River Cottage, Presteigne, Powys

Built on the site of the first school in Presteigne, this captivating cottage sits sequestered by its expansive south-facing garden. It lies between the medieval church and the River Lugg, close to the characterful town centre with a wonderfully calm and peaceful atmosphere. River Cottage has a wealth of period features, from exposed stone walls to ancient timbers, and many reclaimed or recycled items such as doors and internal windows add warmth, interest and character. The house takes a largely lateral configuration, with four bedrooms and the atmospheric living spaces set on one level, with a versatile self-contained annexe on the lower-ground floor.



Setting the Scene



Presteigne is a historic market town on the River Lugg in Powys. It was once the county town of Radnorshire and has a turbulent past marked by Welsh rebellions and the prolific Tudor cloth trade. In the 20th century, the town was an important hub for daffodil growing, producing more than 450 varieties that were later sold at Covent Garden. In more recent years, Presteigne was the first place in Wales to be designated an International Dark Sky Community.



River Cottage has perhaps been a part of Presteigne’s history for many centuries as it is possible that the oldest parts of the house date back to the 1300s, with extensions in the 1960s and the 1980s. The result is a wonderfully characterful home that weaves mid-century hints into the building’s ancient fabric. In recent years, the current owners have let the lower-ground-floor annexe as a holiday let; more information can be provided on request.



The Grand Tour



A sweep of gravelled driveway sits in front of River Cottage, providing plenty of space for parking. The house takes an L-shape and is partly finished in white render, partly in black clapboard. Steps rise from the parking area to the front door, through established beds of plants and beneath a black elder tree.



The stone-flagged entrance hall has a cupboard for coats, shoes and boots. A door that once graced a Great Western Railway station leads to a stone-flagged shower room tiled with Zelig tiles and a toilet, shared with the peaceful east-facing bedroom.



From the entrance hall the recycled school door on the right leads to a large sitting room with a beautiful parquet floor (another nod to the building’s school history) and a large Clearview log-burning stove. This is a cosy, atmospheric room with dual-aspect glazing that frames beautiful garden views throughout the year. Extensive bookshelves or storage shelves are concealed beneath striking reclaimed doors, and French windows lead into a garden of flower or vegetable beds made from recycled cattle troughs, lined with mature lavender bushes. A large clothes drying fame is almost hidden by a large magnolia tree and currently has the cottage’s fernery in its shadow.



A sliding door, salvaged from a barn, leads to the kitchen, another thoughtfully composed space with bespoke walnut cabinetry, a stone floor and slate counters from a snooker table. A large, reclaimed chemistry sink is placed to take in a leafy outlook, and the other side of the room has space for a dining table and chairs. Next to the kitchen is a handy pantry for storing dried goods, and a utility space for washing machine and tumble dryer. The back door leads to the church terrace which is lined with recycled cattle trough flower beds and mature rosemary bushes.



The small hall beyond the kitchen leads to two of the cottage’s bedrooms and has the service stairs for the separate annexe of Mole Cottage, which is a completely self-contained suite of bed/sitting room, kitchen and shower room. The present owners have rented this space out as a holiday let. Mole Cottage also has its own private entrance.



River Cottage has four bedrooms: the largest lies beyond the kitchen and is framed by a nest of exposed timbers, part of the house that is possibly seven hundred years old. Skylights draw in light, while dual-aspect windows welcome in the surrounding greenery. A beautiful en suite bathroom benefits from under-floor heating and a refurbished clawfoot bathtub, which appropriately enough came from the Marquess of Bath’s estate at Longleat. The exposed stone wall was the chimney from the oldest part of the house.



A second bedroom across the landing, currently used as a work room, also has an en suite shower and toilet and views over the garden to the surrounding woods and hills.



The remaining two bedrooms lie in the other half of the cottage. An attractive west-facing hallway leads from the entrance hall past the third bedroom to the fourth bedroom, which the current owners have as a garden room and library. Large French windows open onto the south-facing garden terrace and sitting area overlooking the garden.



The Great Outdoors



The garden is a diverse and varied space with mature trees, colourful flowers and established shrubbery. It is managed organically as a haven for wildlife, attracting slow worms as well as wide variety of birds, making birdsong a feature of life at River Cottage. The garden has three vegetable beds and a flower border, as well as apple and damson trees which give much autumn fruit.



Grass paths lead from the terrace to the river Lugg at the foot of the garden – and the border with England – beneath a giant mature copper beech tree. The Lugg has small trout, crayfish, and lampreys. The cottage’s river-steps are a favourite haunt of otters, and foxes and mink have also been seen. Bats hunt over the river in the evenings. Running water adds an enchanting backdrop to gardening or relaxing in the sun.



River Cottage has a number of outbuildings. A toolshed (with electricity) is conveniently placed at the end of the church terrace, and the garden has a potting/garden shed and compost heap with storage space. There is also a bike store behind the garage.



The garage is currently used as a studio. It has an upper floor for storage and French windows leading onto a patio area and is heated by a wood-burning stove.



Out and About



The beautiful Welsh Marches encompasses a wide range of landscapes: amazing river valleys, rugged hills and ridges, and flat fertile plains. This diversity, and the relatively unspoilt nature of the countryside, make it perennially popular with walkers, cyclists and horse riders. Artists and writers have also long been drawn to the area for its rich history and enchanting scenery. To the north is the Shropshire Hills National Landscape, while the Bannau Brycheiniog is under an hour’s drive south.



Presteigne is a charming town with two small supermarkets, an excellent fishmonger, greengrocer, and butcher. The superb delicatessen sells organic bread from Presteigne-based Boulanger Artisan Bakery, and a Saturday morning bread stall on Broad Street sells bread and cakes from renowned baker Alex Gooch. There are many places to eat out and pizza restaurant Daphne’s is a favourite of the River Cottage’s current owners. There are also antique shops, a library, a leisure centre, a good selection of pubs and a thriving arts scene.



Nearby Kington is a lovely town and home to the annual Kington Walking Festival. Hay-on-Wye, home to many bookshops and the famous Hay Festival, is forty minutes away. A Michelin-starred restaurant, The Stagg at Titley, is also easily reached by car.



Knighton station is the closest and sits on the scenic Heart of Wales line, while Leominster, around 30 minutes away, is on the Welsh Marches line, with connections to Manchester and Cardiff.



Council Tax Band: F