Where the wooded borders of Delamere Forest meet the fringes of the picturesque Cheshire village of Norley, live life in harmony with nature at The Old Post Office.

Heritage and history

A home with a rich history and heritage, The Old Post Office dates back to 1860, originally a smallholding known as Bank Farm. Wrapped up in over three acres of land, next door to the smallholding was once NatWest Bank, latterly to become the village post office.

Opened up into one home following the closure of the former Post Office, a number of nods to the home’s origins remain; including the retention of the two staircases, creating a quirky flow, and the sorting box, which now resides in one of the workshops.

Renovated and reloved

A home and spacious barn renovated and reloved by its current owners of 22 years, major behind the scenes work has been undertaken to restore The Old Post Office to its period grandeur. With floors, doors, roofs and tiling replaced with loving care (traditional large tiles sourced from Spain to recreate the original farmhouse feel), rooms redecorated, and a kitchen refitted, with new electrics throughout; even the windows have been diligently replaced with hardwood, equal sighted, double glazing by local joiners firm Cheshire Joinery.

Sublime setting

Plumes of purple flowers cascade over the stone walls to the front of The Old Post Office, a precursor to the beautifully maintained gardens that wrap around this unique home.

Pull up on the lengthy driveway, where there is parking for around eight cars in addition to the garage. A home simply built for entertaining, when hosting, a gate at far end of the land provides access via another gate to a field, ideal for extra guest parking.

Make your way to the pillar box red front door, set beneath a sheltered portico entrance, and step inside.

Immediately from the entrance hall, step through to the lounge on the left; a peaceful reading room with quirky angled ceiling and views to the front. Beyond, continue through into the study, where light streams in from front to rear. Underfoot, note the groove in the original parquet flooring, a living imprint of the many patient customers who once waited their turn in front of the Post Office counter.

Warmth and welcome

Turning right from the front door, relax and unwind in the living room. Carpeted in cream, light floods in through the window overlooking the cottage garden at the front. Cosy and warm, snuggle up in front of the log-burning stove and beneath the rustic beams and enjoy a night cap.

Directly ahead along the entrance hall from the front door, sneak a peek at the modern wet room; an accessible space fitted with shower, wash basin and WC. For those with older relatives visiting or residing at The Old Post Office, the study could also serve as a bedroom.

On the right from the wet room, arrive at the practical utility room, tiled underfoot and with plumbing for a washer-dryer and also fitted with storage cabinets and a sink.

Accessible spaces

Returning via the wet room, everyday access out to the garden is available through a rear lobby, which opens to a paved patio, edged in cobbles and planted borders.

From this rear lobby, step through into the living-dining kitchen, a light and bright space where windows and French doors provide perpetual views out over the vast garden. Reflecting the natural hues of the outdoors, shades of blue, green and cream alongside wooden beams feature throughout.

OWNER QUOTE: “It’s a quirky home, every room is a different shape with angles and curves.”

A room in which to while away the hours admiring the everchanging colours and textures of a mature, lovingly tended garden, the kitchen is the hub of the home.

Views to savour

Currently furnished with a modern yet classic Rangemaster and fridge-freezer, composite granite worktops provide hardy surfaces for all your slicing and dicing, whilst rounded edges complete the cabinetry. A bespoke wooden unit sits between the cooker and cabinet, a handy space for chopping boards.

Fitted storage is a clever use of the understairs space in the dining area of the open-plan kitchen-living-dining, where two further windows draw in plenty of daylight. A door to the side reconnects with the living room, adding an easy flow to the downstairs.

From the dining room take the beige, carpeted stairs up to the first-floor landing, where refreshment awaits in the bathroom to the right. Wooden style flooring lies underfoot whilst windows look to the rear and side. Enjoy a rejuvenating soak in the bath with showerhead attachment, after a day cycling the loops and circuits of Delamere Forest and the surrounding countryside. There is also a separate shower cubicle alongside a wash basin, WC and heated towel radiator. Plenty of storage too in the linen closet.

Relaxation awaits

Opposite the stairs, seek sanctuary in the master bedroom, where the incredible arched window provides far reaching views out over the extensive garden and rolling countryside beyond. Additional windows offer views in every direction, over the orchard and vegetable patch and far into the distance as far as Helsby Hill. With fitted wardrobes, this bedroom is large enough to accommodate a king-size bed.

Opening up from the master bedroom is another double bedroom, currently serving as a dressing room, where fitted wardrobes provide storage beneath the gentle arch of the ceiling.

Continue to arrive at a third double bedroom, whose carpeted floor can be peeled back to reveal a trapdoor to the room below. Another quirky trait of this enigmatic home.

