Every once in a while something quite special finds its way to the Country Life digital property desk. Something so unerringly English, so steeped in charm, so quintessentially it, that frankly it is our privilege, nay our God-given duty, to bring it to you.
Step forward Panel Cottage, a Grade II-listed two-bedroom cottage that is merely a stone’s throw from the castle in Amberley (otherwise known as Amberley Castle). On the market – with GL & Co for offers in excess of £850,000 — for the first time in 30 years, the property ticks all the boxes.
We have a charming red-brick exterior, interspersed with original beams. We have a thatched roof, mullioned windows, and a mention in Pevsner’s Buildings of England. Within these charming walls, the interiors have been described by our very own property editor as ‘bohemian’, but I prefer to think of them as enlightened.
Each room is bursting with colour and character, making the most of the period flourishes throughout. As well as the two bedrooms, there are plenty of places to keep warm, with woodburners in the two sitting rooms and an Aga in the kitchen.
Outside, the gardens have been described by the agent as reminiscent of ‘a scene from a Monet painting’, which is quite the claim, but if the pictures are anything to go by, one that might stand up in court. If that wasn’t enough, an inviting little summerhouse provides a great place to relax or work, while the village of Amberley itself is one of the most picturesque in the South Downs, and boasts pubs, post office, school, church and, most vitally, a cricket club. Heaven.
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