A peaceful 19th-century home with enchanting grounds and arresting views
A peaceful 19th-century home with enchanting grounds and arresting views
Windmill Cottage sits in the picturesque village of Swaffham Prior, Cambridgeshire. It is surrounded by truly marvellous grounds, carefully cultivated and planted with a rambunctious variety of flowers and plants chosen to provide colour and texture throughout the seasons. Inside, it spans some 2,347 sq ft, with four bedrooms and a set of interconnected living spaces. Outside are a series of outbuildings - some designed for practical purposes, others as peaceful spots to sit and read.
Setting the Scene
Mentioned in the Domesday Book, Swaffham Prior is a storied village with a distinctly historic feel. It has over 40 listed buildings, including two 12th-century churches and two listed windmills. Today, it has a buoyant local community, with a village hall that puts on a regular programme of events and activities, an art group, a garden club, and a friendly local pub. A cycle route provides easy access to Cambridge.
Windmill Cottage, built around 1820, was originally two separate dwellings, home to the millers of the adjacent Tower Mill (Grade ll). The subject of several iterations, the two cottages were combined in the 1960's and further extended in 2011. Exposed beams nod to its lineage and a thoughtful selection of paint colours and newer materials complement the building's fabric.
The Grand Tour
Set on a quiet lane, Windmill Cottage’s frontage is a charming combination of white render and timber-framed windows. Its rear facade been carefully designed to reflect the windmills that sit adjacent. Entry is from the porch at the front of the house with a WC set conveniently opposite.
There is a wonderful circular feel to the ground floor. The sitting room is bright yet cosy, with concertina doors that open to the garden and a log-burning stove. Engineered oak flooring grounds underfoot. A dining area adjoins, also with a large concertina door to the garden. Designed in an open-plan, the dining room flows into the kitchen, a well-composed space with navy and cream cabinetry, Silestone and teak countertops, a sky blue-coloured oil Aga, and a handy pantry.
Leading from the porch, a lovely open room with three windows, has been well utilised as a painting studio. A wonderful open-tread staircase, added in the mid-century, ascends to the first floor, where there are four bedrooms, all grounded with carpet and with walls painted in a spectrum of neutral hues.
A generous space, the principal has an en suite shower room and double doors that open to another bedroom, which has been used as a walk-in wardrobe but would also suit use as a nursery or study. The second largest bedroom also has an en suite room. In addition to the four bedrooms there is a study/writing area with far-reaching views over the paddock. A separate bathroom with emerald-green tiling around the bathtub sits adjacent.
The Great Outdoors
The grounds that surround the house are a true delight, filled with colour, scent and texture. While retaining views across open farmland to the Devil's Dyke it has been laid out to maximise space and cleverly divided to serve several purposes. Cottagey gardens are stocked with irises and delphiniums, and a serene pond is home to several koi carp.
Slate shingle paths lead between the garden’s ‘rooms’, and there is a picturesque jasmine walk with a hazel tree planted at one end. There is also a formal garden with topiary and a variety of trees, including plum, nectarine and mountain ash. Elsewhere are rowan trees, crimson king, a rose bed garden and a secluded area of woodland with silver birch and beech trees and a pond attracting local wildlife.
The grounds extend to around just under half an acre and include a paddock with oak, cherry blossom trees and a modest orchard bearing apples, pears, cherries, and plums. There is also an area dedicated to composting and a useful storage shed.
There are also several outbuildings, including a gardening shed, an insulated office (with internet connections), a workshop and a summerhouse. There is also a greenhouse and a cold frame, advantageous for nurturing seedlings and cuttings for future planting in the garden.
On one side of the house is a large garage with space to park multiple cars.
The Area
Swaffham Prior sits in a wonderful spot for exploring the local countryside and numerous historic sites. There are some wonderful National Trust properties nearby, including Anglesey Abbey and Wicken Fen. Devil’s Dyke is even closer to home: a Scheduled Monument, a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation, it is a linear earthen barrier, thought to be of Anglo-Saxon origin.
The centre of Cambridge is around a twenty minute drive away or a 50-minute cycle along a dedicated cycle path. The city’s striking historic architecture and world-class university might have established its international reputation, but newer additions have proven it to be a city perfect for modern living. Local food favourites include Fitzbillies, The Garden Kitchen, and Fancett’s, while the exceptional house-gallery Kettle’s Yard is always worth a visit. The Fitzwilliam Museum also runs an engaging programme throughout the year and houses an impressive permanent collection. It is also home to the popular Arts Theatre.
Newmarket Racecourse is also fifteen minutes away by car and often hosts music events during the summer months.
There are plenty of schooling options nearby, including Swaffham Prior Primary, Burwell Village College Primary School, Swaffham Bulbeck Primary School, Bottisham Primary School and Bottisham Village College. Private options, including The Perse School, The Leys School, and King's College School, can be found in Cambridge, along with the well-regarded sixth form college, Hills Road.
Cambridge station is around 20 minutes’ drive away, while Cambridge North station can be reached in around 15 minutes. Both run services to London King’s Cross and to Liverpool Street in as little as 45 minutes.
Council Tax Band: E
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