Church Street, Welwyn

Summary:
Bryan Bishop and Partners are delighted to bring to the market this gorgeous 2271 sq ft Grade II listed four bedroom, two bathroom house which includes a separate detached 903 sq ft three bedroom, two bathroom annexe arranged over two storeys, "The Barn", set within its grounds. Rarely do properties of such historical interest come to the market, particularly in such a desirable village centre location, and with a good sized garden and off street parking. This wonderful residence was originally built in the 17th century as a coaching inn, hence the fabulous cellar, with later modifications in the 18th and 19th centuries. Now it is a warm and comfortable home absolutely bursting with authentic character and charm, displaying a wonderful amalgam of original features and modern facilities. Enjoying generous gardens compared to other houses in similar locations, along with private parking and a detached annexe, with its own garden, that could serve as a part of the property or be utilised to generate some valuable income, this is a rare opportunity not to be
missed.

Accommodation:
Let's start with the cellar, a quite stunning conversion of the original storage area for beer and wine serving the inn above. This wonderful space runs the full depth of the house, with internal access from the corner of the lounge via a beautifully crafted wrought iron spiral staircase as well as separate direct access from outside down a flight of external stone steps. Exposed brickwork and structural timbers abound, as well as the original arched roof and scattered preserved remnants of stairways and alcoves, bringing a wonderful authentic charm to this superb entertainment space. It is currently housing a large dining table and a modern bar area that perfectly complements the aged materials around it.

On the ground floor the rooms follow a delightfully varied path as they link together through the house, with curves, diagonals and offset exterior walls that typify buildings of this age and serve as a wonderful antidote to modern box houses. It is just charming throughout, and has clearly been modernised with a deep understanding of the value of tradition as well as a superb aesthetic appreciation.

The front door opens into a charming lobby, complete with decorative stained glass panels, which opens into the living room. This is a good sized room, well lit by two front facing windows, and of course it just oozes character with a wealth of exposed beams on display. To the front is a separate seating area, with the spiral staircase leading down into the cellar, and at its centre is a wonderful old inglenook with a gorgeous metal hood set into it, above an ornate and decorative cast iron basket with an embossed back plate.

From the living room a short hallway runs past the stylish stairwell and into the kitchen. This is a lovely room with multiple windows to different aspects keeping it light and bright, and with a useful part-glazed door leading directly out into the rear garden. Being graced with a range of wall and floor mounted Shaker style fitted units, as well as the clever use of open shelving, ensures the contemporary kitchen sits well in this more modern part of the house, whilst still comfortably integrating with the older adjacent rooms. Ample food preparation area is provided by the worktops over the base units, with all the necessary spaces allowed for the usual kitchen appliances, whilst still leaving abundant open floor space for a large kitchen table and chairs. Adjacent to the kitchen is a good sized and ideally placed utility/laundry room with additional storage space and its own window to the side. This room is currently giving a good service multi-tasking as an office also. To the rear of the kitchen is the family room, nicely proportioned and well lit by windows to two aspects and benefiting from a super log burner set into an exposed brick fireplace and hearth. What a charming room to spend time together as a family, and plenty large enough for multiple sofas and comfortable chairs.

Upstairs there are four bedrooms, all of which have fitted cupboards, and a family bathroom with separate bath and shower. All of the rooms are full of character, with period doors and fabulous ceiling shapes that follow the outside architecture of the roof. The main bedroom has two windows, one of which is a lovely bay style looking out on the front, as well as a neat en suite shower room.
To the rear of the main house is "The Barn", a three bedroom, two bathroom detached house set within the grounds, and with separate access along the driveway directly out onto Church St. This is a more modern building than The Old Chequers but still bursting with character, both inside and out. The ground floor boasts a large square sitting room with plenty of light coming in through the window to the rear and the large bay window at the front. This opens directly onto the good sized kitchen/dining room, again well lit by generous windows at both ends of the room. There is ample worktop space and storage within the fitted part of the kitchen, with the remainder left as open floor space, and certainly spacious enough to accommodate a large dining table. Beyond the kitchen is a useful ground floor bedroom with a modern en suite shower room, but this bedroom would make a great office/study if the bedroom was not required. Upstairs are two delightful bedrooms, both with attractive architectural features within the ceiling layout, and both well lit by large dormer windows. One of the bedrooms enjoys a lovely walk-through dressing room leading to a neat shower room beyond.

Exterior:
With a super, period frontage, complete with multiple windows of different sizes and shapes this 17th century house is everything it should be in terms of authentic charm. The unusual and special facilities it possesses however, such as private parking, generous rear garden, and detached three bedroom annexe, also make it a practical and appealing proposition for modern living, which is not always the case for houses of this age and location. The lovely decoration of the men playing chequers adorning the front corner, whilst a modern addition, serves to illustrate and celebrate its heritage in fine style. To the side the driveway leads to a large enclosed courtyard garden which extends right around the rear of the main house and back along the sheltered side, giving access down into the cellar. The Barn also enjoys a lovely enclosed private garden to the rear, with a door out into it from the sitting room.

Location:
This charming property is ideally located in the centre of Welwyn Village, which has a thriving and bustling central area with a wide range of shops, pubs and restaurants as well as doctors and dentists. More extensive facilities are to be found in Welwyn Garden City, just 3 miles to the south. Welwyn North Station offers a fast and frequent service into London, getting you to Kings Cross in around 20 minutes. Junction 6 of the A1(M) is within one mile.

Buyers Information
In order to comply with the UK's Anti Money Laundering (AML) regulations, Bryan Bishop and Partners are required to confirm the identity of all prospective buyers once an offer being accepted. We use a third party, Identity Verification System to do so and there is a nominal charge of £48 (per person) including VAT for this service.