Forest Street, Weaverham, Northwich, CW8 - 3 bed - £295,000 - Reeds Rains - Northwich

Property details

Bedrooms: 3

A most unique and characterful timber-framed former agricultural worker's cottage, believed to date back to the 16th Century. Despite being one of the oldest properties in Weaverham Village, School Bank Cottage is not currently listed. The cottage derives its name from the former Grammar School on Forest Street - a sandstone building not far from the property. The cottage has been occupied by the same family for over 300 years and in that time, has undergone the most sympathetic restoration and improvement works. The original cottage's distinct roof was re-thatched with reed in 1998 and a traditionally coal-fired Cheshire brick extension to the rear of the original cottage was constructed in 2000, with a reclaimed Welsh slate roof, providing a superb addition to the ground floor accommodation. All doors, skirting and door frames throughout the property were hand made in English oak, the curtain rails and side gate were made by a local blacksmith and all door ironmongery is fashioned in annealed iron. On-site reclaimed materials or materials from local sources have been used in the renovation works wherever possible. A detailed photographic record of the restoration is available, as is an historical record of occupancy from 1839 onwards. The property's wealth of historical features will appeal to anyone with an interest in the Tudor period and a desire to own a home that is truly one-of-a-kind.Ground FloorEntranceThe front entrance to the cottage is a solid oak door, with a leaded window pane of antique glass and with a restored original handle, which opens into the sitting room.Sitting Room13' 11" x 12' 11" (4.24m x 3.94m) This room is the oldest part of the cottage, which dates from c.1590 and the original timber frame is now protected within the cavity wall. The focal point of the room is the brick fireplace, the colour of which matches the original Tudor brick in the chimney and whose lintel is fashioned from Westmorland slate, taken from the former pigsty. The fireplace incorporates a living flame gas fire. The room is lit by a double-glazed window to the front elevation and another double-glazed window on the opposite wall, looking into the kitchen. Television point; double radiator; open tread staircase leading to the first floor, whose post and rail were fitted in the 1950s to replace the Victorian staircase and from which the cruck frame construction is still visible. The position of the original front door is indicated by the presence of a timber lintel and a keeper for the wooden bolt, which remain in the cottage's framework. Solid oak door to:Dining Room12' 11" x 7' 7" (3.94m x 2.31m) This room occupies what is believed to be a 17th Century extension to the original cottage and the carpenter's jointing marks are visible near the door frame. During the 19th Century, the dining room and the above bedroom were occupied as a self-contained residence until 1871, when two rooms in the cottage were knocked into one and this room was then used as the kitchen. Indeed, evidence of the presence of the old range is visible on the stone slab at the base of the room's feature fireplace. New ceiling joists and a gable wall were constructed in 1928. The room is lit by a double-glazed window to both the front and rear elevations; radiator; telephone point; solid oak doors to the sitting room and kitchen.Kitchen/Breakfast Room16' 6" x 12' 6" (5.03m x 3.81m) A fantastic extension to the ground floor accommodation, in a contrasting architectural style with a vaulted ceiling and English oak features. The floor is laid with North Wales slate tiles. Furnished with a suite comprising a range of eye-level and base units with Chestnut doors, roll-top work surfaces and Minton Hollins tiled splash backs in a Victorian design. Integrated sink unit; integrated washing machine; integrated fridge; integrated freezer; integrated dishwasher; integrated electric oven with four-ring gas hob and ceiling-mounted extractor over; two u-PVC double-glazed windows to the side elevation; two double-glazed skylights; two radiators; solid oak doors to the sitting room, rear patio and inner hall. Oak hatch door providing access to a fully boarded loft space above the master bedroom and two bathrooms, measuring 18'0 x 16'0. This loft room is fully plastered and ventilated, with a carpeted floor and electric and light points. A Worcester combi boiler is mounted on one wall and there are two service access hatches.Inner HallSolid oak doors to the kitchen, master bedroom and