Beehive Cottage, Berkswell, West Midlands

This 17th-century, Grade II-listed cottage sits ensconced by its pretty garden plot in the centre of the delightful former estate village of Berkswell. Timber-framed and topped with a thatched roof, it has a characterful chocolate-box appeal and has been lovingly restored by its current owners, who have added exposed lime plaster walls and a pared-back colour scheme. A lovely home office sits in the garden and there is convenient off-road parking in front.

Setting the Scene

Berkswell derives from the Anglo Saxon ‘Berculswell’, alluding to the substantial ancient spring-fed well (called Bercul’s Well) still intact near the 12th-century church yard of St John Baptist. The village is a conservation area, preserving the wonderful local vernacular architecture as well as the Grade II-listed old village stocks and 17th century ashlar stock pound. There is also a very popular local primary school and a thriving village community supported by groups such as The Berkswell Society.

Well located, Beehive Cottage is 35 minutes’ drive from Stratford-upon-Avon. The delights of the tranquil north Cotswold countryside are easily reached, while the bustle of Birmingham city centre is just over half an hour away. Berkswell rail station is a delightful 15-20 minute walk on public footpaths from the house and has fast services to London Euston, via Coventry, in just over an hour.

The Grand Tour

Approached along a country lane leading to a village hub crossroads, the house’s pretty thatched roof and black and white façade peaks hedges of native holly and hawthorn.

Entry is to a baffle entrance plan, with the inviting sitting room opening out on one side. A large fireplace hearth paved with clay pamment tiles now houses a modern Clearview wood burner. The room is encased by white-painted timber-framed walls that amplify the light drawn in through double-aspect windows. A substantial oak chamfered beam runs overhead and has been left unpainted with its natural patina.

A timber stable-style door leads onto a rear patio and direct access to the garden. Through an adjoining door there is a guest suite, which is home to a charming en suite bedroom.

On the opposite side of the plan is a charming dining nook, kitchen and larder. Centred around a red Rayburn range within the original beamed fire breast, the units are the work of a cabinet maker who specialises in kitchens for boats and ships. As a result, space is cleverly optimised and especially generous for a period home.

Built-in L-shaped seating is perfect for informal and formal occasions, and there is a larder area to the rear with separate garden access and room for coats and boots. A butler’s sink immediately outside the back door is ideal for muddy dogs or for rinsing hands after a potting session.

A good-sized principal bedroom lies upstairs, with casement windows that take in views of the village and allotments to the front and the garden and fields at the rear. A large bathroom adjoins and is complete with a roll-top bath and useful built-in storage.

Tucked away, the garden office is fully insulated and has electricity and is equipped with high-speed fibre broadband, making for convenient and private working-from-home.

The Great Outdoors

The south-facing garden wraps around the house and is full of mature plants. There is a paved and pea-gravelled patio area immediately to the rear of the house that leads out onto a lawn overlooking fields.

The garden has been landscaped so as to provide a number of sheltered seating areas, each receiving sunlight at different points throughout the day. There are beds of perennial blooms and an assortment of well-tended fruit trees. Dense, thriving shrubbery ensures privacy along the borderlines of the plot and a sense of remove from neighbouring homes. There is an area of raised vegetable beds as well as a polytunnel greenhouse – perfect for starting off the growing season early. A garden shed completes the plot.

In front of the house is a gated parking area with space for two or three cars.

Out and About

Berkswell village is well served with a charming local coffee shop café, The Nook, and The Bear Inn pub, both a short walk from the house. Further amenities can be found at nearby Balsall Common, a few minutes’ drive away, including the popular farm shop, Oakes Farm Shop, and several other grocers, pubs, cafes and shops.

The University of Warwick is a short 10-minute drive away. Kenilworth is a 15-minute drive away and is home to a Waitrose as well as an even greater array of shops and services.

There is good walking to be found from the front door with multiple public foot paths direct from the house, many of which can be found here. Berkswell is a popular stopping point along the Millennium Way walk, as well. The celebrated West Midlands Golf Course and Kenilworth Golf Club are both nearby.

There is a rail station in Berkswell which provides both direct and faster trains connecting at Coventry to London Euston as well as Birmingham, Birmingham International (for Airport and NEC) and Coventry. The station at Coventry is a 20-minute drive away and provides an excellent choice of connections to Birmingham, London, Shrewsbury, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Council Tax Band: D