New Beaupre House, St Hilary, The Vale of Glamorgan

Nestled in the Vale of Glamorgan, this handsome Grade II-listed Georgian house sits overlooking undulating fields and woodland. Built c. 1820, the building is defined by its sweeping Regency proportions and light-filled rooms that unfold with airy charm. Its plan stretches to over 7,000 sq ft and includes a series of generous reception rooms and six bedrooms. Surrounding gardens of 3.43 acres create a feel of peaceful remove and are filled with mature trees that provide plenty of spots to seek shady refuge beneath on a summer’s day.

Setting the Scene

The house is nestled among the hills in the rural Vale of Glamorgan. The nearest village is St Hilary, home to the Grade II*-listed Church of St Hilary and The Bush Inn, a public house dating back to the 16th century.

Built at the tail-end of the Georgian period, the house demonstrates many of the era’s architectural hallmarks. Its impressive two-storey, double-pile Regency façade is enclosed by single-storey wings housing a wine cellar, storage, laundry and annexe apartment. Built from rubble with a Welsh slate roof, the house has two gable-end chimney stacks, and stone voussoir arches that accent the doors and sash windows. The rear elevation of the 19th-century wing is rendered, with a lead veranda extending across the entire rear aspect.

The Grand Tour

New Beaupre is accessed via a private, unadopted road that winds through woodland. Wrought-iron gates open onto a secluded driveway, which leads to the rear of the plan and provides a generous paved area for parking along with a triple garage.

The front door leads onto an arched cross-passage entry hall with a corresponding doors onto the opposing end of the house. Stone flags run underfoot and there is cloakroom tucked under the stairs. On one side of the plan is a formal dining room picked out in rosy tones, and to the front of the plan is a drawing room centred around a grand slate fireplace with a cast-iron grate. A bay with French doors leads out to the veranda. From the veranda – and indeed all of the window along the front of the plans – there are stunning views of the rural Welsh landscape.

A large, well-equipped kitchen lies across the hall, with white-painted bespoke joinery and a striking granite countertop. The room spills into an airy morning room, where French doors provide passage to a veranda. With plenty of space for a large farmhouse table, the bright, cheery room is papered in ‘Chrysanthemum Toile’ by William Morris and Co and has an original cast-iron grate in the fire breast.

A second entrance hall with a back-passage staircase extends from the kitchen. There is a useful utility space here, perfect for overflow entertaining or for arranging freshly cut flowers from the grounds.

A smaller living room, which the current owners use as a film-watching snug, also takes in the countryside views. There is a back sitting room space beyond; a later addition, it is affectionally known as ‘The Joiner’ by the current owners as it links the house to the annexe wing, second cloakroom and laundry room.

Stairs from the primary entrance hall ascend to the first-floor landing, which has five bedrooms arranged around a central hall. The expansive primary bedroom is positioned long the front of the plan – a spot that affords especially enviable views. It is completed by a walk-in wardrobe and large bathroom with twin basins.

Of the further four bedrooms, three are en suite. There is also a separate bathroom, and there is plenty of storage space in the attic above.

The annexe wing comprises a bright garden room, a pretty bedroom and a bathroom. The garden room forms the border of a second large Italianate courtyard. A series of windows and a set of French doors open out onto this exquisitely planted space.

The Great Outdoors

Expansive grounds of around 3.43 acres emanate around New Beaupre House, rooting it in its serenely bucolic and peaceful landscape.

A lush lawn adorns the entrance to New Beaupre and has two stunning beech trees of colossal stature, one a handsome copper variety. Along the other side of the drive is a kitchen garden with raised beds, a traditional greenhouse, a spacious potting shed and a wood store.

To the front of the plan, a large south-facing garden and lawn stretches out in front of the sprawling veranda. A ha-ha sedately delineates bordering farmland and creates unbroken views. A wisteria has been carefully trained to take advantage of the sheltered south facade and mature buxus and magnolia anchor planted borders.

A courtyard in an Italianate style is tucked alongside two sides of the house. Here, a mature buxus knot garden has been planted around a water feature. Bulbs such as tulips begin peaking through in early spring followed by clematis, hostas, cat mint, irises and a variety of herbs which burst into bloom throughout the summer and into early autumn.

There is a large, three-bay garage with electricity connection. A wood shed completes the outdoor areas.

Out and About

Despite its feel of remove, Cowbridge, one of the “best places to live in Wales” according to The Times, is a mile away from the house and has plenty of restaurants, cafés and shops. Forage Farm Shop and Kitchen is a family-run business with agriculture at its core, serving fresh food made from local produce. Local favourites also include Penny Farthing, The Bear, and Elephant and Bun deli.

The coast is only 10 miles away with the seaside village of Ogmore-by-Sea, Southerndown beach, and the cliffs of Llantwit Major offering particularly spectacular landscapes. Bannau Brycheiniog National Park is a wonderful destination for long-distance walking, cycling, and outdoor activities immersed in nature. Similarly, the Gower National Landscape is a Designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with a rich and diverse scenery award-winning beaches, marshes and cliffs.

Cowbridge has two primary schools, Ysgol Iolo Moganwg and Y Bont Faen Primary School. Plenty more options are available in nearby Cardiff, including the well-regarded Bishop of Llandaff Church in Wales High School, Cardiff High School, Stanwell School and Howell’s GDST.

There is access by car to the national motorway network via the A48. Cardiff is the nearest city with direct Railway routes from its central station to London Paddington in two hours. Cardiff Airport can be reached in 15 minutes by bar. Swansea and Bristol are both around an hour away by car.

Council Tax Band: E