Privately positioned, The Old Smithy in Whitegate is rural, but not remote. Once the smithy to the Vale Royal Estate, it has been transformed into a light-filled family home, with well-stocked gardens and versatile rooms.

Light-filled living

Nestled where woodland and fields converge, The Old Smithy is a local landmark. Once a working smithy, it had been overseen by three generations of the Holland family throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, before converting to residential use in the 1960s.

Arrive at The Old Smithy along a narrow lane, where a driveway leads to parking and an integral garage.

Whitewashed walls and rambling roses offer a traditional cottage feel, making your way to the front door.

Garden views

Light and bright, emerging into the entrance hallway, a glazed door ahead provides instant views of the large, lawned garden, framed by peach rambling roses for an enchanting first impression. Seagrass carpet extends underfoot, continuing up the staircase on the right, for a 21st century cottage flavour.

Make your way left, through into the dining room, where exposed beams contrast with the soft blue walls, and a large window draws in light from the front.

OWNER QUOTE: “All the principal rooms have a view of the garden – it’s a very light and airy home, with lots of windows.”

Connect with an inner hallway off the dining room, leading to a ground floor bedroom on the left. Overlooking the driveway to the front, this peaceful room is dressed in soft shades of blue. Featuring attractive fitted bookshelves, the bedroom could also be used as a study. A versatile space, perfect for working from home and ideal as a private guest suite or even accessible ground floor living perhaps for an older relative, it is situated next door to the shower room.

Recently refurbished, this room of refreshment is beautifully wallpapered and furnished with WC, wash basin, heated towel radiator and elegantly tiled shower cubicle.

Relax and unwind

Light streams into the inner hallway through large windows, making your way along into the bright and airy lounge. Windows to two sides fill this spacious room with light, overlooking the lane along one side and providing instant access to the patio and landscaped garden via French doors.

Bright and inviting in the summer sunshine, this room also comes to life in the winter months, a cosy haven filled with warmth from the coal fire, and ideal for entertaining.

Retracing your steps along the hallway, cross the entrance hall and step down to discover the utility room behind a quaint latched door on the right, with storage, an undermounted sink, clothes airer, heated towel radiator and plumbed for washer and dryer.

On the left, ample storage is available on the shelves in the understairs, before arriving at the spacious family kitchen ahead.

The hub of the home

The heart of the home, classic cream cupboards and drawers afford plenty of storage space in this stylish, solid wood Hetherington Newman kitchen. Furnished with an array of top of the range Gaggenau appliances, including an oven, microwave-combi oven, warming drawer, gas hob and dishwasher, entertain family and friends with ease.

Opening up to the light-filled, triple-aspect dining-sitting room beyond, providing views of the garden through the bay window, step out through the French doors for alfresco dining on the patio.

Sleep tight

Reconnect with the entrance hall and take the stairs up to the first-floor landing, where the master bedroom can be found on the left. A peaceful room, wake up to leafy views over the manicured garden. Fitted wardrobes provide plenty of storage, with rustic original beams overhead.

Fitted wardrobes also feature on the spacious landing, off which lies the large family bathroom, filled with light from large windows overlooking the garden. Plenty of storage can be found in the vanity unit beneath the wash basin, with a WC, bath containing overhead shower and heated towel radiator also fitted.

At the end of the landing, to the rear discover a third double bedroom, with built-in wardrobes and carpeted in cream underfoot. Light and airy, the high sloping ceiling meets with a large window framing views of the leafy foliage of the garden.

Next door, bedroom four is a mirror image, with high sloping ceiling, built-in storage and views out to the lane at the front.

Planting dreams…

Nurtured for over four decades, admire the beauty of the garden from the patio of The Old Smithy, where enormous blooms of hydrangea add a clean crisp burst of linen white in mid-summer. Landscaped lawn is tucked behind well-stocked, mature borders, offering seasonal colour and interest throughout the year.

Enveloped in established beech hedging, marking the turn of the seasons, this safe and secure garden is a joy for all ages, with ample space for children to play.

Near and far

Step out along the lane and discover woodland walks leading to the Whitegate Way. Walks extend in all directions from the home; follow the lane through the village and past Vale Royal Abbey and towards the river.

With four pubs within a walking distance of between 20 minutes and one hour, there is ample opportunity to pause and rehydrate on your rambles.

Close to the villages of Cuddington, Sandiway and Hartford, there are ample shops, takeaways, hairdressers and other amenities close by.

With a village Church of England Primary School at the end of the lane, The Old Smithy is well placed for families, whilst in nearby Hartford there is a range of primary, secondary and independent schools including the well-respected Grange.

Commute with convenience from Hartford Station, just two miles away with its connections to London and Liverpool, or from Cuddington, also roughly two miles away, offering links to Manchester and Chester.

With spacious rooms boasting glorious garden views and an abundance of surprising storage throughout, The Old Smithy is a fantastic family home, whilst also being equally endearing to a couple. Cosy, homely, spacious and embracing, The Old Smithy retains its status as a forever home…even once the flock has flown.

** 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 **