Remarkable restored cottage by Vale Royal Abbey

Guest Cottage - 1 Vale Royal Drive, Whitegate CW8 2BA

Swap the sounds of the city for the calm of the Cheshire countryside at Guest Cottage, a characterful home laced with contemporary comfort, nestled in the heart of the historic Vale Royal Abbey Estate.

Nestled in over half an acre of private gardens, with phenomenal views, and conveniently close to both village amenities and city connections, Guest Cottage blends the best of both worlds.

Originally part of outbuildings serving the Great House of the Vale Royal Abbey, Guest Cottage has a rich history, evoked in its original beams and quaint cottage charm. Now a prestigious golf club and celebrated course, enjoy Christmas drinks and New Year’s Eve parties up at the Great House with neighbours and friends.

Serene setting

OWNER QUOTE: “As soon as you arrive you have that sense of being out in the countryside. There’s no road rumble, all you hear is the birdsong.”

Nestled around a courtyard, there is plenty of parking for four cars on the private driveway, with two further spaces in the courtyard. Additionally, there is secure parking available in the detached double garage.

Character comfort for the 21st century

Reinvented for modern living following a back-to-brick refurbishment undertaken in 2016/17, Guest Cottage, as its affable title suggests, is an entertaining haven of a home.

Dating back to the 1820s, upgrades to architraves and skirtings throughout retain the home’s original Regency style. Replastered, re-wired and re-plumbed in copper throughout with the introduction of a new central heating system (excluding the oil boiler), new insulation has also been introduced to key outside-facing walls, infusing the home with comfort and warmth.

Solid oak doors and engineered wooden flooring retain the traditionality and heritage of the home, whilst the highest quality double glazing has been fitted throughout, including French doors and 70m/b PlusNet broadband.

A warm welcome

Make your way to the new, hardwood handmade porch, erected five years ago and fitted with downlights and reclaimed tiles. Emerging into the entrance hall, the stairs lead up to the left, brimming with handmade, bespoke storage units beneath, handy for coats and shoes.

Instantly the warmth and welcome is palpable, transitioning through into the living room on the right, where the solid oak ceiling beams, stripped and beeswaxed evoke a sense of Old England, emanating cottage charm.

Bridging olde worlde comfort with a modern feel, minimal plantation shutters add cosiness to the windows, whilst a log-burning stove, nestled within the brick fireplace with its stout solid oak, handmade mantel, emanates warmth.

Suffused with light, this summery room sparkles in the sun, with a gilded shimmer to the elegant wallpaper. Furnished with television, satellite and speaker access points (also featuring in the dining room) for Sonos or similar, this sunny, south facing room is a haven throughout the seasons.

OWNER QUOTE: “One of the things I love about the home is its design and layout, it’s very spacious and bright for a cottage-style home.”

A room that draws you close in winter, with the shutters closed and candles lit, snuggle up with a book and a warm drink and embrace the comfort of the cosier months.

Cottage comfort

Hexagonal-patterned tiled flooring in cool contemporary greys and whites is warmed by underfloor heating in the kitchen, handmade and installed in the last nine years. A cosy yet spacious hub of the home, warmth emanates from the Rangemaster double oven, whilst appliances also include a dishwasher.

A trio of elegant pendant lights casts illumination down upon the gleaming white worktop of the central island, whilst ample storage can be found beneath and in the additional Shaker-style cabinetry to the sides.

A handmade, bespoke oak sliding door opens from the kitchen to the utility room, where you can also find provision for a plumbed-in American-style fridge freezer, and space for a washing machine.

All new, matching hand painted units provide further storage in the utility room, which also features a Siemens built-in combi-oven-microwave. With hanging space and bench seating for the doffing and donning of coats and boots, from the utility room, there is access out to the courtyard via a stable door.

Wine and dine

Back in the inner hallway, entering via a striking, 400-year-old reclaimed oak feature entrance, with bespoke design etched glass, feast your eyes on the dining room. Vintage, waxed terracotta flooring infuses the dining room with warmth, harmonising beautifully with the heritage of the home and practical underfoot.

Handmade banquette seating with oak shelving and under seat storage welcomes you as you settle down to dine, with easy access out, via French doors, to the enclosed garden, saturated in sunshine for most of the day, and ideal for alfresco dining.

Returning to the entrance hall, sneak a peek at the delightfully decorated downstairs cloakroom with wash basin and WC before ascending the stairs to the first-floor landing.

Soak in style

Pamper in the family bathroom on the left, where an elegant, stone resin bath with vintage brightwork is on hand for relaxing soaks. Engineered oak flooring flows underfoot, whilst light flows in through the plantation shuttered window. Refresh in the bespoke shower unit with oak feature framing.

