The CottageWolfhampcote | Rugby | Warkwickshire | CV23 8AR

T H E C O T T A G E

Built in the late 19th century, this charming country cottage occupies a very peaceful and picturesque

location within ‘the lost’ village of Wolfhampcote. It’s said to have been abandoned in the late 14th

century – local legend has it that it was wiped out by the plague – and it is now home to just a

farmhouse, the old vicarage, the village church and The Cottage, which in more recent times has been

beautifully restored.

The Cottage is situated in the delightful hamlet of Wolfhampcote and overlooks the church of St Peter and is surrounded by countryside and lies just on the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire border. The property itself was previously two farmers cottages, was believed to be constructed in around 1850 and whilst the property requires some modernisation, it is clear that such a desirable location is rarely available in the modern world. The house itself has two well proportion first floor bedrooms and a family bathroom, then on the ground floor there is a kitchen-breakfast room and sitting room. The house also has a range of very useful outbuildings including a double garage ,wash house ,large workshop and various other storage areas dotted around and attractive garden which measures 0.19 of an acre in total. The house has Northamptonshire stone elevations and a slate tiled roof and benefits from oil fired central heating and double glazed windows.

KEY FEATURESGround FloorThe property has a dual-entrance porch with a back door leading to the yard and a glazed front door, the other glazed door has a double-glazed leathered window that overlooks the frontage and a further glazed door that leads to the kitchen- breakfast room. The kitchen has delightful views across to the church of St Peter and is fitted with a range of units and a one and a half bowl sink, there is a ceiling beam and electric cooker point radiator heating and stairs that lead to the first floor and an under stairs storage cupboard. The chimney breast houses a previous range that supplemented the central heating in the past but the property now has a modern oil fired system. The sitting room has an attractive fireplace with stone surround around and dual aspect windows providing attractive views of the rear gardens.

SELLER INSIGHT My husband bought the property in 1984 and it’s fair to say that it was in a bit of a sorry state back then, but there was just something about it that

really captured his imagination,” says Stani. “He was presented with a huge project of renovation, but he wanted to breath new life into this lovely old building and so he stripped it right back and essentially started from scratch.”

“He built a pretty porch on the front and clad it in stones that he dug from the fields that surround the house, and he also built the garden walls from scratch, again from stones that he collected. Inside he exposed a lot of the lovely original stonework, and being a master craftsman in woodwork he hand-built all of the built-in furniture and restored and replaced – where necessary – all of the internal woodwork. Essentially he transformed the house into a very warm and welcoming home, and I for one have been very happy here.”

“The garden is also very pretty and it’s very productive so I’m able to grow a lot of my own fruit and veg, which is a real joy,” continues Stani. “I have blackcurrant and redcurrant bushes, the purple sprouting broccoli is just coming to an end, but soon I’ll have a plentiful supply of potatoes, broad beans, runner beans and brassicas, to name but a few. It’s a nice size garden, probably a little too big for me to cope with now, but there are lots of lovely places where I can just sit and relax and watch the huge variety of wildlife that it attracts – something else that I really enjoy.”

“One of my favourite rooms is definitely the lounge, which has a really cosy atmosphere. It’s a lovely place to settle down in on a cold winter’s evening, particularly with the open fire roaring away.”

“This is a place where I’ve been able to enjoy utter peace and seclusion, but without the feeling of being isolated. The house is quite literally off the beaten track, however I can hop in my car and be in the centre of Daventry in under fifteen minutes.”

“Just down the lane is the old village church, which is now largely unused. However, every Christmas they organise a carol service and I must say it’s an occasion not to be missed. Everyone wraps up warm, brings a candle – there’s no electricity – and we have the most magical evening. It’s something that I’ll really miss when I leave.”

“I’ve been extremely happy living here and I will be sad to leave,” says Stani. “The house is wonderful, but it’s the setting that I’ll miss most. It’s a little slice of paradise.”*

* These comments are the personal views of the current owner and are included as an insight into life at the property. They have not been independently verified, should not be relied on without verification and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agent.

