Top End, Renhold, Bedfordshire, MK41

EXTENDED AND RENOVATED FORMER GROOM’S COTTAGE, WITH GARDEN OFFICE, IN PEACEFUL VILLAGE SPOT ON THE EDGE OF COUNTY TOWN

A lovely-looking, 3-bedroom, unlisted cottage which, with its attached neighbour and four others, was built in 1835 for the Howbury Estate, close to all amenities in a peaceful spot of the Bedfordshire village of Renhold. It has recently been expertly extended and renovated, with a fabulous Everhot range cooker in the beautiful new kitchen, and a super garden office in the former bakehouse, which could, perhaps, become an annexe for guests. An EV charger has been installed in the gravelled driveway, where you can park at least 4 cars. This is a rare chance to own one of St Margaret’s Cottages.

Home to Howbury Hall and its lovely gardens, Renhold is sought after for its unusual combination of country living and edge-of-town convenience; for being far enough away to escape constant traffic noise but just a couple of minutes from the A421, and onward to the A6, A1 and M1, making travelling a breeze. Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Luton Airport are all within 20 to 25 miles.

Bedford railway station, from where fast trains reach London in 40 minutes, is just 5 miles from your new home. A major Bedford retail park, with a choice of supermarkets, is less than 3 miles. It’s only a 2-mile bus journey to Mark Rutherford, the catchment secondary school, and from only 4 miles to Bedford’s world-renowned Harpur Trust private schools. And, of course, the county town is also home to a huge choice of gyms and music venues, pubs and restaurants, not to mention hospitals, dentists and surgeries, A walk-in medical centre is less than 10 minutes away in Putnoe.

Renhold, itself, has a community, family-friendly atmosphere. The Church of All Saints has played a big part in village life for over 800 years, and the village hall hosts all manner of events and societies. Walk the children to their little primary school, recently rated ‘Good’ in all areas by Ofsted, a few hundred yards from your front door. The playing fields are just along the lane. Wander to the country pub, the Polhill Arms, with the village shop a little further on. Pell’s Farm Shop is about a mile’s walk along a bridleway.

And your dog will love to take you over the Howbury Estate and across the surrounding countryside that you can see from your new home. A delightful and convenient place to live for all the family.

MORE ABOUT THE PROPERTY 

A wedding photo (which comes with your new home) taken before St Margaret’s Cottages were sold as part of the Howbury Estate in 1919, shows guests happily posing in the long front garden of the cottage, its local, Gault yellow brick walls serving as an attractive backdrop.

For the cottages were built using best-quality materials, with decorative red brick detail and scalloped old clay roof tile courses added, to highlight the prosperity of the Estate, despite Frederick Polhill’s personal money problems.

At the time of the 1919 sale, the Harlow family were the tenants, at a £5.10’ rent. Recently, the beautiful roof has been completely restored, double-glazed windows installed, and a significant extension added, yet with existing or reclaimed materials having expertly been used, the Harlows would have no difficulty, if they were here today, recognising this striking-looking cottage.

Inside, though, they would be amazed. New internal, latch doors are solid oak. Stylish bathrooms have been installed, one downstairs, with pretty tiles in the shower, and one upstairs, where the traditional-style, tall radiator and marble-topped vanity sit, tastefully, opposite the gorgeous, original cast-iron fireplace.

You will still wake up in lovely, sloping or vaulted-ceilinged bedrooms to countryside views beyond the old cottages at the front, or to woodland beyond the horse paddocks and beautifully blossoming, old orchard at the back. Yet today, visitors could, perhaps, stay over in the pantiled, former bakehouse, which has been extended and insulated, and which is currently used as a garden office and storeroom.

And whereas the Harlows will have also cooked on a kitchen range, the superb, energy-efficient, Everhot electric range cooker and extractor, standing beautifully on the lovely terracotta floor within the recently installed, acrylic-topped, Shaker-style kitchen, is many a person’s dream today.

Look forward to carols around the piano in your snug and slumping on the sofa in your oak-floored sitting room, in front of logs ablaze in a multifuel stove that’s so efficient it sends warmth around the whole home. And, in summertime, relax to the soothing sound of the water feature in your Mediterranean-style garden, birds singing from the poplars, bees busying themselves amongst sweet-scented lavender, rosemary and beautiful roses clambering across the weatherboarded barn. Peaceful, private and a pure delight.