Ralph reviews a detached house in Tilston
The last few weeks have been very busy, from both a work and social perspective. It is great to be busy but sometimes there is nothing like a brief pause to recharge the batteries. Suffice to say that, on the way to the subject of my latest Ralph’s Review, I was delighted when dad mentioned that we might stop in Tarporley for a coffee and catch up with friends. We were en route to the nearby village of Tilston so it would be hardly any detour at all.
I wagged my tail in approval at this plan and eagerly hopped down from the car as soon as we pulled to a stop in Tarporley. As we strolled the length of the High Street I eyed all the many cafes and eateries with a gleam in my eye and an anticipatory lick of my lips. Happily, we came to a stop outside a particularly delicious-smelling café and whilst dad greeted his friend in that very strange human way – shaking hands, myself and my buddy, Sid the Staffie, exchanged greetings in a much more normal way – nose to bottom. Once the pleasantries were out the way we all settled down for a nice chat and whilst the humans tucked into coffee and cake, Sid and I enjoyed a bowl of cold water and a delicious tapas bar selection of artisan dog biscuits – very tasty they were too.
After a relaxing hour or so dad and I made our apologies and headed back to the car for the short onwards trip to Tilston. Once there we pulled onto a large open forecourt in front of a delightful looking family house. I slithered down from the back seat of the car in a rather ungainly manner (I may have over-indulged at the café!) and walked (slower than normal) over to the front door. As I looked up at Gable Cross Farm, I admired the cottage feel it retained whilst appreciating the high standard to which it had been renovated.
As I stepped over the threshold I smiled with anticipation – I was hoping to find a home where contemporary meets heritage and modern living is sympathetically presented.
My first impressions confirmed that I was not to be disappointed. Once inside I found myself in a contemporary hallway with an open oak staircase up to the first floor. Mentally clocking that for my later explorations, I first took a door to my left and was immediately spellbound by the beautiful open plan space in front of me. I pottered across the wooden flooring of the spacious, light and airy living and dining space before arriving in the kitchen area. There I was mesmerised by the sleek contemporary Hacker kitchen which was both stylish and functional. The kitchen island was probably one of the largest I have ever seen, honestly, all my harnesses, coats, toys AND treats could reside comfortably within its recesses. Dad agreed and said that even I could fit in it if my whining for food became annoying enough!
At that point I gave him one of my sternest looks, turned my back on him in a mock huff and set off through a set of doors at the back of the kitchen. Now this all felt rather exciting, I passed a handy storage room then found myself in a cosy and welcoming TV room. This room had a relaxed feel and I could well imagine settling down to watch a favourite box set or binge watch episodes of Dogs Behaving (very) Badly on a winter’s evening. I spotted a further set of stairs leading upwards and could not resist bounding up them. At the top I found myself on a landing which led to a bathroom on one side and a bedroom on the other. Now my mind started racing – actually this end of the house could be the perfect place to give a teenage pup their first taste of independence – tucked away, they could have their own sitting room, bedroom and bathroom that can only be accessed from this side of the house.
Thinking how many teenage pups I know who would love that space all to themselves, I gave a knowing smile before heading back to the hallway and taking a door on the opposite side. This led me into a lovely open plan sitting and dining room. Wandering around I admired the timber floor and dad explained that it had underfloor heating (not that one would need it at the moment but it would keep my delicate little paws warm on a winter’s evening!) However, I have to say that the centre point of the room, both literally and metaphorically, was the feature exposed sandstone fireplace and chimney with a dual faced log burner which would warm both the sitting room and dining room areas at the same time – oh what a fabulous design coup!
At the back of the sitting room I spotted another door and went to explore. This Aladdins Cave of a house offered up an inner hallway, an entrance kitchenette, a shower room and an office or bedroom on this side of the property.
Having fully explored the ground floor, I could hardly wait to see what delights the first floor had to offer. So back to the hallway I went and bounded enthusiastically up the oak staircase I had so admired when I first set foot in Gable Cross Farm. At the top of the stairs, I found myself on a large landing which led to three bedrooms, one with an en suite bathroom and one with an ensuite shower room, I also found a good sized family bathroom – in short the perfect layout for family living.
All that remained was to explore the outside space. Being an astute little pug, I had already realised that there was a part of the property that I had not yet explored. Indeed, when I stepped back onto the forecourt at the front of the house, I spotted another “front door” to my right. I headed straight over, realising that is was an attached annexe with three rooms, which after some work could become – a sitting room, bedroom and bathroom and could be just perfect to make the property work for multi generational living.
Moving on, I followed my nose round to the back of the property and was delighted to discover a large outbuilding which housed a double garage, a workshop, a gym, two further rooms and a cloakroom. Attached to this very large outbuilding I found a barn and next to that an attached carport! Wow, it really is no exaggeration to say that Gable Cross Farm has it all covered!
As is tradition, my last port of call was to explore the garden and grounds. The garden was situated at the back of the house, and I was instantly taken by the large terrace area. I wandered around sniffing intensely – I was sure I could smell burgers but where were they?! Arh, mystery solved – I found a brick built BBQ and pizza oven…. But sadly no left over burgers! However, what it lacked in burgers, the terrace more than made up for in possibilities – such a large space would be perfect for outdoor social gatherings. Beyond the terrace was a lawned garden and a large open field beyond that. Dad informed me that the property sat in approximately 4.3 acres of land (it was too hot to check using my fitpug so I took his word for it!)
I returned to the car and as I cast a final glance at Gable Cross Farm I thought about how many possibilities this property offered – for multi-generational living, people with plenty of outdoor interests or just those who would welcome the vast amount of space this property offers. If Gable Cross Farm has piqued your curiosity , please do not hesitate to contact myself or one of my team on 01244 322322 or [email protected]
Until next time
From your independent Chester estate agent
Ralph X
