Shaw Bridge, Kiln Road, Newbury, RG14

There are few things as pleasurable as watching a family of swans leisurely drifting past a wild trout lazing in the crystal-clear waters of your very own stretch of beautiful chalk stream.

This idyllic setting comes with a charming, freshly updated, 100-year-old three-bedroom cottage. All just a short walk from Newbury and an even shorter walk to your essential amenities. 

Intro 

This is a delightful spot to enjoy a fresh start, a new larger or smaller home, or simply to achieve a long-held dream of having your own stretch of chalk stream with plentiful gardens. All with a welcoming micro-community of friendly neighbours.

Outside

The first house in this three-home terrace welcomes you with a unique front garden – more on that later – and a smart part-glazed security-conscious front door. To the left of the house is a side access to the rear courtyard.

Entrance

The entrance hall/lobby has space for coats and shoes, with stairs up to the first floor and a door to the right into the sitting room.

Sitting room

Filled with light from the expansive west-facing windows, which look out onto the large front garden, this spacious sitting room has a wonderfully calm feel. The warm engineered oak flooring will last and look great for years.

The shallow chimney breast, which could easily take a feature fireplace, articulates the room while the two other walls offer plenty of options for how you might want to arrange your furniture. Big L-shaped sofa against one wall. Two matching sofas in a conversational configuration. Perhaps a table or chaise longue against the window to make the most of the garden views.   

Kitchen/diner

This smart, newly fitted kitchen has quartz worktops and upstand, tiled splashbacks that contrast beautifully with the minimalist, handleless cabinetry. The hardwearing, easy clean vinyl flooring extends to the backdoor and cloakroom.

The hob gas hob is Bosch. The cooker hood vents to outside to properly dispel steam and smells. The 1½ bowl sink and drainer is Franke. And hidden from view, you have a built-in 60/40 fridge freezer and dishwasher. There’s even a large walk-in cupboard, perfect for use as a pantry and storage.

The kitchen is large enough to allow you to arrange it to suit the way you live. Add shelves to the recess for a wall of cookbooks and display space, with a generous dining table for sociable family meals. Perhaps fill the dividing wall with a feature dresser, to contrast the modern minimalist units. Or you could opt for a contemporary fold-down table to keep the space and your options open.  

Hallway

Filled with light from the half-glazed UPVC back door, this is a light bright second entrance to the house. This also makes and an ideal mini-boot room, keeping the main entrance hall free from too many coats, and the sitting room floor safe from muddy boots.

Cloakroom

An unusually spacious cloakroom has a new close-coupled toilet and handbasin with mono-tap, and a single radiator for warmth and warm towels. There’s also space and provision to plumb in a washer/dryer, keeping laundry and noise away from the main living space of the house.

Rear garden

The courtyard garden, with large period brick built coal store has heaps of potential. The coal store could be used to store lawn mowers and gardening tools. Or it could be replaced with planting or a patio or, with the relevant approval, provide off-street parking.   

The real point is that you don’t need it to be a garden at all, with the unique and spacious riverside garden to the front of the house.  

UPSTAIRS

To the top of the stairs, the landing has doors to two double bedrooms, one single bedroom and the family bathroom. 

Main bedroom

Looking out to the front of the house, this is a lovely light, bright, well-sized double bedroom.

You have choices where to position the bed, with space for a wardrobe, chest of drawers and bedside tables. With a view to the west from the wide and low window, you’ll enjoy some wonderful sunset views over the historic mill.

Second bedroom

Looking out to the rear garden, this is another good-sized light, bright double bedroom with scope for a free-standing wardrobe, chest of drawers and bedside cabinets. To one corner is a cupboard housing the Potterton combi boiler, with additional shelving space.

Third bedroom

The smallest of the three bedrooms, this single could make a charming nursery, child’s bedroom or great home office. Looking eastward over the courtyard garden, this room captures the morning sun.

