Sapphire Cottage
Nestled in the desirable village of Llangrove, is this bright and airy country home. The capacious three/four-bedroom residence carries three reception rooms, including a contemporary dining kitchen and exhibits far-reaching views across the rolling rural landscape. The exquisite home is encircled by a manicured garden which includes a summerhouse, a variety of fruit trees and a vegetable patch.
Location
Llangrove, an idyllic south Herefordshire village, offers plenty of local amenities including a Church of England primary school, which carries an 'Outstanding' rating from SIAMS and a 'Good' grade from Ofsted. There is also a popular village hall which hosts many different activities and a welcoming church which hosts services every Sunday and is open for visitors during daylight hours. The Royal Arms at the top of Llangrove is a 17th-century pub and this regularly earns rave reviews online for good food, excellent beer and a welcoming atmosphere. The Great Trewen Milk Shed, situated next to the village hall, near the play park, is also worth a special mention. This self-service vending machine provides fresh, gently pasteurised whole milk along with a small range of groceries such as fresh eggs, cakes, butter and cheese.
Even more amenities, including another excellent primary school, a well-stocked village shop and a reputable MOT centre, can be found in the neighbouring village of Whitchurch two miles away.
Llangrove sits equidistance between the historic market towns of Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth, which fringe the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The spectacular setting of Symonds Yat, which is one of the most well-known landscapes within the AONB, is a short drive (around ten minutes) from Llangrove. This location is famed for its phenomenal river scenery, woodland expanses and limestone cliffs. There are several riverside pubs and restaurants which are exceedingly popular with residents and tourists alike - and a wide range of outdoor pursuits; walking, cycling, canoeing and wild swimming, are easily accessible.
Llangrove also boasts excellent transport links. Two miles away, motorists can join the A40; the eastbound road provides a direct route to Gloucester, Cheltenham and the Cotswolds whereas the westbound route heads towards the M4 at Newport, giving access to Cardiff and London. In addition, the M50 motorway begins in Ross-on-Wye nine miles away, giving good access to the M5 - leading to Birmingham to the north and Bristol to the south.
More comprehensive facilities can be found in the surrounding cathedral cities of Hereford, Worcester and Gloucester and the Regency Spa town of Cheltenham.
The home at a glance
This immaculate home is tucked away in a quiet corner of the village behind a set of five-bar gates. The main entrance into the expansive home leads into an elegant reception hall, which sets an attractive scene; there is a chic staircase with a glass balustrade leading to the first floor, which also gives a useful under-the-stairs closed storage area, concealed by pop-out doors.
This spacious property offers three reception rooms, the largest of which is an open-plan space which houses the dining room plus the user-friendly kitchen and includes integrated appliances such as a Neff double oven, a Bosch dishwasher, a fridge/freezer, an induction hob, and an angled extractor fan. Windows to three aspects let plenty of natural light cascade in, and a set of French doors lead out to the garden. The main lounge boasts a feature fireplace and also bears a set of French doors leading to the garden, so this can create a loop, offering an ideal entertaining space for larger-scale get-togethers. The third reception room serves as a more intimate, cosy space and is presently used as a snug-cum-library but could be adopted into a fourth bedroom.
The ground floor of the home also offers a substantial utility room – accessed from the kitchen - and this includes plumbing for a washing machine and tumble dryer, plus a stainless-steel Franke sink. There is also a cloakroom just off the entrance hall which includes a WC and basin.
Upstairs, the three generously sized bedrooms are found, all of which are beautifully light-streamed. The master bedroom contains two dormer windows which frame the magnificent surrounding countryside and exhibit an especially wonderful view of the sunrise each morning. A door leads through into a dressing room which is fitted with mirrors on one side, built-in wardrobes on the other, and additional storage built into the eaves of the property. This leads into a lovely en-suite shower room which features 'his and hers' sinks, a walk-in shower, a WC, and a heated towel rail.
The other two double bedrooms each include a wealth of built-in storage and there is an airing cupboard off the expansive landing. This level of the home also includes an attractive family bathroom which has an Amtico floor, a bath with shower overhead, a vanity unit, a WC, plus brand-new tiling.
The great outdoors
The front of the home captures the morning sun. There is a level lawn, adorned by shrubs, flowers, an olive tree, an apple tree and a pear tree. A little path leads around the home and, on the left-hand side of the house, there is a fruit and vegetable patch complete with raised beds, a fruit cage, a tool store and a small wooden greenhouse.
The rear garden includes a patio, a gently sloped lawn, a sunny wooden deck and a summerhouse, which presents one with a tranquil space to soak in the outstanding panoramic view.
In terms of parking, there is a detached double garage which has electric, remote-controlled up and over doors, plus a paved, gated driveway.
Seller's Insight
Why do we enjoy living at Sapphire Cottage? We have lived here for 17 years. I remember driving here on moving day with a big smile on my face. I was moving to the countryside with a new adventure to come.
Sapphire Cottage was named as it is a "real gem". When the sun shines, the whole house lights up. It is large and bright with plenty of space for a family in the large lounge, kitchen/diner/family room, which has quality appliances and is adjacent to the utility room, and the bedrooms are larger than the average house. But then this isn't an average house. The additions are a roomy study/snug/bedroom and also a dressing room with ample storage for a "clothesaholic". It's also a great party house. The front bedrooms look over toward The Doward and Coppett Hill and we have a good view of the incoming weather.
The garden wraps around the house and we have used each side in a different way. The front is large with many varieties of sun-loving plants such as an olive tree, lavender bush, etc in addition to the roses and fruit trees (apple and pear). There is a large drive on which we have had five cars parked on occasion.
The garden to the left of the house is used as a small fruit and vegetable area with raised beds and a fruit cage. We grow a variety of fresh produce every year. We have also built a small shed and there is a small greenhouse.
Behind the house, there is a raised bed on top of the retaining wall. Here we grow a variety of bushes and plants, and it is lovely to see the bulbs appearing in the spring while we are doing the washing up.
To the right of the house, there is an area we use for entertaining, relaxing or just sitting on the deck, which is a sun trap. In addition, there is a summer house which is lovely to sit in - even during the winter - looking over to Coppett Hill. There are also many larger plants, eg lilac, apple and plum trees.
The double garage is a bonus for those who like to do DIY, but it is also ideal for storage, apart from room for cars or motorbikes. There is power in the garage but also at various points in the garden, ideal for garden tools and our water feature.
The neighbours are quiet but friendly and ready to help if needed. The village is a great place to live, the school is highly rated and there are more children at the school from out of the village than there are who attend from the village. The village hall is used by many clubs and events, e.g. scouts, cubs, gardening society, WI, annual pantomime, choral concerts, etc. The area is great for walking either locally or a little further afield.
So, Sapphire Cottage and Llangrove is a great place to live.
General
Services
LPG central heating. Mains electricity, water and drainage. Telephone line and broadband.
Local Authority
Herefordshire Council. Band F
Tenure
Freehold
Directions
From Ross-on-Wye, follow the A40 towards Monmouth and take the exit at Whitchurch. Take the second exit at the mini roundabout, follow the road over the bridge and, at the staggered junction, turn left and proceed up the hill. Follow this lane for approximately two miles. Continue through the village, passing the primary school and the church on the right-hand side. A short distance after the two bungalows on the right-hand side, turn left and then take the first right. Sapphire Cottage will be on this road, on the right-hand side.
What3Words: haven.slip.tweed
Ross-on-Wye 10 miles • Monmouth 7 miles • Hereford 16 miles • Gloucester 26 miles • Cheltenham 34 miles • Bristol 39 miles • (All distances are approximate)
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