The sale comprises two land titles - Hornbeam House, a generous Victorian mine manager’s house, alongside Inglenook, a 1970’s house standing on the site of the original stable block.
Hornbeam House stands on 4 levels, from the spacious cellar to the ample attic. The cellar is accessed down stone steps and allows all but the tallest to stand upright. The ground floor comprises a double-length high-ceilinged sitting room, with windows on 3 sides, dining room with gas fire and patio doors opening onto the south-facing patio, large fully fitted kitchen, conservatory, cellar-head and wet room, with shower, WC and washbasin. A wide staircase climbs to the first floor, where there are 4 bedrooms, two of which are used for the B&B and are ensuite, one with bath and shower, the other with shower and compactor. Period features include fireplaces in two of the bedrooms. A further flight of stairs leads to the attic, which is divided into a 5th bedroom or office and two large storage areas. There is room in the roof-space to extend these three rooms to a fourth, if desired.
Inglenook features a mainly open-plan ground floor, with fitted kitchen, dining area and sitting room, and cloakroom with WC and washbasin. Bay windows and a door lead onto the south-facing patio, and sliding patio doors lead onto the rear patio. Upstairs, are 3 bedrooms and a large bathroom, with shower and bath.
Inglenook has been used both as a holiday let and, recently, as a residential let. The present tenants are on an assured short-hold tenancy, which commenced in February, so will be eligible for a 2-month notice period to be served from mid-June, if required. They come with impeccable credentials and are delightful neighbours, as well as paying £595 per calendar month in rent.
The property stands in ½ an acre, with a large garage/workshop, which would easily take 4 cars, or, as in our case, piles of Useful Things. There is also a loose-box. The garden is mostly grassed but features many mature trees, including a variety of fruit trees, and is largely screened by conifers. In addition to the garage space, there are 3 gravel parking bays for the B&B and space for at least 4 other cars to park.
We have run the house as a B&B since 2002 and achieved 4-star rating, with guests from all five continents. Either as an extended family property, or as a business, the home is warm and inviting and offers plenty of scope for comfort and happiness – we have certainly enjoyed our time here.
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