bathroom; u-PVC double-glazed window to the side elevation; radiator.BathroomIn contrast with the original cottage's historical architecture and design, the bathroom occupies the rear extension and is furnished with a most stylish and contemporary white suite. The Sottini fittings comprise a low-level WC, pedestal wash hand basin with chrome mixer tap and a panelled bath with chrome wall-mounted shower and curtain rail over; tiles to the floor and all walls; wall-mounted hi-gloss storage cabinet containing a laundry basket; ceiling spotlights; radiator; extractor fan.Master Bedroom16' 6" x 12' 6" (5.03m x 3.81m) A sizeable room on the ground floor, at the rear of the modern extension, the master bedroom is lit by a u-PVC double-glazed window to the side and rear elevations respectively and provides ample space for a double bed and free-standing furniture. Fitted wardrobes with mirror-fronted sliding doors along one wall, housing the central heating controls; English oak ceiling feature; two radiators; telephone point; television point; solid oak door to;En-Suite Shower RoomA second contemporary white Sottini suite, comprising a low-level WC, pedestal wash-hand basin with chrome mixer tap and a corner glass shower cubicle with wall-mounted chrome shower; tiles to the floor and to all walls; ceiling spotlights; radiator; extractor fan.First FloorAccessed via the staircase from the Sitting Room; solid oak doors to Bedrooms Two and Three.Bedroom Two14' 0" (max) x 12' 11" (4.27m (max) x 3.94m) Located in the original cottage, the style of the second bedroom reverts back to Elizabethan design. A weathering effect and earlier peg joints serve as evidence of re-used timbers, and stumps of perlins from a former neighbouring cottage are still present. Space for a double bed and free-standing furniture; vaulted ceiling; exposed beams; heating coil; service access hatch; double-glazed window to the side elevation; ceiling spotlights; double-glazed window to the front elevation, mounted above the wall plate - (the original window had been set lower, into the wall plate).Bedroom Three12' 11" x 7' 7" (3.94m x 2.31m) Located opposite the second bedroom and in the original cottage, the third bedroom provides space for a single bed and free-standing furniture and is similarly styled with a vaulted ceiling and exposed beams. A double-glazed window to the side elevation overlooks the well in the garden. Oak cruck frame; pine perlins constructed during repairs in 1928; radiator; ceiling spotlight.Utility RoomOccupying a brick lean-to with a sloping slate roof on the side elevation of the original cottage and replacing a former thatched lean-to store, this room is accessed via a door from the rear patio and is suitable for use as a utility room, office, or storage room. Ruabon tiled floor; wall-mounted fuse box and electric meter; space for kitchen appliances; storage cupboard; radiator; double-glazed window to the front elevation.ExteriorTo the front of the property is a boundary fence constructed in oak and a low wall, which utilises sandstone pad-stones that had supported timber frame posts. A rockery of worn large stones (that were originally road curb stones) sits on a small garden before the front door, with a cobbled pathway running along the front elevation, past a lawned area at the side of the cottage, to a wooden side-gate that opens onto Forest Street.

The garden area at the side of the cottage, which measures approximately 20' x 16', features the most magnificent original brick-lined well. The well contains approx. 4ft of water and remained in use until 1928. Upon closer inspection, a small child's fingerprints are visible in the brick ring, which was constructed in the late 16th Century.

To the rear of the property is a paved patio area with a dwarf brick wall encompassing a raised lawned garden, which continues around the back of the property to a timber garden shed against the boundary wall. Pull-in parking facilities are available on Forest Street, paid for by the current owners and courtesy of Chester and Cheshire West Highways Authority.Floorplan

Directions :-

From our office on The Bullring, proceed along Watling Street, which becomes Winnington Street (A533). After approximately one mile, turn left onto Winnington Avenue, which shortly becomes Wallerscote Road. At the end of Wallerscote Road, turn right onto Northwich Road, through Weaverham Village and take the second left onto Forest Street. The property can be found on the left-hand side, just before Longmeadow and the junction for the B5144, and is distinguished by a Reeds Rains 'For Sale' board.