Bradworthy, Holsworthy, Devon, EX22

Once in a blue moon a property comes onto the market with an almost incomparable setting. Little Alfardisworthy, or Little Alf as it is affectionately known, is one of them and has only been sold on the open market once.

The cottage nestles in a sheltered, beautiful spot about 260 yards down an unmade, no-through road. It has no near neighbours and is set back about 60 yards from Lower Tamar Lake, a man-made lake constructed in the 1820s to supply water to the Bude Canal. The lake is now a nature reserve and fishing lake and provides an idyllic and undisturbed spot to get away from it all and where the silence is broken only by birdsong. The cottage dates from 1740 and is built in a traditional style of white-painted cob under a Welsh slate roof, with views out over the garden to the lake.

The current owners undertook a comprehensive and sympathetic programme of restoration between 2005 and 2008 using a well-known, local architect and local building firm specialising in restoring heritage properties. An extension was added with immense care taken to ensure that it blended seamlessly with the original building. In addition, the cottage was re-roofed, all the windows were replaced with timber double glazed units and stainless steel guttering and downpipes were fitted.

The ground floor is floored with slate throughout and incorporates a sitting room, kitchen/ding room, shower room and stairwell. The living room has an open fireplace, beamed ceiling and French windows opening onto the terrace. The kitchen has an inglenook fireplace fitted with a wood-burning stove, cottage-style painted timber units under timber work surfaces, Everhot range cooker, a window seat looking out over the garden and also has ample dining space. Off the oak-floored upstairs landing are two double bedrooms, one with a vaulted ceiling, and the bathroom. A secondary staircase from the kitchen gives access to the third double bedroom above.

Garden
Little Alf has a generously sized, south-facing garden that blends into the surrounding countryside and is designed to be easily maintained. It consists of lawn studded with a variety of mature trees, rose-covered arbours and a mix of flowering shrubs alongside herbaceous perennials. The garden provides colour throughout the growing season, especially in Spring when bulbs flower in abundance. Adjacent to the cottage is an off-road parking area along with two stores. Behind it is a paved terrace for outside dining, with access to the sitting room via a pair of French windows that also allow the house to be open to the garden in fine weather.

The property has a pedestrian right of way along a path from the garden leading to a deck area bordering the lake. The off-road parking area has sufficient space for a double garage and there is plenty of room in the grounds to erect a timber cabin/summerhouse and/or to install solar panels (subject to obtaining the necessary planning consents).

Little Alfardisworthy is situated down a no-through lane and a short distance from Lower Tamar Lake, which is fed by waters from the River Tamar. The Lower and Upper Tamar Lakes are surrounded by lush, unspoilt countryside that straddles the border between Devon and Cornwall.

The Heritage coastlines of both counties are only a short distance by car offering miles of surfing beaches and dramatic Atlantic coastline and Dartmoor National Park is about 25 miles away. The local village of Kilkhampton is a thriving community with a Co-op convenience store, pub, parish church, fish & chip shop and Chinese takeaway.

The coastal town of Bude is about 17 minutes by car and can meet most day-to-day needs including a selection of large supermarkets plus GP, dental and veterinary surgeries. The major attraction of the surrounding area is its remoteness but the A39 and A3072 are both within easy reach.