. This room includes shaker units matching those within the kitchen, plenty of hanging space for coats, storage space for shoes and boots, and space and plumbing for a washing machine and a tumble dryer, with a pull-out laundry drawer and a pull-out laundry rack. The boiler and fusebox are also both covertly housed within this expanse.
Also on this level of the property, there is a snug and a cloakroom and, at the far end of a hallway, a door opens into the integral garage.
A staircase off the sitting room leads past a timbered wall, up to a hallway on the first floor. A full-height window overlooks the dining kitchen and captures natural light.
This level of the home includes four bedrooms. Of these, the master bears a vaulted ceiling and a timbered wall. It includes built-in hanging and shelving space and benefits from having an en suite shower room with a walk-in shower, a heated mirror with a concealed cupboard, a heated towel rail and a basin - complete with another concealed cupboard underneath.
The other bedrooms all boast elevated views over the village and surrounding countryside. One includes a vaulted ceiling and built-in storage, another features a cast iron feature fireplace, exposed beams and a built-in bookcase, and the third also carries exposed beams.
The family bathroom carries a vaulted ceiling, a bath with a pull-out shower, a walk-in shower, a basin with a concealed cupboard underneath, a WC and a heated towel rail.
The top floor offers two additional attic rooms, both of which have vaulted, beamed ceilings and presently offer a wealth of storage space.
The great outdoors
Outside, the rear garden has been landscaped to take full advantage of the space. A wooden deck near the dining kitchen presents an excellent spot to establish an outdoor lounge or alfresco dining space. This is next to a level lawn, which also includes a raised playhouse with a slide and therefore offers an idyllic area for children to play.
An archway leads through to a raised bed kitchen garden which is complete with a greenhouse and fruit cages. A purpose-built garden room in this zone currently serves as a dual-aspect garden office - It offers a bamboo floor and multiple power points plus a hard-wired broadband connection to the house. There is a heat pump which provides heating and air conditioning.
There are two substantial sheds in this expanse, the largest of which is insulated and has a power supply, and this is used as an exercise studio. The other, equipped with lighting inside and sensor lights outside, is used as storage for gardening equipment.
In terms of parking, in addition to the integral garage, there is a private gravel driveway.
General
Services
Oil boiler with underfloor heating throughout. Fibre broadband to the premises. Mains water and electricity. Private drainage. Telephone line.
Local authority Herefordshire Council. Tax band C.
Tenure Freehold
Distances
Monmouth 6 miles * Ross-on-Wye 8 miles * Hereford 13 miles * Abergavenny 14 miles * Gloucester 26 miles * Cheltenham 34 miles *
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