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Wales Online
Wales Online
Lifestyle
Joanne Ridout

Isolated woodland cottage that comes with its own waterfall

If you've been inspired to escape to the country in the stunning rural surroundings of Powys by watching Charlotte Church's Dream Build but don't have a budget over £1m then this pretty cottage could be your own version of her story.

And one of the best things about this house for sale is once you move in, you don't have to create a Charlotte-style healing retreat and share it with guests - this beauty can be all your own, with no need to share it with anyone at all.

But like Charlotte's country pile called Rhydoldog House that used to be owned by legendary fashion icon Laura Ashley, this house also has its own waterfall, albeit on a much smaller scale.

READ MORE: The £1m Gothic home for sale in the shadow of Llandaff Cathedral

Surrounded by the beauty of Powys (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)
Pretty pastel cottage awaits to greet you (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)

And it just so happens that the secluded house nestled within its own five acres of woodland and paddocks is not too far from the village of Carno, where Laura Ashley's headquarters used to be. Such is the Ashley family's connection to the area that both Laura and her husband Bernard are buried in the local churchyard.

The house that might demand you fall in love with it and pack your bags as soon as possible is hidden amongst the trees, surrounded by its own beautiful land that gently climbs the hill, and is home to a brook, a woodland and about five acres of paddocks.

Somewhere, down the end of a remote country lane, there's a stone cottage painted in pastel purple that's waiting to offer you a rural idyll; if you can find it. Once you've spotted the purple haze beyond the gate near the end of the single track, you are entering peace that's embedded in nature, and a country home that's firmly fixed in the classic cottage genre, and it's very pretty.

But before the vision in lilac leads you into a cottage that is as pretty on the inside as it is on the outside, there are the five acres of land to explore - your own private parcel of Welsh countryside where you can happily get lost for the day.

The house occupies its own little valley that promotes the feeling of seclusion and a secret spot to enjoy nature and wildlife, yet is only a few miles from the facilities and amenities of Carno.

Down a single-track, dead-end lane, you will eventually find the cottage (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)
Comes with five acres of land (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)
Plenty of pretty outdoor areas to park a bench (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)

Enjoy wandering around the enchanting woodland, discovering the bridge over the brook and relaxing by the water's edge immersed in the sound of the water crashing over the cute waterfall. There are paddocks that offer the opportunity for livestock and growing produce, or just enjoying as open countryside that you can call your own.

Nearer to the house, there's a pond with a viewing deck and multiple places for a bench and an alfresco table set either overlooking the wildlife amongst the trees or cwtched up next to the cottage.

And after a day out immersed in your immense garden, the cottage welcomes you home with all the visual anticipation that a traditional stone, country cottage should.

Bridge over untroubled waters that belong to you (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)
The brook has a waterfall (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)
The garden has a pond (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)

In through the porch at the end of the property that then takes you into the sitting room that is instantly welcoming. There's period flagstone floors below and painted ceiling beams above, flanking the interiors that include vintage pieces and classic, traditional design.

The palette of yummy pretty pastels gives the space a more modern flavour, accompanied by layers of tactile materials and gentle patterns that ensure the room is visually very engaging and a place where you'd be delighted to spend your time.

Time to explore the lovely lilac house (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)
The inglenook is as tall as the room (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)
Pretty cottage style inside (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)

Add a wood burner on a slate hearth nestled inside an inglenook fireplace so large it is the same height as the room, and cute windows set within thick stone walls crowned by robust wooden lintels, and the character and charm are undeniable.

The dining room next door can be glimpsed through the wall beams that remain, in a layout that is clever - the plaster between the beams has gone so aiding the feeling of space but the beams remain, not just for support and character, but to also define the separate areas, visually and physically; it's the best of both worlds.

The dining room continues the stone flooring and the pretty cottage interior design and, as well as being a versatile room for dining or using as a home office, it homes the stairs to the first floor.

Dining room continues the decor and the flagstone floor (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)
Keeping the wall beams means the two rooms are connected visually yet separate physically (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)

The dining room leads into the breakfast room, another space that oozes country charm, from its quarry floor tiles and metro tiles on the wall to the cream electric Aga nestling in a handy alcove.

The room has space for a dining table for enjoying breakfast bathed in sunlight and views from the window, freeing up the dining room next door for whatever function a new owner requires.

The breakfast room flows through a wide, open doorway into the kitchen, with the continuation of the quarry floor tiles and heritage blue shade on the walls ensuring both spaces feel connected and related.

The far wall is white-washed stone which sets a fresh backdrop for the wooden units and Belfast sink to command the most attention.

Breakfast room has delightful quarry tile floor (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)
Handy alcove for an Aga (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)
Kitchen continues the breakfast room decor for continuity of design and flow (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)

It's a cute kitchen but can offer space for all that is required by most cooks, and if a new owner wanted to create a more free-standing unit, Welsh dresser and country-style kitchen then there's certainly scope to do so.

The kitchen is also the room that occupies the back of the house, within a single-storey, sloping roofed addition. It has a stable door out to the garden to one of the most pleasant spots to sit, next to flower beds and a metal wheel leaning up against the stonewall of the cottage suggesting, when considered with the brook nearby, that maybe the property was once a small mill.

Landing is large enough for a desk (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)
Pretty bedroom mixes natural fabrics with pale colours (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)
Network of exposed beams are a visual treat (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)

Up the central stairs in the dining room to a landing so spacious it happily accommodates a desk. There is a double bedroom either side of the central landing and both are lovely spaces, with a patchwork of exposed ceiling and wall beams to delight.

Both have enticing views out to the land from their cute, floor-hugging windows, as well as the pretty decor that has climbed the stairs too and sprinkled its cottage-style complete with statement pieces such as a chandelier and elegant bed.

Both sleeping spaces have been given white-washed walls which not only help to make the rooms look bigger, but provide the visual contrast between light and dark that ensures the wood beams stand out to the maximum.

The decor is timeless and elegant but with cottage at its core (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)
Vintage furniture has been given an upcycled makeover for a more modern touch (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)

The two double bedrooms are dressed not just with classic, timeless design but also layers of warm and natural materials that include velvet, cotton and lace, rattan and wood.

Upcycled, painted vintage pieces of furniture add to the decor from the past but have been finessed to become items embedded in the interiors of the present.

The landing is also where you will find the door to the bathroom, and again it is a space that welcomes you with engaging design, from the exposed beams that the cottage brings to the decor party to the wall panelling, pretty wall tiles and statement roll-top bath the owners have added to the space.

It's a place where relaxing in the bath will not be a hardship, accompanied by garden views from the sweetest of windows.

Statement bath is a fantastic bonus feature (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)
Relax in the bubbles and enjoy the view out to the garden via the sweetest of windows (Fine & Country, Newtown / rightmove)

Of course, if your preferred cottage interior design is of white-washed walls throughout and simpler choices of furniture, then this cottage can easily morph into your personal vision of your perfect country cottage in the woods.

The cottage and land is for sale for offers over £525,000 with Fine & Country, call their Newtown branch on 01686 623123 to find out more. And don't miss the best dream homes in Wales, auction properties, renovation stories, and interiors - join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter , sent to your inbox twice a week.

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