A 450-year-old thatched cottage that's had an award-winning restoration, complete with orchard, paddock and kennels
Dating back to around 1580, the poetically-named Bumble Cottage has eye-catching period features and charming grounds to keep the new owner busy.
After a peaceful idyll? Look no further than Bumble Cottage, a ‘most enchanting’ home in the farming village of Ellenhall, Staffordshire.
The thatched, timber-framed property was part of Lord Lichfield’s Ranton estate until the 1930s, when it fell into disrepair.
Luckily, the three-bedroom cottage was given a new lease of life when it was extended and restored in the 1960s. And it won a Council for the Protection of Merit award, says selling agent Knight Frank. Bumble Cottage is now on the market for £795,000.
Dating back to around 1580, Bumble Cottage ‘is formed in the rare reverse cruck construction, which includes vertical oak beams with wooden dowels,’ says Knight Frank.
No surprise, then, that this home is packed with period features. Ornate wood panelling here, inglenook fireplace there. Yes, some of the décor may be a little on the dated side but it’s certainly not short on character.
The heart of the cottage is the drawing room, where a pair of bay windows allow light to flood in. Bumble Cottage has all the key rooms you’d expect of a country home: kitchen, dining room, boot room, utility room, and study. There is also a conservatory that ‘could double as a craft room or studio’, suggest the agents.
All three bedrooms are upstairs, with the main bedroom boasting a striking vaulted ceiling with exposed timbers. Sweet dreams...
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
The property is ideal for green-fingered buyers. The gardens are charming, with more than an acre of manicured lawns, raised beds, herbaceous shrubs, various seating areas and an ornamental pond.
A pathway leads from the driveway to a greenhouse beside a sheltered vegetable patch with brick raised beds and a pond; from there, a gate leads to an orchard, which opens onto a fenced paddock.
There’s numerous outbuildings too, including a workshop, stables and kennels, offering plenty of flexibility.
Bumble Cottage is on the market for £795,000 via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
Brockfield Hall, the great Yorkshire house that's gone from Regency mansion to modern family home
Brockfield Hall in North Yorkshire is the family home of Charlie Wood and Hatta Byng, editor of House & Garden, who have transformed it since they came here in 2020, winning multiple awards in the process. John Martin Robinson reports on the restoration project that revived this compact Regency house as a modern family home. Photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
By John Martin Robinson Published
-
Barbour’s heritage jackets get a floral makeover courtesy of Erdem
Utilitarian outwear has taken the fashion world by storm and now Britain's world-famous wax jackets are getting in on the act, inspired by some of our greatest countryside icons.
By Amy de la Haye Published
-
A Georgian vicarage that blends idyllic seclusion, village life and a simple commute to the City
The Old Rectory in Hawkhurst, Kent, is a delightful home inside and out. Penny Churchill takes a look.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
The green Gable House: A family home in Hampshire that even we can't believe is only 15 years old
If the house isn't quite right, don't be afraid to build something new. The Gable House in Ashford Hill is a glorious example of a new home that looks like it's always been there.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Best country houses for sale this week
From a vast Shropshire masterpiece to an idyllic West Country farmhouse, here's our pick of the best property for sale this week.
By Country Life Published
-
Ten stunning character properties for sale at under £400,000
From thatched cottages near the beaches of Devon and Cornwall to a barn conversion in Kent and a wonderful getaway in Snowdonia, here's our pick of the best character cottages and character homes for sale.
By Toby Keel Published
-
The Brontës original family home has come up for sale with a £380,000 price tag
The Revd Patrick Brontë's former home has come on to the market, where he and his wife lived in their early years before having their children Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Six superb homes, from the picturesque to the palatial, as seen in Country Life
Our pick of some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life includes a true gem in Buckinghamshire.
By Toby Keel Published
-
A £21 million castle that's come up for sale for the first time in 700 years
Ripley Castle in North Yorkshire has been the family home of the Ingilbys since the early 1300s. It's steeped in history, has a list of famous visitors over the centuries that include James I and Oliver Cromwell, and is now on the open market. Annabel Dixon takes a look.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A wisteria-clad former rectory in Stevenage that used to host Sir Winston Churchill
Wrapped within all that greenery are some of the finest Georgian interiors we've seen.
By James Fisher Published