Goodrich with Beautiful Gardens

Poole Cottage

A sublime naturalistic-style garden, which has been showcased in several national landscaping magazines, wraps around this charming five-bedroom country home. The stone-built property is tucked away in a sheltered nook on Coppett Hill, a peak that offers splendid far-reaching views across rolling hills and patchwork fields. The home is also a short walk from the heart of the highly desirable village of Goodrich, which gives a wealth of amenities.

Sellers Insight:

It's a real cliché but since moving here almost 18 years ago we really have been living the 'escape to the country' dream. Hidden away in a very convenient location on Coppett Hill in an AONB above the River Wye, our location offers peaceful seclusion without isolation within a welcoming rural community.

The village of Goodrich with its great pubs, village hall and castle is a short walk down the hill. We will certainly miss the excellent walks from the end of our drive; just 10 minutes up to the trig point with its views over to Wales, North Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. Walking further along the ridge of the hill takes you down to the river under Symonds Yat Rock.

The cottage is characterful, comfortable and slightly quirky: always a pleasure to come home to and the log burner keeps us cosy in the colder months. The garden has been a real joy. Created from a blank canvas by enclosing two acres with deer fencing we set out to create a naturalistic style garden in keeping with the local landscape. It is now maturing well and has become a haven for wildlife.
Over the years we have enjoyed lots of produce from our mixed orchard and kitchen garden; growing lots of our own vegetables and making many preserves and wines. It is always exciting to see the first blossom of the almond tree in the orchard in February. The last orchard blossom is the medlar in May. And yes, we do get almonds to eat and the medlar makes great jelly! We have opened the garden for 10 years for the National Garden Scheme raising lots of money for their caring charities and we feel privileged to have shared the garden with many enthusiastic and complementary visitors who have appreciated the unique location of Poole Cottage and its garden as much as we have.


Location:

The village of Goodrich sits within the centre of the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are two excellent country pubs - The Hostelrie and The Cross Keys, both of which consistently garner rave reviews for their welcoming atmosphere and delicious food. In addition, Goodrich boasts a fantastic village hall that frequently hosts various events and operates as a pop-up cinema. There is also a centrally located church, a tennis club, a cricket club and a tearoom. There is also an extremely well-regarded primary school in the village - which has attained a 'Good' Ofsted score. Arguably, the village is most well-known for its commanding 11th-century hilltop castle which stands on the northern fringe of Goodrich beside the river Wye. This fortress features the 'Roaring Meg' - the largest and only surviving Civil War mortar, which was cast in 1646 for the castle's siege.

Goodrich also sits around five miles in either direction between the popular market towns of Monmouth and Ross-on-Wye, both of which feature good comprehensive schools, independent shops, cafes and reputable restaurants. It is worth noting that Monmouth also offers the prestigious Haberdashers private schools. A range of convenient road networks is nearby. The A40 is a short distance away and the eastbound road provides a direct route to Gloucester, Cheltenham and the Cotswolds. Meanwhile, motorists heading in the opposite direction can journey towards the M4 at Newport, giving access to Cardiff and London. In addition, the M50 motorway can be joined at Ross-on-Wye, and this gives good access to the M5.

The home at a glance:

The glorious garden provides a wondrous country haven. The outside has been lovingly designed and developed by the present owners for almost two decades and, in addition to its inclusions in English Country Garden Magazine and Country Living Magazine, the garden has opened to the public for the National Garden Scheme (NGS) for 10 years. The grounds are approximately three acres in size, one of which has been left wild and may therefore grant a good spot to graze goats, sheep or a pony. The other two acres have been enclosed with deer fencing to create a show stopping kaleidoscope of texture and colour, which has been designed to look good year-round; there are many native trees, areas of long and short grass, spring bulbs and a meadow area.

In addition, there is a mixed orchard with a wide variety of fruit trees and a space to keep hens. There are more formal gardens close to the house, along with several seating terraces, including a decked courtyard which is adorned with herbs, a fig and a vine. Then there is an enclosed kitchen garden which has vegetable growing areas and a polytunnel. Taking centre stage is a large, naturally fed wildlife pond and there are several seating areas dotted around the oasis to ensure it can be admired from all angles.

Inside, the home carries a quintessential country cottage charm and there are delightful period features throughout, such as timbered ceilings and exposed red sandstone walls - a richly coloured rock that is synonymous with the local area. The sitting room includes an inglenook fireplace with a wood-burning stove - a staple of country life - and the farmhouse-style dining kitchen bears a Falcon range cooker, which is beautifully framed by decorative tiles. In terms of appliances, the quadruple-aspect kitchen also has a wealth of timelessly elegant shaker-style units with under-counter lighting, and these are complimented by solid wood worktops. There is also an integrated Bosch dishwasher and room for a freestanding fridge/freezer under a staircase. The space is large enough to comfortably accommodate a formal dining table and chairs, but a central island also includes a breakfast bar, giving a more relaxed eating space. There is also a large pantry - complete with power points - which grants plenty of food storage space and provision for additional appliances.

Unusually for a cottage, there are high ceilings, and the rooms are all extremely generously proportioned - four of the five bedrooms are large enough to comfortably accommodate double beds. Of these, the master suite has access to a private shower room and a dressing room. The smallest bedroom, meanwhile, presently serves as a home office.

In terms of parking arrangements, there is a double carport and a generous gated driveway.


General Services:

Central heating and hot water provided by LPG, solar panels and log burner. Mains water and electricity. Private drainage. BT telephone line and broadband.
Local Authority Herefordshire Council. Tax band F.
Tenure Freehold

Directions:

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Distances:

Ross-on-Wye 4 miles - Monmouth 7 miles - Hereford 16 miles - Gloucester 23 miles - Cheltenham 30 miles - Bristol 52 miles - (All distances are approximate)

*Agent's note: We have been advised about the plot size by our clients but have been unable to accurately measure the grounds, therefore it would need to be verified by solicitors.