Open a solid wood, latched door with attractive hinges to arrive at a second landing, where a second staircase leads down to the main entrance hallway – harking back to the home’s origins as two properties.

Following its own unique shape, with an imposing oak beam overhead, even the transitional areas of this home spark joy as you progress through the home.

OWNER QUOTE: “The doors are a feature in themselves; we still have the original, old fashioned heavy keys to the front door as decoration.”

Cream panelling coats the lower wall of the bathroom, furnished with bath containing overhead shower, wash basin, WC and cream heated towel radiator.

Complete your journey through The Old Post Office by sneaking a peek at the fourth bedroom, accessed by stepping up to a latched door at the end of the landing. Set beneath an angled, oak beam embellished ceiling, the arched, curved chimney breast adds further character. Tucked away at the end of the landing, there is a peaceful ambience to this bedroom.

An English country garden…

Wrapped up in almost four acres of land and gardens, lovingly tended and nurtured over twenty decades, the outdoors at The Old Post Office is as enchanting as within.

South-west facing, soak up the sunshine all day long, before marvelling at the ever-changing sunset glow over layers of fields and trees and out to the horizon; comfortably enjoyed from the patio, kitchen-dining room and arched window of the master bedroom.

Recline and unwind on the patio with bubbling fountain and natural stone compass, outside the kitchen, which extends out before the large, flat, L-shaped lawn area. Three separate areas of native, planted woodland grant the garden structure and texture, serving to create separate garden ‘rooms’, softer than fencing, guiding you around the different spaces.

Dipping down, discover a wildlife pond, a haven for nature and home to a range of species, including herons, ducks and the protected crested newt.

Stroll on, beneath boughs weighty with blossom before emerging into an orchard brimming with pear, plum and apples of both eating and baking varieties.

Behind the barn discover another secret garden with a greenhouse. Across the garden, to the right discover a flat and fertile, vegetable plot with four large beds and surrounded by a continuous bed that runs around, home to strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and rhubarb. Mature rhododendrons of a variety of colours provide shelter.

The Party Barn

If the weather takes a turn for the worse at your summer garden party, migrate to the stunning barn. Another building which has seen extensive refurbishment by the current owners, with three walls rebuilt to the original Cheshire brick design, reroofed and furnished with recreation porthole barn windows, practical rooms downstairs are used for storage, with a party space upstairs.

On the ground floor, perfect for those with equestrian pursuits, there is stabling and horse troughs, alongside a bike shed, car port and wood shed.

Upstairs discover a party room, open-plan yet zoned with small partition walls to form a seating area, middle room and entertaining space. Eclectically carpeted above the wooden floor, this rewired expanse contains sockets and lighting.

OWNER QUOTE: “We’ve had a live band at one end, a bar in the middle and dancing at the other end.”

On your doorstep

Situated on the edge of Norley, The Old Post Office is roughly half a mile from the centre of the village, where you can find a village hall, shop and local pub, The Tiger’s Head. This home is also perfectly poised within easy reach of the neighbouring village of Kingsley.

Within a half mile walk, run or cycle from Delamere Forest, enjoy all the tracks and trails of Cheshire’s largest woodland. From orienteering to GoApe, Segway and horse riding, Delamere Forest is ideal for outdoor lovers of all ages (youngsters are sure to love the Zog activity trail).

Further afield, enjoy climbing on Helsby Hill, or bouldering and climbing between Helsby and Frodsham. Run the Sandstone Trail or enjoy a relaxing stroll down to the River Weaver (where you can also enjoy a spot of canoeing at Acton Bridge).

Cycle out to the pretty villages of Malpas, Kingsley and Crowton and sample the ales at the local country pubs. Head out to the Welsh borders, for an ascent of Moel Famau, the highest hill in the Clwydian Range, only 40 minutes from The Old Post Office.

Catch a bus into Northwich, Weaverham and Frodsham, from the nearby crossroads. Commuters are conveniently served by train links from the Delamere station a mile away, linking you to Chester and Manchester.

An ideal home for equestrian enthusiasts, the large field provides a perfect pasture for a smallholding of any kind, with the barn facilities ideal for horses, goats or sheep.

The Old Post Office is an utterly unique and quirky Cheshire home filled with history. Perfectly suited to an outdoor loving couple, growing family or those with multigeneration living needs. Experience the ultimate in rural living, with manicured grounds in a lovingly restored home.

The Old Post Office is a home that offers fun, fulfilment and enjoyment for all.

OWNER QUOTE: “You have the space to do what you want to do. If you enjoy nature then you’ll enjoy this house - it’s all around you.”

** Whilst every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the fixtures and fittings mentioned throughout, items included in sale are to be discussed at the time of offering **