Description

Yew Tree Cottage is a delightful detached Victorian cottage, full of character and charm. It is set in a beautiful rural location, overlooking an idyllic stretch of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, and it benefits from 62 feet of canal frontage. The cottage was built in the mid 19th century. In the 1970s the visionary architect John Greaves Smith of the West Midlands Historic Buildings Trust bought the cottage for his own family use, and extended it to create a comfortable home with a warm and welcoming ambience. Smith's architecture has retained many of the cottage's original period features. The present owners have decorated it sympathetically and thoughtfully in a country style which compliments the building perfectly. The subtly painted walls in Farrow & Ball colours and the exposed brickwork provide a perfect backdrop for the present owner's palette of rich fabrics, patchwork and brocade, and huge bookshelves. The cottage benefits from high ceilings throughout, making all the rooms feel spacious and elegant rather than dark and poky. This little oasis feels utterly peaceful and relaxing, yet it is within walking distance of the lively village of Kinver and all its facilities.

Access and Parking

The cottage is accessed via Gibraltar, a private lane discretely tucked away off Dunsley Road. The freehold includes two parking bays in Gibraltar. Please note that there is no vehicular access to the cottage. Parking advice and detailed instructions will be provided for viewings. Visitor parking is not available in Gibraltar without prior agreement.

The private approach to the cottage (for residents and invited guests only) is both peaceful and uplifting. This private route takes you through at a gate at the end of Gibraltar, and follows a footpath through woodland, and alongside the picturesque canal. Passing through another gate, you join the lower and more level part of the public footpath, and continue past Yew Tree House to Yew Tree Cottage. This route is almost level, and bypasses the steeper and narrower section of the public footpath which runs from Dunsley Drive to Horse Bridge Lane.

Viewing is strictly by appointment and NOT available on an ad hoc basis. It is possible to walk along the public footpath from Dunsley Drive to see the outside of the cottage. If you go this way, please note that the upper part of this footpath is quite steep and narrow in places, unlike the private route for residents only, which is wider and more level. If you prefer an easier walk, you can see Yew Tree Cottage from the towpath, which is on the opposite side of the canal.

Services

The cottage offers all necessary conveniences including mains electricity, Fischer ceramic core electric radiators, programmable individual room thermostats, woodburning stoves and fireplaces with a ready source of local accessible free firewood, double or secondary glazing to most windows, a telephone line, and a good internet connection. Mains water is supplied from Kinver pumping station, which extracts water from a borehole in the local sandstone. Drainage is via a private fibre glass onion septic tank housed in the lower garden, a good distance from the house. (A recent report is available).

Front Porch

The front porch is a convenient spot to welcome guests and to keep coats, shoes and boots. It is fully glazed within a substantial wooden framework, and there is a quarry tiled floor.

Snug - 14' 1" x 12' 0"

A wooden door from the porch opens into a cosy and welcoming snug with a quarry tiled floor and beautiful fireplace with a heavy wooden mantel, brick hearth and multifuel stove. The afternoon sun streams in through the original multi paned Victorian window to the front, which looks out over the canal and across the valley to St Peter's Church. The snug is partly open plan to the kitchen, being connected by a large opening. A wooden door opens to the dining hall.

Kitchen - 11' 10" x 10' 4"

The traditional country kitchen has Farrow and Ball 'Pointing' soft white painted units, hardwood worktops, an integrated dishwasher, and a quarry tiled floor. A small wood burning stove lends a cosy touch to this practical space. It is a perfect spot to indulge a love of baking, and you can wash up at the Belfast sink while gazing out at the canal and the view through another pretty Victorian window.

Utility Room - 11' 0" x 10' 7"

A wooden door leads from the kitchen into a large utility room, which has a stainless steel sink and drainer, plumbing for an automatic washing machine, space for a tumble-dryer, ample shelves and cupboards for storage. There is a part glazed stable door and a window to the side with a unique view of a sandstone cliff beside the house. This room has an attractive quarry tiled floor, chequered on the diagonal. Doors lead off the utility room to the cloakroom, the large sandstone cave, and the dining hall.