Tongue and groove panelling adds character, with space for all your shampoos and perfumes in the bespoke storage unit with LED lighting. Alongside a wide wash basin, there is also a WC with hidden cistern.

Rest your head

Turning left from here, arrive at the first of the double bedrooms, cosily carpeted, decorated in calming, dusky tones and with fantastic views out over the garden, paddock and countryside beyond.

Next door, a second spacious double bedroom currently serves as a home office, sharing the same fabulous rural vistas.

Along the light-filled landing, arrive at bedroom three, currently in use as a dressing room and also overlooking the countryside.

Dreamy views

Peacefully nestled at the end of the landing, seek sanctuary in the master suite. Bright and light, courtesy of a large window overlooking the entirety of the garden, paddock and Cheshire farmland, solid oak shelving features in the master bedroom, with a wall mounted television access point.

Refresh and revive in the spacious ensuite, warmed by underfloor heating and furnished with a large, double shower, twin handmade vanity unit wash basins and recessed LED lighting, alongside a WC with hidden cistern.

Peaceful, private oasis

Wrapping around Guest Cottage, over half an acre of private, tranquil garden awaits. Once part of the Vale Royal Abbey Estate, each home in the vicinity has their own, individual, demarcated garden.

OWNER QUOTE: “One of the great things about this place is how absolutely silent it is when you’re in the garden.”

Quintessentially English, country cottage garden planting sees the gardens bursting with blossom and blooms throughout the spring and summer months. Landscaped patio terraces, built with York stone, sympathetic to the local landscape, provide the perfect space to sit and soak up the sunshine.

Grow your own in the aluminium framed Rhino greenhouse and woodstore, or enjoy a moment of mindfulness in the hexagonal, painted timber summer house with cedar roof.

The showstopping highlight of the garden at Guest Cottage has to be the stunning oak-framed cinema room with outdoor, oak decked seating area.

Tucked privately away in a copse, with views overlooking the horses in the paddock, this fully insulated outbuilding is used as a cinema room/entertaining area and is currently furnished with a projector, screen, AV unit and Dolby Atmos speaker system.

An entertaining haven, this flexible outbuilding, which could also be used as a space for a work-from home business, also features a kitchen area with cupboard storage, granite worktops, oak shelving and built-in wine cooler.

Warmed by underfloor heating, bifolding doors and Velux windows, with remote operated blinds, invite ample light in, whilst outside, the oak pergola-covered decked seating area also features a barbecue station which soaks up the sun ‘til late in the evening.

OWNER QUOTE: “In winter we use this room every night – it’s a great place to entertain, people call it the ‘Whitegate Cinema’.”

Out and about

Embrace life in one of Cheshire's most prestigious settings, in the Vale Royal Abbey Estate, an oasis of greenery, where walks unfurl in every direction.

Ideal for dog lovers, turn right for walks along the River Weaver, or for a stroll into Hartford or Davenham. You can also head out for walks directly from the courtyard around the river, or the church woodland across farmland.

Reward your exertions with a thirst-quencher at The Plough in Whitegate, or at Hartford Hall. Or why not hop in the car and explore the footpaths of Delamere Forest, explore the wildlife at Marbury Quarry or walk the Whitegate Way?

Rural, but not remote, in just five minutes you can access all the amenities of Hartford, renowned for its excellent schools, and brimming with shops, vets, cafes, boutiques and bistros. It also has a delicatessen, butchers and a Co-op whilst the locally famous Hollies Farm Shop is also close by.

Commute with convenience, with great road and rail networks on your doorstep. Just five minutes from the door and you can be on the A556 with its connections to Manchester, also accessible via direct rail link from Greenbank Station. Nearby, you can catch direct services to London from Hartford Station.

Step back a hundred years whilst retaining all the convenience and comfort of the modern world and experience a more peaceful way of life at Guest Cottage, a hidden gem in the Cheshire countryside, where pastoral views await.

A haven of relaxation, perfect for those who love to entertain, and offering the scope to run your own business from home, experience the convenience of commuter links away from hustle and bustle and sounds of the city at Guest Cottage, an oasis of country calm in an historic setting.

Disclaimer

The information Storeys of Cheshire has provided is for general informational purposes only and does not form part of any offer or contract. The agent has not tested any equipment or services and cannot verify their working order or suitability. Buyers should consult their solicitor or surveyor for verification. Photographs shown are for illustration purposes only and may not reflect the items included in the property sale. Please note that lifestyle descriptions are provided as a general indication. Regarding planning and building consents, buyers should conduct their own enquiries with the relevant authorities. All measurements are approximate. Properties are offered subject to contract, and neither Storeys of Cheshire nor its employees or associated partners have the authority to provide any representations or warranties.