Rose Cottage, in Roud, boasts picture-perfect beauty and even has a swimming pool. Picture by Jennifer Burton.
HOMEFILE
Location...Roud, near Godshill
Bedrooms...Three in cottage, one in annexe
Price...£595,000
Agent...Laurie Calloway
Tel:...01983 866776
IT HAS a thatched roof and roses around the front door but a pretty cottage in a sleepy Island hamlet is a whole lot more than just a classic chocolate box beauty.
Charming Rose Cottage, dating from the 1700s and amid lovely countryside in Roud, comes with a converted forge and around two acres of gorgeous grounds, which are nothing short of a slice of rural paradise.
Stretching way back behind the cottage, they encompass secluded beautifully kept sweeping lawns, well-planted shrub beds, mature trees, a swimming pool and a delightful pond overlooked by a small, fairytale-style summer house.
Nicknamed the gingerbread house because of its diamond leaded-light windows and pitched tiled roof, with decorative bargeboards, it is on two levels and perfect for older children’s sleepovers.
An idyllic place to grow up in, the property has another feature that will enchant youngsters —'secret’ paths through trees bordering one side of the grounds.
Horse lovers are not left out as there is a stable building with electricity supply next to one of two gravelled parking areas at Rose Cottage.
Beyond is a paddock with the eastern Yar running along one border and a small, enclosed garden next to the parking area provides a safe play area for children.
In the delightful little garden, with brick-paved path fronting the cottage, is a well, which always has water in it and is used to keep shrubs and flowers flourishing.
The glorious grounds attract a variety of wildlife, including moorhens nesting in foliage around the pond, which is fringed by gunnera, yellow and purple flag iris and other plants.
A raised deck fronting the summer house is ideal for watching the wildlife and for open-air barbecues using a nearby fire-pit.
Dubbed Rosebud Cottage, the former forge was converted 20 years ago into extra space, including a fitted kitchen open to a living area warmed by a Clearview multi-fuel stove, a double bedroom and shower room.
Lovely old ceiling beams and an inglenook fireplace add character in the main cottage’s dining room and sitting room, with a multi-fuel stove in the sitting room.
An old beam above the dining room’s fireplace is inscribed with the date 1771 and name of a former owner William Fleming.
The kitchen is an airy, well-appointed space with an inset log-burning stove, a wide range of soft creamy-yellow units, including an island with seating, a Rangemaster cooker and extractor and a fitted dishwasher and washing machine.
Neutral tiled flooring extends from here into the breakfast room with French doors to the garden and a WC off.
Upstairs are two charming double bedrooms with countryside and downland views, a single bedroom, a shower room and attic access.
Enjoying plenty of privacy, the 24ft by 12ft swimming pool has a deep-plunge end, a paved surround and a poolhouse with changing area, store and equipment.
Outbuildings include a wood store/workshop.
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