4 bed semi-detached house for sale

Ayot St. Lawrence, Welwyn AL6

Summary:
Bryan Bishop and Partners are delighted to bring to the market this absolutely enchanting country cottage in an idyllic location, surrounded by open countryside and just metres away from the ruins of the original 12th century Norman church in the lovely and sought after village of Ayot St. Lawrence. Built in 1850 as one of a pair, this delightful house has been sympathetically extended over time but cleverly retains all of the original features, and now offers four bedrooms and four bathrooms spread across the main cottage and two absolutely stunning annexe buildings within the grounds. The grounds themselves are a woodland wonder, sitting harmoniously within the natural topography of the land, with an ornamental pond, stone colonnade, a shady pergola and multiple patios, paths and lawns interspersed with a huge variety of mature shrubs and trees, topped off by a quite superb elevated decking terrace overlooking the whole area. It is as though you have hiked through the woods and just happened upon this place in a clearing - simply joyous!

Accommodation:
True to the period the wide front door, sheltered by a decorative porch, opens directly into the living room. Nicely square in shape, this room absolutely overflows with authentic charm from the exposed structural beams in the walls and ceiling, which is boosted further by the brick central chimney which is double sided through to the dining room and boasts a glorious and unusual twin fronted wood burner. There is a nice easy flow around this whole property and that is readily apparent in the living room, which links around both sides of the central fireplace into the adjacent dining room, as well as having a door into the kitchen.

The dining room is a light, bright space thanks to the front facing french doors and a side facing window, as well as benefiting from the abundant light that flows through uninterrupted from the glass roofed family room to the rear. Attractive stone tiles grace the floor, matching with the rest of the ground floor rooms, while the open pitch to the roof works well with the semi open plan layout and the fabulous double sided fireplace to give it a spacious, airy and open feel.

Occupying the rear corner of the house in spectacular style, and linking perfectly from the dining room to the kitchen, is the family room. Built in a way that integrates harmoniously with the rest of the house, this is a delightful space with abundant solid wood beams supporting the glass roof as well as acting as individual roof trusses. Traditional craftsmanship of the highest order is clearly on display for all to see and it is an absolute triumph, bringing unhindered natural daylight into the dining room and kitchen as well as providing a lovely place for socialising.

The other side of a decoratively panelled substantial breakfast bar is the kitchen. Again, this room links nicely through to the rest of the house, with open access from the family room, a door through to the living room and the stairs climbing up to the first floor behind an open stud wall. The kitchen itself is compact and neatly configured to make the most of the space available. A good range of wall and floor mounted cupboards give ample storage, whilst incorporating an array of integrated appliances in a clever ergonomic layout. The kitchen extends through to a rear facing utility area, ready for additional appliances to sit neatly under a further worktop.

To the rear of the kitchen there is a really useful ground floor bathroom with a shower attachment and screen over the bath, which will also act as a conveniently placed guest cloakroom.
Upstairs there are two bedrooms separated from each other by a stylish set of bi-fold doors, and a smart shower room. The main bedroom has a clean, elegant style with white painted beams and a lovely exposed brick chimney breast, whilst both rooms boast fitted wardrobes and painted wooden floorboards.

Adjoining the garage is an annexe, incorporating a double bedroom with an en suite shower room, as well as an office with double doors out into the garden. Subject to any necessary consents, the garage could readily be connected through to the bedroom and be incorporated into the rest of the living space of the annexe, as it already has a door into the office. Currently the office is being put to great use as a playroom, but it really typifies the incredibly flexible and adaptable nature of this wonderful home. Labelling the rooms in the main house and the two annexes is really a pointless exercise. Start with an extensive blank canvas and make them whatever you wish them to be. The possibilities are almost endless and this delightful property will bring them to life for you.
In the upper part of the garden is the other annexe, built in an impressive chalet style, with a fully timber clad interior giving a lovely warm and welcoming feel, and at the same time celebrating the architectural structure on display. The exterior is of dark wood under a tiled roof that acts as perfect camouflage, really embedding the building into the abundant planting that surrounds it. The main room, beneath the superb vaulted ceiling, is open plan to allow the maximum flexibility as to how you furnish and layout the space. Windows to three separate aspects ensure the room is kept light and bright, ably enhanced by multiple sets of fully glazed double doors and a spectacular bay containing doors and full height windows that look out onto the delightful terrace and the garden below. At one end of the building a glorious mezzanine floor provides a wonderful bedroom space, whilst cleverly enabling the enclosed area below it to be utilised as a well specified kitchen and a simply stunning bathroom, complete with a free standing roll top bath and a separate shower.

Exterior:
The frontage is a delight, an absolutely perfect representation of a "chocolate box" cottage, with a white picket fence around the front garden which features a neat block paved pathway running up to the front door before sweeping across the house to the french doors of the dining room. Set around the neat lawn are borders with a host of colours, shapes and textures within the creative planting, with climbing plants giving a lovely soft effect as they meander over the windows.

There is separate rear access to the garage and garden. The grounds are a good size, and an interesting shape, with changes of level clearly presenting even more creative opportunities to the talented person who designed and built this wonderful place. Gravel, decorative paving and timber decking sit alongside each other, creating an intricate pattern of pathways and open spaces, with multiple separate seating areas ensuring you can always find sun or shade, whatever the time of day. Above it all, sitting atop a wonderful shaded area, is the glorious treetop terrace. What an incredible place to spend time, relaxing, dining, or hanging out with friends and family, taking in the enchanting view of the gardens below, as well as the open countryside stretching off into the distance. It would be very easy to imagine that at any moment exotic wild animals may wander in to drink from the waterhole!

Location:
This charming property enjoys a fabulous location, being in a quiet rural setting, yet within easy reach of the vibrant villages of Welwyn, Wheathampstead and Codicote and a short drive away from the A1(M) that provides excellent links both north and south and a fast connection to the M1 and M25. Welwyn North and Harpenden stations provide regular fast services into central London, making this an easy commute as well as the property itself being ideal for work from home.

Buyers Information:
In compliance with the UK's Anti Money Laundering (aml) regulations, we are required to confirm the identity of all prospective buyers at the point of an offer being accepted and use a third party, Identity Verification System to do so. There is a nominal charge of £48 (per person) including VAT for this service. For more information, please refer to the terms and conditions section of our website.