“Tongue-and-groove panelling lines the walls, while tall casement windows look onto the garden beyond”
“Tongue-and-groove panelling lines the walls, while tall casement windows look onto the garden beyond”
This characterful two-bedroom home lies in Temple Guiting, Gloucestershire, within the Cotswolds National Landscape. Built in 1945, its façade is defined by vertical timber cladding, while tongue-and-groove panelling lines interior walls. An open-plan living space looks out to the gardens beyond, the latter shingled and filled with a wonderful variety of plants and shrubbery. A shepherd’s hut and two additional outbuildings provide further opportunities for accommodation and storage. Cheltenham is a 30-minute drive away, while London is easily accessible from nearby Moreton-in-Marsh rail station.
Setting the Scene
Covering nearly 800 square miles across six counties, the Cotswolds National Landscape is one of the largest protected areas in the UK. Renowned for its chocolate-box villages, idyllic landscapes and diverse wildlife, much of the region’s character is shaped by the underlying Jurassic limestone, its warm honey and soft grey tones emblematic of Cotswolds architecture.
This Swedish timber-framed house was built in 1945, and forms part of a development originally designed to encourage ex-servicemen back into agriculture and forestry in the area.
The Grand Tour
A private road forms the approach to the house; a large driveway has parking for several cars. A stable door set into the house’s timber-clad façade opens onto a porch with ample space for coats and boots. An open-plan kitchen, living and dining space lies beyond, withtimber floorboards underfoot. In the sitting area, tongue-and-groove panellinglines the walls, while tall casement windows look onto the garden beyond. At one end, a Jotul log burner sits in a brick alcove with an original timber mantel beam. The kitchen is defined by smart forest-green cabinetry, and there is a large butler sink with copper taps and an induction fan oven.
A second sitting room has dado-height panelling and a cast-iron radiator, and is currently used as a study. On this floor there is also a handy utility room and a bathroom with a bathtub.
Two double bedrooms occupy the first floor, each with tongue-and-groove panelling, a characterful fireplace and a pretty dormer window with garden views. Deep cupboards set into the eaves provide plenty of storage space. A shared bathroom has a fitted bathtub and a large skylight.
A shepherd’s hut near the front of the house could be used as guest accommodation, and there are two additional outbuildings.
The Great Outdoors
A large shingled garden extends to the rear of the house. A greenhouse and vegetable garden is perfect for green-fingered gardeners, and the space is planted with a variety of trees, hedging and shrubbery.
Out and About
The house is surrounded by green rolling hills between Winchcombe and Guiting Power within the Cotswolds AONB. Winchcombe is am 18-minute drive to the west, arguably the walking capital of the Cotswolds, with access to the extensive networks of bridal and walking paths and the Ancient Ways for which the area is well renowned. Cleeve Common, a conservation area of expansive grassland and a site of Special Scientific Interest for its geology, habitats, and botany, is a 20-minute drive from the house. From the tip of the Common, the views are spectacular, reaching far over The Malverns and across to Wales.
There are some well-regarded pubs nearby, including The Hollow Bottom. For all daily amenities, Guiting Power is less than 10 minutes by car, with a good selection of independent shops and cafes, notably The Old Post Office. The Lion Inn and The Corner Cupboard are among the local favourites in Winchcombe, both of which have lovely beer gardens.
Cheltenham is a 30-minute drive to the south-west. This regency town is renowned for its festivals of literature, jazz, film, folk music, comedy and science, and a busy racing calendar, including the Gold Cup. Daylesford, Pittville Park, Sandford Parks Lido, and Soho Farmhouse are popular local highlights. Oxford and Stroud are also within striking distance, with further options for shopping, eating, drinking, and excellent schools.
The A429 and A19 are easily accessed and offer useful links to the M4. Moreton-in-Marsh rail station is a 20-minute drive away, and runs services to London Paddington in an hour and a half.
Council Tax Band: B
Related Stories
