Oulton Lowe Green, Hickhurst Lane, Rushton, CW6 9AY

Timeless, tranquil and tucked into 3.4 acres of sweeping greenery, Oulton Lowe Green is one of those rare, romantic homes plucked straight from the pages of a storybook. With its gabled timber frame, thatched roof and honey-toned rendering, this Grade II listed cottage, believed to date back to around 1590, is every inch the quintessential English idyll.

Chocolate box charm

Once described as “more romantic than the cottage in The Holiday”, Oulton Lowe Green is no stranger to the limelight, having previously featured in Country Life magazine. With its Tudor ancestry and beguiling chocolate box charm, its rural setting provides the perfect wrapping for a home that exudes total tranquillity.

Wooden gates open to a generous gravelled driveway, comfortably providing parking for four cars, while planning permission is in place for a timber-framed, triple-bay garage – a handsome addition in keeping with the home’s heritage. 

From the drive, a winding garden path leads visitors through lush green lawns, alongside open field views and past a natural pond, to the front door.

Country comfort

Inside, the entrance hallway sets the tone, dressed in crimson wallpaper patterned with gilded stags above tall wooden skirtings, with traditional tiles underfoot. Rustic doors with latch handles open off to the left and right.

Step through to the left, where the kitchen opens up, blending classic country comfort with everyday ease in its dark green country-style cabinetry and crisp white Quartz worktops. Renovated in 2023, walls have been removed to open up the space, ushering in natural light through rooflights, windows and French doors.

A central island doubles as a breakfast bar, where industrial-style pendant lighting above combines with a wine fridge tucked neatly below for a contemporary lift. With space for a large fridge-freezer at one end, in the utility room beyond, there is also plumbing for a washer and dryer.

Feast your eyes

Appliances include a Belfast sink and Range cooker while vertical charcoal-grey radiators complete the scene. French doors blur the boundary between indoor and outdoor living for alfresco dining.

With character etched into the robust beams within each room, for those looking to bring a little 21st century living to Oulton Lowe Green, there is potential, with planning permission already in place, to extend the kitchen and build above - with space for a fourth bedroom and bathroom, and the potential to create a spectacular kitchen-living space below.

Turning right from the entrance hall, flagstone flooring flows underfoot in the dining room, where the antiquity of the home resonates within the characterful beams displayed within the walls and emblazoning the ceiling overhead. A room made for candlelit suppers and Christmas celebrations, views stretch out over the rear garden complete with its 34 ft deep original well. For an imposing arrival, there is also access through to the original front door from here.

Relax and unwind

Also accessed off the dining room to the right, the sitting room awaits. Carpeted underfoot, with a log-burning stove nestled beneath a broad beam believed to be salvaged from a shipsailing the seas several centuries ago, this is a room rich in comfort and character. Overhead, the ceiling is a showcase of some of the finest beams in the home - centuries-old timbers that criss-cross and span the ceiling with understated grandeur.

To the rear, a peaceful study opens up, tucked away and providing perfect privacy for those working from home, heated by the warmth of another fireplace, complete with log-burning stove. An ideal spot for working, reading or simply watching the seasons turn, French doors provide instant access out to the garden for inspiration breaks.

Character and convenience

Nestled amidst the characterful features of the ground floor is a handy contemporary convenience in the form of a modern cloakroom, freshly fitted in 2023 and furnished with vanity unit wash basin, heated towel radiator and WC.

Upstairs, off the landing, whose quirky angles add a cosy cottage feel, three bedrooms reflect the evolving story of the home, with two recently opened up into the roof pitch to reveal soaring heights and yet more exposed beams, restoring a sense of authenticity to the original structure.

Soak and sleep

The family bathroom, fitted in 2023, combines space and style with a large walk-in shower and a sleek freestanding bath. With a brand new boiler installed in 2024, character at Oulton Lower Green is balanced by a design honed for comfort and ease.

Tucked to the right off the landing, the second bedroom is a tapestry of original beams, full of texture and history and drenched in light from windows to two aspects. Modern wooden stairs lead to a mezzanine level, adding another layer of interest. Currently used for storage, this space is a teenager’s dream den and could be reimagined as a quiet reading nook or elevated study retreat.

Also accessed off the landing, the master bedroom is a restful sanctuary in calming shades of sage green, with a display of exposed beams that nod to centuries past.

OWNER QUOTE: “With homes like this, there’s the sense of being a caretaker.”

Retaining its lowered ceiling, the master bedroom remains lofty and light, brimming with space for wardrobes, and offering uninterrupted countryside views through the rear windows. A loft above, currently boarded and in use, provides additional storage for Christmas decorations and other essentials.

Overflowing with light, dual aspect views await from the third double bedroom, tucked away behind a latched door at the end of the landing.

Garden oasis

Outside, slate chippings frame the patio at the front, installed just five years ago and lit on either side for leisurely evenings that linger into dusk, looking out over the garden to where three striking willows offer pockets of dappled shade in the heat of summer and a large pond offers a haven for nature.

To the rear of the home, amidst a further patio laid in 2020, sits a 34-foot-deep original well, open to the top and now home to fish, sits nearby - a quiet focal point that enhances the home’s storybook setting.

At the foot of the front garden, a brook runs beside an old stone bridge. Beyond it, a further 3.4 acres of grassy garden, currently let for grazing, but with potential for orchard planting or wildflower meadow, stretches out toward the neighbour’s farm.

Out and about

On the edge of open countryside yet with all the essentials within easy reach, Oulton Lowe Green balances rural seclusion with local convenience.

Only ten minutes away, Tarporley’s bustling high street beckons, bursting with pubs, restaurants, boutiques, a Co-op and petrol station - recently ranked among the best places to live in the country. In the opposite direction, Winsford provides larger supermarkets and practical amenities, with Crewe station only 20 minutes away for swift links to London and beyond. Manchester and Liverpool airports are also accessible in around 45 minutes by car.

Outdoor pursuits abound on your doorstep, with walks in the surrounding hills to woodland trails at Oulton Park, to the vast expanses of Delamere Forest. Cholmondeley Castle and Bolesworth Estate are also close for days out, while Chester - just half an hour away - brings Roman heritage, riverside dining, the iconic Storyhouse theatre and a summer of outdoor Shakespeare in Grosvenor Park.

Families are also well catered for, with top-rated primaries at Bunbury and Eaton, Tarporley High School and a strong choice of independents including The Grange in Hartford and King’s and Queen’s in Chester.

A home where children can race through the fields, where pets can roam freely and where garden gatherings can stretch long into the evening with laughter carried on the breeze Oulton Lowe Green is part of the landscape itself, offering a deep sense of peace that can’t be replicated. With history etched into its beams Oulton Lowe Green is a once-in-a-lifetime home, and a legacy for future generations.

Disclaimer

The information Storeys of Cheshire has provided is for general informational purposes only and does not form part of any offer or contract. The agent has not tested any equipment or services and cannot verify their working order or suitability. Buyers should consult their solicitor or surveyor for verification. Photographs shown are for illustration purposes only and may not reflect the items included in the property sale. Please note that lifestyle descriptions are provided as a general indication. Regarding planning and building consents, buyers should conduct their own enquiries with the relevant authorities. All measurements are approximate. Properties are offered subject to contract, and neither Storeys of Cheshire nor its employees or associated partners have the authority to provide any representations or warranties.