Nether Street, Widford, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12

HAWTHORN COTTAGE occupies a convenient and picturesque location on the northern outskirts of the village of Widford. The lane is a well-kept secret, and houses some of the areas’ finest properties along a country lane which fronts and backs on to appealing and undulating countryside. The cottage is a building of quality and great character, that possibly dates back as far as 1500 and has been thoughtfully and carefully modernised.

The most significant change to the house came in 2007 when a two storey extension was added to the back of the house which has created a very noteworthy, bespoke kitchen/breakfast area that opens out in to a family room with full height glazing and, from here, there is commanding views. There is also an additional bedroom with a shower/wet room. In the original cottage there is a sitting room with exposed timbers and fireplace, door leading into the study/office, door leading to the cottage garden and a further door leading to a secondary reception room which is divided by vertical timbers and has fireplace with wood burning stove. From the drawing room, a second staircase leads to bedroom 2. Behind this room, there is a useful utility room which has a modern gas fired boiler and plumbing for washing machine. The kitchen/breakfast room has oak flooring with a Shaker style kitchen made by a local craftsman. There is a recess for a Range and also some integrated appliances including fridge-freezer and dishwasher.

On the first floor, there are two landings. The principal landing is reached from the family room. There are four bedrooms in total, an excellent family bathroom and a modern shower/wet room.

OUTSIDE, there is a gravel parking area for half a dozen or so cars beside the house and also access to a small garage and a courtyard next to the barn, which provides a first floor annexe with ancillary accommodation and a home office. There is also internal acess to the double garage. Steps then lead down to an impressive, productive, vegetable garden and a garden room and potting shed of significant size, which has light and power connected. Besides this, there is a terrace and pergola. The remaining grounds are laid to lawn and in corner there is a field and a shelter and an orchard which is now getting well established with various shrubs and herbaceous border and a wild life pond and, immediately to the back of the house, a further terrace and a pedestrian gate to Nether Street. Although close to amenities in both Widford and Much Hadham, and within very easy access to the A414, A10 and mainline train stations, the location feel rural and the views are delightful.

Widford is an attractive East Hertfordshire village with village school and is only three miles from Ware where there are excellent facilities including main line railway station to London (Liverpool Street approx 50 minutes). A main line station is also available at Harlow (Liverpool Street approx 30 minutes). The A10 trunk road passes the outskirts of Ware and offers easy access to London, the M25, Cambridge and the North. The market town of Bishop's Stortford lies some nine miles from the village and offers further shopping, educational and recreational amenities, including access to the M11 motorway.