Keepers Cottage, Tarnwater Lane, Ashton With Stodday, Lancaster, LA2 0AH

Welcome to Keepers Cottage, Tarnwater Lane, Ashton with Stodday, Lancaster, LA2 0AH

The best of both worlds; an attractive detached house in a rural location offering great countryside views whilst being convenient for both the motorway and city centre services. Privately set but with the security of neighbouring properties, Keepers Cottage occupies a large plot of 1.25acres which provides a lovely leafy setting and immense amenity value with an adjoining field. 

Originally a much smaller cottage it has been extended over the decades having been built in 1925 to house the gamekeeper to the Ashton Hall estate, now home to Lancaster Golf Club. The accommodation briefly provides a split-level entrance hall, two reception rooms, a dining kitchen, utility room, home office and cloakroom. On the first floor, principal bedroom with ensuite shower room, two further double bedrooms, a fourth single bedroom and a house bathroom. 

Outside, there is an excellent detached garage and generous parking. A versatile outbuilding offers space for a workshop or hobbies and there are kennels, a greenhouse and shed. A choice of outdoor seating areas within well stocked, established gardens and a field with a wide variety of different species of trees. 

Keepers Cottage has great character, a layout that works well and a homely feeling. For a life in the country that maintains strong transport and city links, this is a great choice. 

Location

Ashton with Stodday is a hamlet situated to the south of Lancaster and is convenient for accessing the M6 at J33 and travelling into Lancaster for schools, work, shops, services and more. 

Lancaster is one of England’s Heritage Cities where impressive Georgian stone façades hark back to a heyday as an important port. Busy and vibrant, the city has a captivating past, a cultured present and a calendar full of festivals and celebratory events throughout the year. There is a wide choice of bars and restaurants offering cuisine from around the world, an excellent range of high street and independent shops, a market twice a week and a comprehensive provision of professional services. As Keepers Cottage is on the south side of the city the universities and hospitals are convenient. 

Lancaster has a station on the main west coast line with frequent services to Preston, Manchester, Manchester airport, London Euston and Edinburgh.

Surrounded by fabulous open countryside, there are great walks and cycle rides from the door. Hop in the car and the highly scenic Lune Valley and the National Landscapes of the Forest of Bowland and Arnside and Silverdale are at hand as indeed are the National Parks of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales. All perfect for day trips. 

Vendor insight

The location and the views first drew us to the property. Everything here is easy to reach… the motorway, the golf club and Marks & Spencer’s! 

Step inside

This is a house where every room enjoys a view, some are over the garden and field, others stretch away into the distance across neighbouring land to Clougha Pike in the Forest of Bowland. The views are incredibly restful, leafy and green, always changing with the seasons. 

The largely glazed entrance hall is light filled and has two steps up to the central hallway, the honey-coloured tones of the American oak flooring running throughout most of the ground floor. Glazed internal doors enable a through flow of light as well as room to room views. The inviting dining kitchen has ample storage and space for dining with French doors connecting to the outside dining area. The adjacent utility room offers additional storage, further domestic appliances, room for coats and a practical back door. The ground floor has a super circular flow from the hall through the kitchen to the dining room, through again to the sitting room and then back to the hall. The dual aspect of the dining room commands delightful views and the sitting room has been opened into what was once a conservatory, but thanks to the additional of a solid roof, is now a large five sided bay, a highly successful adaptation as it enhances the room and offers wonderful views over the garden, lane and fields – winter sunsets from this room are a particular treat. When the weather is chilly, the sitting room has a multifuel stove with a stone surround. Completing the ground floor is a cloakroom.  

The stairs with oak balustrades rise to the first floor with an attractive half landing and feature window. Off the first floor landing is the bedroom accommodation. The principal bedroom has a wall of joiner made wardrobes and an ensuite shower room. The second double bedroom has a suite of fitted furniture and an attractive architectural feature of three parallel windows. Finally, there is a third double bedroom with a dual aspect, a fourth single bedroom and a family bathroom with bath, shower, twin wash basins, WC, bidet, excellent storage and Amtico flooring. From all the bedrooms the views are particularly fine, being, we are told, “very restful to wake up to.”

Vendor insight

It’s a lovely house for having friends and family over. The internal layout works well when we have visitors and outside there is so much space for everyone to spread out. Our grandchildren have loved playing and camping in the field. 

Step outside

The garden surrounding the house has been thoughtfully planted and lovingly tended. It’s well stocked with a wide selection of cottage garden favourites for all year round colour and interest. There’s also a curvaceous lawn and a pond with water feature.  

Move around the house with the sun, outside the kitchen is lovely for breakfast and lunch, the large terrace enjoys views across the field and the sun from early afternoon onwards so it’s perfect for a barbecue with the hobbies room providing a makeshift bar when catering for a gathering. Come evening, the top garden also enjoys the sun and is incredibly private for sitting out, finally, the sun moving onto the front elevation where chairs by the pond are a favourite for a glass of something chilled. The back garden is gated offering peace of mind for those with younger children. Beyond the garden is the field, a living landscape punctuated by a wide variety of trees including English oak, American oak, copper beech, cedar, alder, silver birch, twisted hazel, willow and weeping willow, eucalyptus, hollies, rowan, rhododendron and a monkey puzzle. It makes a wonderful playground for children and dogs.  

The hobbies room is currently a workshop and store. It’s adaptable and would suit a variety of interests or make a great home office or gym. Power and light are installed and French windows open to the large seating terrace. Attached are three kennels with a connecting covered run. These have lights and a cold-water tap. Wood store and coal bunker. 

There’s plenty of room for parking with a block paved drive adjacent to the house and further space around the detached garage, enough to accommodate larger vehicles, campers or a boat. The detached garage was built in 2023 and is best described as a very generous single with space for storage or to use as a workshop as well. Power, light and an electric door. 

Services

Mains electricity and water. Oil fired central heating from a Worcester Bosch combination boiler in the kitchen. Private drainage to a tank (2025) located within the field and shared with the two neighbouring properties. 

Security alarm and RING doorbell. EV charging point. 

Broadband

Standard speeds potentially available of 1 Mbps download and for uploading 1 Mbps. 

The vendor informs us that “Good internet access is obtained via 4g/5g router providing Wi-Fi with average speeds in excess of 45 Mbps download and 12 Mbps upload utilising EE Mobile Broadband Package.”

Mobile

Indoor: EE are reported as providing ‘likely’ services for both Voice and Data. Three, O2 and Vodafone are reported as providing ‘limited’ services for both Voice and Data.

Outdoor: EE, Three, O2 and Vodafone are reported as providing ‘likely’ services for both Voice and Data. 5G is predicted to be available around this location from EE and Vodafone. Please note that this predicted 5G coverage is for outdoors only. 

Broadband and mobile information provided by Ofcom.

Local Authority charges 

Lancaster City Council – Council Tax band E

Tenure

Freehold 

Included in the sale 

Fitted carpets, curtains, curtain poles, blinds, light fittings and domestic appliances as follows: De Dietrich induction hob, circulator fan over, Diplomat double oven, NEFF fridge, Hotpoint dishwasher, Hoover washing machine, Siemens tumble dryer, Haier fridge freezer with water dispenser. Indesit freezer in the hobbies room. 

Directions 

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Use Sat Nav LA2 0AH with reference to the directions below:

Leave Lancaster heading south on the A6, at the large Pointer roundabout, take Ashton Road/A588. Once out in the countryside, turn left onto Tarnwater Lane (if you reach the turning for Lancaster Golf Club on the right, you’ve gone to far). Once on Tarnwater Lane, Keepers Cottage is the first property on the left.