Family bathroom

Freshly refitted, this boutique hotel-inspired bathroom really speaks to this lovely home’s potential.

The feature stone-effect tiles contrast beautifully with the clean white walls and ceiling. Above the bath, with its mixer tap and shower attachment, is a riser bar for hands-free showering. The basin sits atop a clean white vanity unit, beneath the obscured glass window, making the most of the natural light. While a double radiator efficiently heats the room and keep towels toasty warm.

Good to know

The windows have all been relatively recently replaced with good quality vented, double-glazed units with keys. Radiators are mostly doubles, with thermostatic valves for added control and efficiency. Doors are secure uPVC. The Potterton combi-boiler ensures fast on-demand hot water. 

Garden

The real star of this house has to be the large garden. Split into two sections, you have a pretty front garden with lawn, flower beds and mature shrubs & bushes directly in front.

But use your right of way to cross your neighbours’ garden to your other patch – and you have 50 meters curving along the shallow, gently-flowing chalk stream River Lambourn.

 

Chalk streams are internationally prized and highly sought after. The mineral-rich water stays at a fairly constant temperature year-round and provides an incredible habitat for plants and animals. Take a moment to look out for a dart of iridescent blue kingfisher, the dance of damselflies and dragonflies, a shimmer of wild trout and grayling. Or listen out for the rustle and splash of ducks, swans, moorhens and the occasional visiting egret.

The established planting could be nurtured into great shape and vibrant colour, with a little care. The open style of garden creates a lovely expansive feel.

Situation

Mill View Cottages is a 1925 terrace of three late-Edwardian style homes, that sits back from the meeting of Kiln Road and Shaw Road, in a historic area to the north of the town.

Over the road from the cottage is the beautiful Old Mill, now a house, that dates to the 18^th century. It sits on a site that has housed several mills before it, two of which were referenced as far back as 1386. 

The beautiful Elizabethan Shaw House is just over 5 minutes’ walk away, while Vodafone’s headquarters is about a 16 minute walk.

You don’t have to go far for amenities. Your nearest pub is just over the road. You have two convenience stores within stone’s throw, and  Aldi, Lidl, Tesco and Waitrose all between 12 and 20 minutes by foot, or a few minutes by car.

It typically takes just over 10-minutes to stroll into Newbury with its choice of shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants. Within and around the town there are cinemas, theatres, arts and music venues, social centres, Newbury RFC, golf courses, gyms, horse riding stables, canoeing, a racecourse and so much more.

The unique Watermill Theatre, which sits further upstream on the same River Lambourn as this cottage, is a couple of miles away, while in the opposite direction you have the nationally renowned Living Rainforest.   

Transport links

By car

Mill View Cottage has unbeatable transport connections. The A339 is your route to most other routes. Heading north, it takes you to the A34 and Oxford, Birmingham and the closer M4, which links you to London or Bristol, Bath and Wales. Head south and it takes you to Andover and the A34, which links you to Winchester and the south coast.

By train

The railway station in Newbury links you to London, Cardiff in the west and via Reading, with the Elizabeth line, to most of the country, including Heathrow and Gatwick airports. 

Schooling

According to West Berkshire Council, the school catchments are:

Primary. The Winchcombe School, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary.

Secondary. Trinity School.

In addition, there’s a wide range of private schooling available, including: Cheam, Elstree, Downe House, St. Gabriel’s, Brockhurst & Marlston House, Horris Hill, Thorngrove, Marlborough College and Bradfield College.

Services

Heating and hot water are via a mains gas fired combi boiler.

Mains water, sewerage and electricity.

Connectivity

Broadband, according to Openreach, is Ultrafast Fibre at up to 1800 Mbps.

Mobile. According to Vodafone, their 5G ultra service is “Good indoors and outdoors”.

Council

The local authority is West Berkshire Council. The Council Tax band is C.

Tenure

Freehold

EPC rating: C. Tenure: Freehold,