Where three became one — an intriguing conversion that created an oasis in Land's End

Down on the Land’s End peninsula, Falmouth-based agent Jonathan Cunliffe is handling the sale of idyllic Embla Gew near the west Cornwall village of Nancledra, three miles from St Ives and five miles from Penzance. He quotes a guide price of £2.25m for the beautifully renovated farmhouse set in 2½ acres of glorious gardens and surrounded by 200 acres of protected farmland, which has been the much-loved Cornish retreat of owner Brenda Hall and her late husband, Stephen, for almost 60 years.

Mrs Hall recalls Embla Gew’s transformation from three derelict cottages in the middle of nowhere to an enchanting oasis of peace and tranquillity: ‘In the 1960s and 1970s, Stephen and I were both working for BBC Television; he was a highly regarded film editor and I worked on a number of productions, from Doctor Who to Monty Python and Life of Brian. 

'Our Cornish adventure began in 1966, when Stephen bought the terrace of dilapidated 18th-century farmworkers’ cottages from the local farmer. From the 1970s onwards, we spent every summer at Embla Gew, planning and designing the house and garden, where, over many years, we planted hundreds of trees and shrubs to create a green haven for ourselves and a sanctuary for wildlife. Embla Gew means in Cornish “the field with the best view” and the unspoilt views from the house and garden are truly spectacular, as are the incredible dark skies, which allow for wonderful sunrises and moonlit nights all year round.’

In 2004, the couple commissioned the distinguished Cornish architect Joe Poynton, of Poynton Bradbury Wynter Cole in St Ives, to design plans for the extension, remodelling and renovation of Embla Gew. It was a major undertaking that included the addition of a central atrium kitchen with bespoke fittings designed and installed by George Robinson. The renovation, including a separate apartment for Mrs Hall’s mother, was completed in 2007.

Tucked away down the prettiest of country lanes and approached by a private drive that weaves through farmland, Embla Gew stands on high ground overlooking its own shallow valley within the wild and beautiful landscape of West Penwith. Discreetly equipped with all necessary ‘mod cons’, it boasts every homeworker’s dream — superfast fibre broadband linked directly to the premises.

In all, it offers 3,480sq ft of impeccably designed living space, which includes, to one side of the central atrium, a delightful summer room, study, media library, cinema room and editing suite, with the principal bedroom suite and two further bedrooms on the first floor. On the opposite side is a cheerful one-bedroom apartment with a dressing room, bathroom and a large sitting room overlooking the garden.

Embla Gew is for sale with Jonathan Cunliffe for £2.25 million. For more information and pictures, click here

Credit: Strutt and Parker

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