Detached house for sale in The Street, Waltham St. Lawrence, Reading, Berkshire RG10

Dating back to the mid-seventeenth century, Forge Cottage has recently undergone a complete refurbishment to create the perfect combination of English cottage charm and modern country house. It sits in the very heart of a picture perfect, quintessential English village, and yet it is less than 30 miles to the centre of London. With a history as the village forge until the mid-20th century, the cottage is awash with chamfered beams that still retain the hallmarks of a workman's cottage. Over the past 200 years it has been extensively extended from cottage to a beautiful country house, whilst still retaining an abundance of period features.

The entrance to Forge Cottage is set behind two new oak gates, opening into a large, gravelled area with plenty of parking space for several cars, plus a double garage. The sunny corridor from the Boot room leads to the large, light and spacious kitchen, with its elegant, vaulted oak beamed ceiling, providing a wonderfully relaxed country look. A spacious bespoke kitchen with a four oven Aga and cosy seated area is definitely the centre of family life. The large window with its window seat is at the rear of the kitchen and overlooks the large cottage garden. The kitchen corridor leads into the "old living room”, with 400-year oak beams, from this central living room is a further sitting room, where New England meets English Country home. The door at far side of the living room leads into a separate wing of the house providing versatile accommodation which if required could easily be converted into a self-contained annexe. The existing utility room could be turned into a kitchenette, there is bathroom with a shower, sitting room and a bedroom. This area can be accessed independently via a door at the side of the house.

The first floor comprises of a large principal bedroom with a dressing room and en-suite. A central hallway with exposed timber beams leads to two further bedrooms, another hallway leads to a family bathroom and a forth bedroom with a dressing room and views overlooking the garden.

The rear garden, with is well established hedges and trees, is an oasis of privacy. It is a South-Westerly facing garden with vegetable and cut flower beds, filled with raspberries and dahlias. On the terraced area nearer the cottage there is a small swimming pool, pool-house, greenhouse and garden shed and plenty of room for sun-loungers, tables and chairs. This is a peaceful and beautiful place to sit, with views across the garden. Bifold doors leading out from the sitting room, it is definitely the perfect “indoor /outdoor “ house.

Forge Cottage is located in the centre of Waltham St Lawrence, one of the most sought after villages in Berkshire. Situated in the heart of this thriving community alongside The Bell Inn, an award-winning 15th century pub and next to the historic village church and village hall. Waltham St Lawrence has a popular primary school, just under a mile from Forge Cottage. Twyford village centre and railway station is just over two miles away, offering regular trains to London Paddington, with Elizabeth Line services now running into central London and through to Abbey Wood and Canary Wharf. Lambrook School, near Ascot, is 15 minutes by car or alternatively there is a minibus that collects and drops off from the village hall daily, a minutes' walk from Forge Cottage. For senior schools, Waltham St Lawrence is in easy reach for many of the top public schools in the UK: Wellington College and Eton College are both 20 minutes by car, with Marlborough College, Bradfield College, and Charterhouse School within an hour.