A thatched roof, ancient beams and fire engine-red Rayburn at this picture-perfect cottage in Lincolnshire
A classic chocolate box cottage with beautiful gardens and a modest price tag are on offer in this village between the Lincolnshire coast and the Wolds.
It may be a well-worn cliché, but White Cottage truly is chocolate-box material. Even its location is like something from a storybook: the address is Peppercorn Walk, in the village of Holton le Clay.
Thatched, white walled and immaculate, this property — which is on the market through Fine & Country at £350,000 — dates back to the late 1600s, though it has seen plenty of alterations from 1800 onwards.
Exposed timbers proliferate, including in the spacious dining kitchen that forms the hub of the cottage — complete with its fire engine-red Rayburn.
in the adjoining sitting room there is also a sizeable inglenook fireplace.
Ground-floor living is possible, as what could be transformed into another reception room is currently furnished as a bedroom that has an adjoining bathroom.
The other two bedrooms have sloping ceilings and are on the first floor, tucked beneath the thatch — and thankfully there are no low ceilings to contend with, as if often the case with cottages of this vintage.
The mature gardens are a highlight, and very large given the size of the house. They run to about half an acre, with lawns, play areas, seating, and include a series of outbuildings that include a summer house and extensive storage.
The agent Jade Chapman describes the house as as if it’s part of a ‘fairy tale’. ‘This isn’t just a home; it’s a rare and beautiful piece of our heritage,’ she says, using adjectives such as ‘captivating’, ‘authentic’ and ‘timeless’ to describe the Grade II-listed home that is situated centrally in Holton-le-Clay.
The village itself is ancient, having been mentioned in the Domesday Book, but has been expanded greatly over the years with new housing, swelling the population to more than 3,500.
That growth has had an impact upon the character of the village, but on the other hand it's a big enough settlement to sustain shops, several pubs, a primary school, a cricket club and a thriving local community. The larger village of Waltham is just a few minutes away, while Grimsby is five miles away to the north.
If you need more to keep you entertained, the sandy beaches at Cleethorpes are less than 20 minutes away, as is the RSPB reserve at Tetney Marshes, and the charming landscape of the Lincolnshire Wolds is within easy reach.
White Cottage in Holton-le-Clay is for sale through Fine & Country — see more details.
