A unique opportunity to rent a fabulous, quintessential 18th Century cottage at a reduced rent in return for light duties helping with dogs.

Description - An absolutely charming, 18th-century, Grade II listed, detached thatched cottage is quietly situated in the popular Chalke Valley, 12 miles southwest of Salisbury. This cottage was used as a chapel by the newly formed Congregationalist Church in Ebbesbourne Wake between 1782 and 1791 and has recently been extended and sympathetically renovated.

The accommodation includes an entrance vestibule that connects the older part of the cottage to a stunning double-aspect kitchen/breakfast room featuring a beamed, vaulted ceiling. The kitchen is equipped with a range of fitted units, which include an integral dishwasher, an electric ceramic hob, a double electric oven, and space for a fridge-freezer. Aluminium bi-fold doors open to a west-facing terrace and the garden beyond.

The former kitchen has been transformed into a ground-floor cloakroom, complete with a luxury walk-in shower. The older section of the cottage retains many original features and character, showcasing a beamed L-shaped sitting/living room with an original inglenook fireplace (currently not in use but containing an electric woodburner). The previous front porch has been repurposed as a smaller utility area with a washing machine and a door leading to the garden.

Upstairs, there are two double bedrooms interconnected by a Jack and Jill luxury bathroom. The cottage is heated using an external air source heat pump that runs an underfloor heating system, ensuring it remains warm and cosy.

Outside, the property features a lovely garden on all sides, mainly composed of lawn, with a gated entrance providing tarmac parking for two or three cars. There is also a shepherd's hut in the garden that tenants can use as an Airbnb or guest accommodation.

The cottage is available part-furnished or unfurnished, with a reduced rent in exchange for helping the landlord with two dogs when the landlord is away—approximately one weekend per month, occasional weekdays, and during three or four weeks of holiday per year. The value of this assistance is estimated at around £150 per month (subject to a separate financial adjustment), resulting in a rent reduction from £1,600 to £1,450 per calendar month.

Tenants must come from a rural background and be dog lovers.

Ebbesbourne Wake is less than a half-hour drive from the cathedral city of Salisbury, with its shops, restaurants, pubs, culture, heritage and facilities. From there, the Exeter to London line takes you to Waterloo in less than 90 minutes. It’s about 20 minutes to Shaftesbury, and the lively village of Broad Chalke with lots of facilities is just a 10-minute drive away. Salisbury Reds has a bus route here. 

There’s a strong sense of community in the village, with a website  and The Ebble, the local newsletter for Alvediston, Ebbesbourne Wake and Fifield Bavant, listing community news and upcoming events. The Village Hall is the hub for local events – all signs of rich community spirit that is part of village life here. 

The village has a local pub – the traditional, family-run Horseshoe Inn. Situated in beautiful Wiltshire countryside, the inn has a lovely beer garden to relax in and serves hearty meals and a great selection of real ales.

A Note From The Whites Letting Team - Thank you for considering Whites as your letting agent. As a proud member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), we strive to uphold its core values by providing a fair, efficient, and transparent service to all prospective tenants. Below, we outline how we manage property inquiries and applications to help set expectations and guide you through the letting application process.

To start the process of inquiring about one of our properties, please click the ‘Request Further Details/Info’ button on the property listing.

If you are inquiring through Rightmove, you will be asked to fill out a short form, which will be sent directly to us. If you are using our website or On The Market, we will receive your contact information and get back to you as soon as possible with a brief questionnaire to complete.

Once we receive your completed form or questionnaire, your inquiry will be registered with the relevant Property Manager. Please note that only those who complete this step will be considered to have formally inquired about the property.

Due to the high level of interest we often receive, we regret that we are not always able to offer everyone a viewing. Whenever possible, we handle inquiries in the order they are received and arrange viewings in groups of up to four for the first round. If the property remains available, an additional round of viewings may be scheduled. To manage expectations, we may also temporarily pause viewings to review inquiries. If this occurs, we will do our best to update the property listing accordingly.

Please be aware that applications are not decided on a first-come, first-served basis. We aim to ensure a fair process for everyone; all applications will be carefully evaluated based on their merits by us, in conjunction with the landlord, before a final decision is made.

The availability date listed is provisional and will only be confirmed once referencing has been successfully completed.