High Street, Nash, Buckinghamshire, MK17

PICTURE-PERFECT COTTAGE IN THE COUNTRY, JUST SEVEN MILES FROM MILTON KEYNES

A delightful, 2-bedroom cottage, with its thatched roof having recently been re-ridged and renewed, in the peaceful conservation area of the rural, Buckinghamshire village of Nash. Only 15 minutes from Milton Keynes Railway Station, Dolly Cottage is full of 17th century charm, with a courtyard-style garden and pond at the back, and pretty flower beds at the front, with space to park here, too. Whether as a country retreat from the city, a splendid first step on the ladder or the perfect answer to a change of circumstances, this lovely cottage, in the words of the classic song “Hello Dolly” is probably just where you belong.

Living in the little village of Nash, surrounded by beautiful countryside, you could be forgiven for forgetting that you are so close to every facility and amenity. You have the peace and quiet of rural life, untroubled by urban sprawl, yet only a short drive or bus journey away, is Milton Keynes Shopping Centre, together with the railway station from where fast trains reach London in little more 30 minutes. Just a mile and a half away is the A421 and easy access to major roads such as the M1, making travel by car a breeze.

Schools rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted are also close by, with the Royal Latin Grammar School (Buckinghamshire being one of the few counties fortunate to still have grammar schools) just seven miles away in the historic market town of Buckingham,

Wander to Sunday service at the Church of All Saints, designed by the renowned, Victorian architect G. E. Street, which, along with the village hall, recreation fields and play park, is at the heart of the friendly Nash community. And within a couple of hundred yards from your new home, you can be out in the fields with your dog. A lovely place to live.

MORE ABOUT THE PROPERTY 

Lemon thyme spills over the rockery at the base of the beautiful red brick wall of the cottage; fox gloves spring up amongst a mass of calendulas and sweet peas either side of the steps to your front door; and Eared willow arches over the picket fence from the flower bed to the side of the cottage, next to the little gate that leads to the back garden.

Dolly Cottage and its attached neighbour are set in a delightful spot off the High Street, known historically as ‘The Hill’, with a handful of other houses that also have fascinating stories to tell,

Built in the 17th century and refaced in the 19th, the cottage may not be what you would expect of a multi-generational house, yet 175 years ago, the agricultural labourer, John Richardson, his wife and her aunt, both lacemakers, and their five children, all lived here.

During the day, they would have lived in one room, cooking on the terracotta hearth of the inglenook fireplace, baking loaves in the bread oven to the side. That fireplace is now the wonderful centrepiece of your cosy sitting room.

Look forward to roaring log fires following those winter walks, in a room with study space and gorgeous wall and ceiling timbers, which continue to the staircase and, through two of the cottage’s latch doors, to the lovely, beamed and vaulted-ceilinged bedrooms, Wake up to views of the cottages and conversions of ‘The Hill’ or, beyond the High Street roofs, to fields and woodland.

The Richardsons probably had far less storage space than you do today; they certainly didn’t have full fibre internet; nor did they have your downstairs bathroom, or your kitchen, with its painted wood, Shaker-style furniture, integrated appliances and both breakfast bar and plenty of space to gather around a dining table.

Throw open the French doors in summertime and eat al fresco on the old-brick terrace. Step up to the Indian sandstone flags and relax by the pond, the hydrangea evoking its old-fashioned charm on one side, Spiraea japonica on the other, an array of pretty poppies waiting to surprise you come springtime. Dolly Cottage, though, is a delight for all seasons.