The Crosses, Troutbeck, Windermere, LA23 1JU

Home:
* Detached Lakeland Cottage
* Built in the mid 17th Century
* 4 bedrooms
* Outstanding views
* Original woodwork throughout
* Scope to develop
* Private drive with parking

Services:
* Septic Tank
* LPG gas heating
* Mains electricity and water
* Alarm system

Grounds:
* Garage
* 1.9-acre field with outbuilding - ideal for a stable and pony!
* 2 acres of woodlands and orchard
* Damson, apple and pear trees in the orchard

Tucked away to the rear of Windermere, with all the shops, cafes, chemists and schools only two minutes away by car, experience the restorative quiet and calm of the outdoors, with town conveniences on your doorstep.

Pull up along the lengthy driveway, where on a clear evening, moonlight illuminates Ill Bell and Kentmere in the distance, and with no light pollution - the most incredible stars. With ample parking and a garage, alongside a 1.9 acre field and over one and a half acres of woodland, Grade-II listed The Crosses is as appealing outdoors as it is within.

Lovingly planted cottage gardens sit to the front, side and rear of The Crosses, tended and nurtured over 30 years, ablaze with colour in springtime.

Make your way through the front door, into the warmth and welcome of the kitchen, where original flagstone flooring, relocated from the dining room, extends underfoot. A multifuel stove issues a cosy glow, creating an inviting ambience. A practical and functional space, built-in appliances include an oven, hob, fridge, freezer and dishwasher.

From the kitchen, flow through to the dining room, where 'red pepper' walls add a sense of occasion to this atmospheric space, where history is etched into every wall, with original spice cupboards and latched doors, and rich exposed beams overhead. Pause in the window seat and admire the views. A gas fire sits handsomely beneath a wooden mantel.

Lift the latch to reveal the original staircase, turning up and passing a window framing watercolour views to the Langdales.

Off the landing, refresh and revive in the bathroom, furnished with corner bath and handheld showerhead attachment, wash basin and WC. Exposed timbers in the walls are a reminder of the heritage of the home. Bathe with impressive views out over the fells.

From the landing, make your way through to the third bedroom, where there is a double bed and a natural alcove ideal for a wardrobe or chest of drawers. To the front, a cottage window beneath exposed timber offers views toward Crosses Farm and the woodland beyond. A boarded loft above this bedroom provides storage.

Also located off this landing is the master bedroom, where original cruck beams, most likely sourced from 16th century ships are inset within the vaulted ceiling. Airy and bright, double glazed dual aspect windows frame views over the garden and fells.

Return downstairs to the dining room, which connects around a corner to the good-size utility room, offering further storage and access out to the rear garden via a stable door. The utility room also houses the recently replaced NEST-controlled boiler; only three years old and benefitting from the balance of a ten-year guarantee, washing machine and tumble dryer.

Follow the easy flow through to the beam-banded living room, whose cottage windows and rustic fireplace, inset with multifuel stove, infuse quiet, country calm and charm, evocative of the home's four-hundred-year-old heritage. A spacious room, currently accommodating sofas and a piano, the living room completes the loop of the ground floor by reconnecting with the dining room.

From the living room another set of stairs leads up to the second bedroom, a sumptuously sized room with high, vaulted, beam-lined ceiling. Part of the more modern extension incorporating the barn, this spacious room looks out over fields and fells and comes with a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite with bath, wash basin and WC.

Also accessed from the landing is a versatile, spaciously sized room, carpeted underfoot with high vaulted ceiling. Ideal as a bedroom, study or sitting room, step out onto the balcony and admire the far-reaching views out over the fields and fells towards the Langdales and Wansfell. Ideal as independent living accommodation for a relative, this room also has access to a shower room.

Garden
Arguably, one of the most photographed private gardens in the Lake District, the cottage gardens at The Crosses, developed diligently over decades, complement the home perfectly. A carpet of spring bulbs includes hundreds of snowdrops, daffodils, bluebells and primroses in the garden, orchard and woodland whilst in summer a wave of colour and fragrance bursts forth from the azaleas, rhododendrons, buddleias, climbing roses, jasmine and honeysuckle.

Planted with a wide range of flowers including bergenias, peonies, day lilies, tiger lilies, crocosmias, astilbes, Japanese anemones, dog daisies, alstroemerias, various geraniums and lots more, the gardens provide colour and interest throughout the seasons.

Gather fruit from the orchard, planted with blackcurrant, raspberry, loganberry and gooseberry bushes, apple, pear and damson trees, alongside a herb bed.

Over 1.5 acres of woodland was planted in 1996 in collaboration with conservationists featuring 550 trees including oak, ash, hazel, Scots pine and holly and incorporating a 55 tree damson orchard with trees sourced from the famous Lyth Valley; ripe for exploration. Follow the stream as it flows through the 1.9 acre field, garden and woodland where wild watercress grows - an adventure playground for children.

From the back of the house and the garden admire views and the glorious sunsets. The garden is an ideal place to watch the wildlife that visit the garden and fields and forest beyond, including roe deer, badgers, hares, rabbits and foxes as well as red kites, buzzards, hen harriers, woodpeckers and even the occasional osprey.

Note the stone-built former piggery; converted for the intended use as a studio or office, it currently houses a wood-burning stove, is fitted with electrics and window frames views of Garburn Pass and Ill Bell through a large window - perfect for inspiration or ideal for those working from home. The Crosses is a truly ideal home for families, providing a safe environment for a carefree childhood.

Perfect for families, professionals and lovers of the outdoors, The Crosses is a happy, welcoming home with such versatility and potential, in harmony with nature and with incredible views over the fells.

** For more photos and information, download the brochure on desktop. For your own hard copy brochure, or to book a viewing please call the team **

Tenure: Freehold