Cloakroom

A convenient downstairs cloakroom leads off the utility room.

Large Sandstone Cave

A door from the utility room leads straight into one of the amazing sandstone caves which were homes for local labourers and navvies before the cottages were built. This historic cave provides an extraordinary glimpse into the cottage's past. The floor of the cave is of loose sand, and to the side you can see a fascinating old alcove. This area is perfect for storing odds and ends.

Dining Hall - 13' 4" x 12' 10"

The dining hall is a striking 1970s extension with a sloping ceiling with wood cladding, and two large skylight windows. It is fully carpeted, with dramatic exposed brickwork and internal buttresses. It is worth noting the original external Victorian door and window arches still visible in the brickwork. A turning wooden staircase leads up to a galleried landing, which looks down over this unique and quirky room. An opening to the sitting room is covered by a heavy bohemian style curtain.

Small Sandstone Cave

A door to the rear of the dining hall leads to a second, smaller sandstone cave, suitable for storage.

Sitting Room - 16' 5" x 12' 10"

An opening from the dining hall leads into a stunning and spacious sitting room. This is also a 1970s extension to the original cottage. This beautiful fully carpeted room overlooks the valley, with a glazed door and window to the front enjoying amazing views across the canal and river valley to St Peter's Church. The focal point of this charming room is a substantial inglenook fireplace with a cosy multifuel stove.

First Floor Galleried Landing

Stairs rise from the dining hall to the galleried first floor landing. At the end of the landing there is a linen cupboard housing the hot water tank with electric immersion heater. A further corridor off the landing leads to bedrooms 2 and 3. A hatch gives access to the large attic above, which has electric lighting and a skylight window.

Bedroom 1 - 14' 0" x 13' 0"

Bedroom one is part of the 1970s extension, and sits above the sitting room. It is a large bright room with a window to the side, a skylight window, and a glazed door to the rear. The sloping ceiling is clad with wood panelling and there are exposed rafters.

Bedroom 2 - 12' 1" x 10' 0"

Bedroom two is a large double room to the front. Its pretty Victorian window enjoys views over the canal and the valley. An alcove provides additional wardrobe space.

Bedroom 3 - 12' 0" x 10' 2"

Bedroom three is a large double room to the front, again with a Victorian window looking over the canal and valley. There is an attractive cast iron fireplace with a wooden surround, currently unused, but with potential to bring back into use.

Bathroom - 11' 0" x 7' 1"

The bathroom has a four piece suite including a bath, a basin, a toilet, and a bidet, as well as a separate shower cubicle. There are windows to the rear and side.

Garden

The grounds extend to about 0.44 acres. To the rear, steps and pathways lead up through mature woodland, which is carpeted with bluebells in early summer. The owners have levelled out a lawned area half way up, which is a perfect private space to relax, with stunning views towards the local beauty spots of Kinver Edge and the Sheepwalks. Even further up the hill is another level area which is enjoyed by the owner's grandchildren as a 'secret' campground. To the front of the cottage there is a cottage garden with screened patio, lawn, shed and wood storage. A gated fence separates the cottage from the public footpath. Below the footpath is a further large fenced and gated lower garden, which is edged by mature trees. It extends down two flights of steps through lawns and rambling flower beds, to the canal at the bottom of the garden. There is also a further woodstore and a wonderful greenhouse, which is a true gardener's delight. 

Mooring

The owners are in the process of applying for a mooring (both neighbouring properties have mooring history). Enquiries raised with the Canal and River Trust suggest that they would look favourably on an application to moor here. The canal frontage has about 62 feet of armco edging, and if required, any narrowboat moored here could benefit from the external electricity and water points at the cottage.

N.B. All measurements are approximate and provided for guidance and marketing only.

Specifications

Location Map