Building beautiful homes has been a rich tradition in this island for centuries, and a tradition that has been celebrated in the pages (both print and online) for more than 100 years. Looking at the beautiful Elizabethan, Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian creations, it is easy to forget that homes of significance are still being built right now.
What makes a home significant and, indeed, beautiful? Location, style and utility are three words that usually spring to mind. For a building to be great, it surely must be in a good place, look nice among its surroundings and cater to the needs of whoever lives there. One such example, built last year, is surely Hay House in Cornwall, which is for sale with John Bray Estates for £1.875 million.
‘As a family we lived here for ten years and have a great love of Cornwall,’ says owner Harry Anscombe. ‘We wanted the house to be a space for contemporary family living with high energy efficiency, spacious rooms and soaring ceilings but also with a deep sensitivity to its location and a respect for heritage materials and craftsmanship.’
That respect for heritage materials and craftsmanship is the very essence of Hay House, with its exterior of reclaimed stone, timber and zinc. It is clearly modern, but it is of the land. It goes without saying that the property adheres to the highest of environmental standards and has an EPC rating of B.
Inside, the three-storey property offers five bedrooms and some 3,000sq ft of living space. The joy of the home is found in the ground floor living spaces, which is centred around a large kitchen/dining room and lounge space, with a separate snug to get away from it all.
Another highlight of the property, designed by New British Design and built by Alkenby (who also built The Pig at Harlyn) is the use of light. Despite its stoney grey exterior, the property is flooded from a mix of large windows, skylights and balconies. The secondary joy of that are the views from the elevated position looking out over the Cornish countryside, including the landscaped terraced grounds, orchard, woodland and stream that make up Hay House’s gardens.
But perhaps the piece de resistance is the location. One mile to the east is Mawgan Porth beach, something of a surfer’s paradise, while Hay House is equidistant to Newquay to the south and Padstow to the north.
And if somehow all of that wasn't enough, Hay House also comes with two long barns, one of which offers an extra bedroom. Beauty, location and utility — all found at Hay House.
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