Llanwarne

The Grand Tour

Positioned on a quiet country lane at the edge of the village, the house is tucked away from view on a private driveway with a generous provision of off-street parking. There are four entrance points to the house: through the porticoed front porch or via the verdant gardens which lie to one side.

A mature rose climbs the handsome, softly coloured stone façade, where a timber-framed glass door leads into the primary living space. This is a warm and welcoming room arranged in a predominantly open-plan, with a large log burner set to one side, solid oak flooring underfoot and thick oak beams overhead. The ground floor has a natural and easy flow, with the dining room and kitchen adjoining the living room at opposite ends.

The dining room is a beautifully proportioned space with olive green-coloured walls, original decorative floor tiles and a log-burning stove. The kitchen has limewashed walls coupled with terracotta floor tiles and appliances neatly built into bespoke cabinetry, which is topped with solid oak worktops. A utility space and shower room are also positioned at ground-floor level and conveniently linked to both the kitchen and the outside courtyard.

An open-tread timber staircase leads up to the three first floor bedrooms, each decorated in warm, subtle hues, with the soft lighting creating a calm aesthetic. One of the bedrooms is currently organised as a home office/study but could easily convert to an additional bedroom. The family bathroom has been beautifully finished, with a roll-top bath and a deep-set window framing views onto the surrounding conifers.

The renovation of the adjacent barn has successfully retained its scale and volume, with double-height pitched ceilings intersected by thick oak beams. A modern kitchen spans one end of the living space, with the sleeping area positioned on the mezzanine above. The living room is cosy and welcoming, with a log burner providing a natural centrepiece. Expansive skylights run the length of the roofline, inviting an excellent quality of natural light by day and framing star-studded skies at night.

The Great Outdoors

The Barn has its own garden and gate making it completely private from the main house, accessed via a pair of timber-framed glass doors from the living space to a private shingle courtyard, with attractive borders of tall grasses and wavering violet verbena.

The expansive cottage gardens to the side of the main house have been lovingly developed over many years and are awash with herbaceous borders and flowering beds chock-full of hardy perennials, which create seasonal interest and bursts of colour. Black-stained timber sheds provide outside storage space and there are several raised beds for growing vegetables. The numerous acers, laurels and a large walnut tree attract local woodpeckers, robins and goldfinches.

Out and About

Around 30 houses form Llanwarne settlement, with a ruined church known locally as ‘Mini Tintern’ at its centre. The New Inn, a traditional pub serving food, is reachable in around 10 minutes by car. For daily amenities, St Weonards Post Office and Store or Carrot & Wine are just over five minutes drive away. Pengtheley Farm Shop, which sells local farm produce, bread, organic cheese and homemade pies, is around 10 minutes by car. Baileys home store and the reclamation yard Warehouse 701 are also a short drive from the house.

For a broader selection, the market town of Ross-on-Wye is around a 20-minute drive away. Perched dramatically above the River Wye, Ross is the southern gateway to Herefordshire, the Wye Valley, the Forest of Dean and the dramatic Symonds Yat. St Mary’s Church spire has shaped the skyline of Ross-On-Wye for over 700 years and the town has become renowned for its independent shops, cafés and restaurants.

The independent food scene in the area has long been gaining traction, with annual festivals at neighbouring Abergavenny, Ludlow and Hereford. Hay-on-Wye is around 45 minutes’ drive away, via a particularly picturesque route along the Llanthony Road through the Brecon Beacons. Host to a renowned literature festival, Hay has over 30 bookstores, many specialising in out of print or hard to locate titles. There are also two Norman castles in Hay, numerous traditional pubs and many walking routes through the surrounding countryside and along the stream that runs through the town centre.

Rail connections are good, with direct lines from Hereford to London Paddington in around three hours and 20 minutes; Bristol in just under two hours and Cardiff in approximately 65 minutes.