I am hoping that one day, while browsing the vast world of the property market for the benefit of you, the reader, that I will stumble upon the holy grail — a house made entirely out of thatch. A ‘Cousin It from the Addams Family’ of the cottage world, if you will.
The closest I have come so far is this: Gubblecote Cross in Hertfordshire, which is for sale with Nash Partnership for £1.25 million. It is more thatch than house. It also has a silly name.
Gubblecote Cross might sound like a grumpy dwarf from a fairytale, but it is actually a corruption of the Old English Cubbeling Cote, which means Cubbel’s Cottages.
Two miles from Tring on the edge of the Chilterns, the property is Grade II-listed and dates from the 17th century. Thankfully, it has been modernised since then. But not much. Some would say fixer upper. I like to think of it as a ‘blank canvas’.
Inside, you’ll find five bedrooms, a slightly dated kitchen and not a whole heap of anything else. I suppose it’s always slightly disingenuous to take photos of houses with the current owners possessions in them, but also it looks weird when they’re empty.
Anyway, what there is, is plenty of space. 3,437sq ft of space, to be alarmingly precise. Set over two floors, the property boasts a library, a dining room, a sitting room, a drawing room, utility room and kitchen/breakfast room. There are four bathrooms in total.
The interiors, as you might expect, are achingly period, with plenty of exposed beams, tiled floors and open fireplaces. Nooks and crannies abound. It’s a property with character, that is ripe for a new owner to add their own stamp on it.
The garden is also large and charming, continuing the theme. In all about 1.25 acres, there are plenty of mature trees ensuring privacy, while the front door of the home is approached via a footbridge over a stream, which is just nice isn’t it.
Hedges, lawned areas and lush gardens seem to go on forever, with plenty of tucked away seating areas for al fresco dining, relaxing or quiet contemplation. The pretty market town of Tring is two miles away.
Credit: Lillicrap Chilcott/Jefferys
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