KEY FEATURESFirst FloorThe landing has access to a loft space and then internal latch doors that lead off to the two bedrooms and family bathroom. The master bedroom has leaded double glazed windows providing views of the gardens and it also benefits from a range of built in wardrobes. Neighbouring this is the bathroom which has a four piece coloured suite with shower wash- hand basin, low level WC and a panelled bath. There is an obscure double-glazed window to the side aspect. Bedroom two has radiator heating and a built in wardrobe and the best views from the house across the Northamptonshire border and of the church of St Peter.

KEY FEATURESOutsideGardens, Outbuildings and Parking

The Cottage has its own gated parking area with hardstanding for several vehicles with a delightful stone- built wall to the front. The attractive stone built elevations of the cottage can be appreciated in the fore garden. The property is a real gardeners paradise, with a large vegetable plot is shielded by a conifer hedge acting as a perfect wind break and an area for soft fruits including strawberries and raspberries. There is additional gated access that comes off the fields to provide alternative parking and this has access to a large double garage with two timber double doors. The rear garden is particularly attractive with a variety of meandering pathways that navigate through the garden which is laid to lawn. There are some large conifer hedges to both the west and eastern boundaries providing some privacy and seclusion. At the rear of the property is a further vegetable plot, some timber stores and a brick-built and rendered potting shed that neighbours a large workshop, just neighbouring the garage to the property is the old outside privy, mow a useful garden store. Beneath the useful rear porch there is access to the boiler room and wash house which houses the oil fired central heating boiler and hot water cylinder and there is also space for a washing machine and stainless steel sink and drainer

LOCATIONWolfhampcote is an abandoned village and civil parish in the English counties of Warwickshire and Northamptonshire, which it straddles.[1]The old village of Wolfhampcote is west of the A45 road near Braunston in Northamptonshire, and can be reached by a track from the main A45 road, or by a lane from Flecknoe. The village was abandoned sometime in the late 14th century and is classified as a deserted medieval village. Local legend suggests that the village was wiped out by the Black Death brought in by refugees from London, but there is no evidence to support this. It is much more likely that a few cottages still remained after the great plague and after struggling to maintain their land the villagers drifted off to more prosperous places leaving the Lord of the Manor to clear the land for sheep grazing as best he could. The village is shown as Wulfencote on the Christopher Saxton map of 1637.

Today the only remains of the village are a cottage, a farmhouse, and the old vicarage, located some distance away. The most notable surviving feature of the village is the Church of St Peter, which stands apparently in the middle of nowhere in a field. The church has been restored on several occasions, most recently in the 1970s by an organisation called the Friends of Friendless Churches. The church is today managed by the Churches Conservation Trust and is used only once or twice a year.

The area around the old village is rich in industrial archaeology. The Oxford Canal passes to the north of the site, but this section is the result of a straightening-out dating from the 1830s, the more southerly original route (constructed in the 1770s) having followed a much more winding course, remains of which can still be traced through the area. There are also the remains of two abandoned railway lines, the first being the old Weedon to Leamington Spa (via Daventry) railway, part of the London and North Western Railway (later the LMS), which closed to passengers in September 1958 and to freight in December 1963, and the second being the Great Central Main Line, which closed to all traffic in September 1966. The former passes quite close to the south side of the church. The two lines crossed a short distance to the west.

Registered in England and Wales. Company Reg. No. 09929046 VAT No: 232999961Head Office Address 1 Regent Street Rugby CV21 2PEcopyright © 2020 Fine & Country Ltd.

INFORMATION

ServicesOil fired heating, mains water, electricity and broadband are connected.

Local AuthorityRugby Borough CouncilCouncil Tax Band E.

Viewing ArrangementsStrictly via the vendors sole agent Sam Funnell (Fine & Country Branch Partner) on 07714 515484 or 01788 820037.

Opening HoursMonday to Friday 9.00 am - 5.30 pmSaturday 9.00 am - 4.30 pm

Agents notes: All measurements are approximate and for general guidance only and whilst every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy, they must not be relied on. The fixtures, fittings and appliances referred to have not been tested and therefore no guarantee can be given that they are in working order. Internal photographs are reproduced for general information and it must not be inferred that any item shown is included with the property. For a free valuation, contact the numbers listed on the brochure. Printed

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