Oaklands Cottage
This characterful six-bedroom home presents an ideal opportunity for multi-generational living, plus the ability to run a business from home; there is a detached studio with an expansive workshop and storeroom, as well as a two-storey garage with a vast parking area, complete with two sets of five-bar gates.
The home and its grounds sit within a plot which was once a plant nursery, therefore the manicured garden boasts a delightful variety of mature trees, shrubs and flowers.
Location
Lower Eggleton is a hamlet equidistant between the cathedral city of Hereford and the market town of Ledbury, both of which offer a good range of shopping facilities, dining and leisure pursuits. While both give a range of reputable schools, Hereford boasts private schooling options for boys and girls aged 3-18.
The home is a short drive (three miles) from a highly sought-after primary academy in the nearby village of Ashperton, and this has attained a 'Good' Ofsted result, with 'Oustanding' outcomes within the 'Behaviour and Attitudes' and 'Personal Development' categories. Just over one mile from the home, there is a privately owned nursery - The Townsend Nursery in Stretton Grandison - which boasts a coveted "Outstanding" Ofsted result.
The home at a glance
The enclosed front garden sets a sublime introductory scene - a manicured level lawn is bordered by a vibrant variety of herbaceous perennials, a large patio gives a fantastic opportunity for an outdoor living space and a clematis climbs up the front of the house, further adding to its beauty.
The front door, sheltered beneath a canopied porch, leads through into an attractive reception hall which features a natural stone wall, plus exposed timbering and beams - giving visitors their first taste of the home's quintessential cottage charm.
A door on the left-hand side leads into a kitchen. This chic space carries shaker-style base units with solid oak worktops, a wealth of bespoke built-in shelving across one side of the room, an integrated dishwasher, a fan oven, an induction hob with William Morris splashback tiling, a Belfast sink, a central island featuring a wine rack and additional storage, plus space for a fridge/freezer. Plenty of light cascades into the dual-aspect room through crooked windows - both of which display the well-established plants within the front and side gardens.
Another striking space is in this portion of the home; a triple-aspect open sitting room and formal dining room. Exposed timber beams act as partitions between the two zones, each of which has its own distinct character; the dining area features a flagstone floor, exposed timbering and a door leading outside. Meanwhile, the sitting room offers an inglenook fireplace as its principal focal point, and this houses a woodburning stove - a staple of country life. There are two alcoves on either side of the fireplace, one gives a neat cubby to store logs and the other offers a bijou space to display pictures or pretty trinkets. The sitting room also includes exposed beams, and crooked windows which exhibit pleasing views over the lovely garden.
Also within this area of the home, there is a former cloakroom which now accommodates the boiler, which was fitted in January 2024.
A staircase in the reception hall splits the first floor into two wings. The left-hand fork leads to a galleried landing. The first door opens into the elegant family bathroom. An on-trend decorative tile floor is a particularly handsome feature, and there is a slipper bath with shower attachment, a walk-in dual-headed shower, a countertop vanity unit with an illuminated mirror, a WC and a heated towel rail.
Next door, there is a double bedroom, complete with a wooden floor. Crooked windows to two aspects let sunlight pour into the space and exhibit the variety of colourful leaves outside.
A hallway winds around to the left and offers a couple of storage cupboards. There are also two further bedrooms positioned within this wing, both of which feature quirky pitched ceilings, crooked windows and built-in storage. Of these, the largest also features exposed timbering, and the smaller, while presently utilised as a dressing room, could be adapted into an office, snug or playroom.
The right-hand split in the staircase could serve as an ideal guest suite. It includes two further bedrooms, the smaller of which has been adopted into a study, and the larger is a beautifully bright, triple-aspect space, complete with built-in wardrobes across one side. A hallway runs between the two bedrooms, and this also gives access to a bathroom which contains a four-piece suite. It is also worth noting that a large built-in cupboard, with farmhouse-style doors, runs along the left-hand side.
Back on the ground floor, a door to the left-hand side of the staircase opens into an area of the home that can serve as a single-level annexe. This door opens into a formal dining room - but this area of the home also has a separate external access, through a stable door in its kitchen. This kitchen has bespoke built-in shelving, base-level shaker-style units, granite worktops, a Stoves cooker with an induction hob and space for an American-style fridge/freezer. This annexe offers a perfect layout for older or less mobile family members, as there is a wetroom positioned next door to a capacious bedroom, which carries plenty of built-in wardrobes. There is also a substantial sitting room and its principal focal point is a woodburning stove on a slate hearth. A set of French doors at the far end lead into a conservatory, which exhibits wrap-around views of the vibrant garden.
The great outdoors
The garden is split into several distinct zones. Around the side of the home, there is a fishpond with a water feature that emits a tranquil bubbling sound. At the rear of the home, there is an enclosed sun trap complete with an open summerhouse with electricity, a pergola-covered patio and an artificial lawn. Further along, there is an extensive kitchen garden which includes a greenhouse, five raised beds and a copse of apple trees.
In terms of parking, there is a large two-storey garage with electricity and a wood-burning stove. There is also a broad gravel driveway, giving a large enough space to park several vehicles alongside a motorhome if required. Five-bar gates are installed at two points, giving additional security and peace of mind.
Like the garage, the detached L-shaped workshop boasts a wood-burning stove, plus vaulted ceilings with exposed beams and roof trusses. This space gives a perfect opportunity to run a home business and is split into two working areas.
General
Services
Oil central heating (new boiler fitted in January 2024). Mains water and electricity. Septic tank + soakaway. Telephone line and broadband.
Local Authority
Herefordshire council. Council Tax: Band G
Tenure
Freehold
Directions
From Ross-on-Wye, travel to the Traveller's Rest roundabout and take the first exit to the A449 towards Ledbury. Stay on this road for just shy of eight miles. Upon reaching the roundabout, take the first exit onto the A4172 and keep to this road, passing through Little Marcle, Pixley, Trumpet, Ashperton and Stretton Grandison. Then, when you spot a set of traffic lights before a petrol station, carry straight on then take the first left into The Oaklands. Oaklands Cottage is the first home you see on the right-hand side.
What3Words: encourage.bless.flaked
Ledbury 9 miles • Hereford 9 miles • Ross-on-Wye 17 miles • Worcester 18 miles • Tewkesbury 22 miles • Gloucester 24 miles • (All distances are approximate)
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