Clatter Brune Estate, 6-Bed Property For Sale in Presteigne, United Kingdom

Presteigne lies in the beautiful Welsh border country where Radnorshire, Herefordshire and Shropshire meet, 30 minutes from both Ludlow and Hay-on-Wye and a little further from Hereford. It's an extremely pretty town, and a friendly and active community. It has been voted (Country Life magazine) as one of the best three places in Britain to live. Its annual classical music festival attracts major stars, while Sheep Music in summer is one of the best small family-friendly indie festivals on the circuit. Hay of course is famous for its literary festival, while Ludlow is known for outstanding food. We even have a Michelin-starred pub (the first in Britain) just 10 minutes down the road.

Clatterbrune Farmhouse has been our much-loved family home for the last 17 years. It stands in an acre of garden down a quiet shared private drive on the edge of town, less than 10 minutes' walk from the centre (and 3 minutes from the swimming pool). The house is a charming and slightly eccentric mixture of periods, the original 17c cottage having been built onto by successive owners. The garden front (south-facing) is early 19c, while the kitchen and main bedroom were added by ourselves. It has 6 bedrooms altogether, the main bedroom also having its own separate bathroom. There are 2 reception rooms and a large hall with an open fire. This we use on occasion as a dining room where we can seat 20 around a long table. There is also a large farmhouse kitchen with an Aga, very much the heart of the house and usually full of people and pets.

Further down the drive stands a 2-storey barn. This has its own power, water and drainage. Part of it has been converted to provide an open-plan office and also a large artists' studio, open to the roof (useful for parties too). French windows open from the studio onto a terrace and ornamental pool. The barn also contains a double garage and, at the far end, the original stabling for 3 horses remains if needed. The whole building could easily be converted to provide extra separate accommodation (at least 3 bedrooms).

The whole property is sheltered by woodland, so it remains extraordinarily peaceful and secluded for somewhere so central. There is a productive kitchen garden with mature fruit trees (various kinds of apple, plum and damson). An old brick wall divides this from the main garden. Here there are large trees in the wild area (our children spent much of their time climbing them). The more formal part has yew hedges, borders and an east-facing summerhouse where we breakfast on sunny summer mornings.

Why on earth are we moving, you ask? The answer is that we don't intend to leave the area - we can't imagine anywhere better to live. Our children have grown up and left home, though, so the time seems right to move somewhere smaller and to give another family the chance to be as happy here as we have been. Our agents are McCartney's (Presteigne), tel. 01544 267038 or email presteigne@mccartneys.co.uk

P.S. Google Earth, Maps, satnav etc often show the wrong location/address for our postcode - don't trust them! We are in Wales (Powys) by a few hundred yards, and not in Clatterbrune Estate.