Laburnum Way, LL13

Holt and Farndon, twin villages with a shared history and so similar that were it not for the obvious clue of the river dividing them it would be hard to know where one ended and the other began. Sitting on opposite banks of the Dee they coexisted happily, not seeing the natural barrier between them as anything much of an obstacle, more a minor inconvenience and then came the Romans, bringing prosperity and technological advances. As a result of the Roman quarries sourcing sandstone for the construction of the city walls in Chester, or Deva as it was then and floating the stone down the river, a better crossing was needed and duly built. Time passed and eventually traffic between Wrexham and Nantwich demanded an updating of the route resulting in the construction of the multi-arched sandstone bridge we still see today. Completed in 1339 (which any schoolboy will tell you is almost 20 to 2) this features wider sections which allowed laden carts travelling in opposite directions to pass one another and is a testament to the durability of the building methods for the time. Now this is all very interesting, but what is it like to live here today? Rather like the way in which the bridge connects two settlements, it is also symbolic of a connection with the past and the way those settlements have altered over time, offering a rich history yet being firmly set in the modern day, with all the convenience that this can bring.

Almost too big to be called a village, Holt can offer its residents a pleasing selection of local businesses catering for their everyday needs set in the sort of countryside that tourist board brochures struggle to photograph adequately. There is also a primary school which is a boon to busy parents, while the
employment opportunities of the Wrexham industrial estate cannot be underestimated, along with the many shops of Wrexham itself.

Laburnum Way is set close to the centre of the "village" and the presence of the bowling green adjacent gives some clue as to the gentle pace of life. Number 18 is blessed with a corner plot and is surrounded by a large yet easily maintained garden, it being mainly laid to lawn.
In front of the home the front garden has been given over to hard standing, resulting in a parking space big enough to satisfy a reasonably successful second hand car salesman, and separated from the garden by a high wooden fence. At the other side of the home is the attached garage and beside here, the kitchen door. At the far end of the front elevation and hidden behind a section of the garden fencing is the front door, though I suspect the usual access would tend to be through the kitchen, in spite of Mum's plea to wipe your feet.

The front door opens into the inner hall with its attractive and high quality wood laminate flooring from where the stairs rise and beneath these, nestles the conveniently sited and ever useful downstairs cloakroom which is fully tiled and contains a hand basin and of course, lavatory.
Opposite the front door is the entrance to the lounge, a bright and cheerful room helped in no small regard by its twin aspect windows and patio door opening unsurprisingly, onto a large patio at the rear of the home. The floor is a continuation of the wood planking from the hallway and produces an almost Scandinavian feel to the room. In keeping with this there is a large raw brick fireplace and the log burner it contains ensures cosy evenings whatever the weather. In fact continuing the Scandinavian theme, were you to spill a glass of water onto this, you'd almost have a sauna...

A semi glazed door at one end of the room takes us through into the dining room where the wood floor again continues. Once more this is a well proportioned space with masses of natural light and refreshingly, is amply big enough to accommodate everything you need for a proper formal dining room. Indeed, so generously sized is it that it currently plays host to an office desk and accompanying settee along with the full six place dining table and there is still room to spare.
The remaining dining room door opens into the kitchen which, in spite of having doors at either end should never be confused with a galley style example, because it is so much more than that. As we enter there is a full bank of fitted units facing us finished in a modern pastel shade and with a very attractive wooden work surface above, which contains both the gas hob and stainless sink and drainer. These units are of high quality and while I understand the desire of some buyers to immediately put their own stamp on a home by ripping out kitchens and bathrooms, to do so here would simply be a waste as these are already new. Opposite here on the inner wall are two separate banks of units, necessitated by the central doorway and containing the high level oven and various integrated appliances along with masses of storage before another door takes us back into the hall where we started.

If we step outside through the lounge's patio door, we are on a long and sheltered area paved in what looks to be Indian stone from where there is also access to the rear of the garage and a substantial wooden store shed. Beside here is a raised bed of various shrubs and bushes hiding the wooden fence before the paving gives way to the sizeable lawn running around the gable end of the home to the front and providing ample space for hyperactive children to let off steam out of sight but kept safely off the road.

Moving upstairs and turning to the front of the home we come to the beautifully presented bathroom. Although not the biggest example on the planet this is more than made up for by the thoughtful layout and standard of the fittings. A countertop hand basin shares its unitary construction with a lavatory, the pair sitting beside a traditional bath where a long and relaxing soak seems very tempting. Opposite the bath is a glass shower cubicle with a curved front section to maximise the internal space and a twin headed rain shower. This is of the type that draws its hot water directly from the home's central heating system, in turn ensuring a constant temperature and pressure with no sudden icy cold shocks to spoil your start to a winter's morning.
Opposite here at the far end of the landing is the smallest of the bedrooms, but don't confuse this with it being actually small as, thanks in part to the deep fitted storage cupboard negating the need for free standing furniture it could accommodate a double bed should the need arise, though indoor badminton would be out of the question.

Adjacent to here the first of the proper double rooms is an altogether different kettle of fish although once again it is helped in this regard by another deep fitted wardrobe that has the effect of freeing up a great amount of floor space no longer needed for free standing wardrobes, and leaving the room with an expansive feel that borders on the luxurious.

And finally we come to the principal bedroom which, thanks to its twin aspect windows is a study in how best to illuminate a room. In common with its predecessors it is blessed with a huge walk-in wardrobe, sufficient to satisfy any fashionista without a serious psychological problem. This also leaves enough room to move around freely and as any interior designer will tell you, the one luxury you cannot fake is space. If a room is too small, no amount of clever disguise work will conceal it for long but here, it simply isn't an issue and this room provides a fitting finale to our tour of this excellent family home.

Summing up

All in all this home represents a golden opportunity to move away from the rat race, while remaining within striking distance of all the facilities you need. All you would be losing is the stress that living cheek by jowl with too many people inevitably brings, leaving you craving a quiet haven to slip into and recharge. Well, here it is.