The Store House, Herefordshire

This immaculate five-bedroom house is found in Staunton on Wye, deep within the Herefordshire countryside. Grade II listed, its interiors have been sensitively updated by its current custodians with a considered palette of colour and materials. Casement windows frame far-reaching views across the landscape, and a light-filled studio is well-suited to artistic pursuits. Surrounded by approximately an acre of gardens, the house is perfectly located for exploring the Wye Valley and the surrounding towns and countryside.

Setting the Scene

Built in 1860 by Fulljames and Waller, this house was commissioned by the Jarvis Educational Foundation as an ancillary building to the neighbouring boarding school. The charity was named after George Jarvis, a London businessman who left a large sum of money to his home village of Staunton on Wye.

The Store House served as a home for the clerk of the charity. Its spaces were also used as meeting rooms, and for storage of clothes, blankets and boots given to the poor of the parish. The house was designed in a Tudor Gothic style and has a smart red brick façade with stone dressings, punctuated by stone mullion-transom windows.

The Grand Tour

A circular driveway sweeps around to the front of the house, surrounded by mature trees and greenery. The front door sits within a neat gabled porch, leading through to the entrance hall and onto the kitchen. Here, wide casement windows frame leafy views of the front garden, and Shaker-style cabinetry provides ample storage space. Appliances include a range cooker and a dishwasher, and original floorboards run underfoot.

A hallway with floor-to-ceiling fitted bookshelves opens onto a tranquil sitting room; here, a Turnberry log burner is set into an original brick hearth. The principal bedroom lies on the second floor. A pretty triangular window captures mesmerising views across the landscape, while a stone-mullioned window looks onto the front garden. An adjacent bedroom, currently used as a snug, also has spectacular views, and there is a shower room on this floor.

The first floor is home to three further double bedrooms and a shared bathroom, each bathed in natural light care of tall casement windows with bucolic views.

On the lower ground floor there are a series of versatile rooms in their original state, as well as a light-filled studio and a utility room.

The Great Outdoors

The house is surrounded by approximately one acre of verdant gardens, filled with a variety of trees and shrubbery, The walled garden has fruit and vegetable beds and a greenhouse, and the rest laid to lawn. Tucked in the corner is a brick-built potting shed with original tiled floor and small chimney.

On the south-facing side of the house lies a walled lower courtyard.

Out and About

The village of Staunton on Wye is nestled along the Wye Valley in Herefordshire, just over 10 miles away from the cathedral city of Hereford and 11 miles away from the famous literary town of Hay-on-Wye. The surrounding area is known for its rolling hills and spectacular views; The beautiful Wye River is within walking distance, and the panoramic views of the Golden Valley and the Black Mountains are a short drive away. The breathtaking Brecon Beacons are slightly further afield. The village has its own pub, doctors' surgery, nursery and primary school.

The historic Arthur’s Stone sits just a 10-minute drive from the house, overlooking the Golden Valley. Hay Castle is also close by, as well as the National Trust-maintained Weir Garden, with its wonderful riverside garden and woodlands.

The cosy New Unicorn Inn is just a 13-minute drive from the house, and The Cider Barn serves up delicious locally sourced fare. Further opportunities for dining and shopping are found in Hereford, which also has a Waitrose. Numerous organic farms in the area provide excellent local produce, including local favourite Oakchurch Farm Shop, a two-minute drive from the house. It has a vast food hall, a butcher, a deli, an ice cream shack and a café.

Hay-on-Wye is approximately 11 miles away. Host to a renowned literature festival, Hay has over a wonderful array of independent shops, including around 20 bookshops. There is also a brilliant offering of food, from Chapters, a celebrated local restaurant, to beloved sheep’s milk ice cream maker, Shepherds Parlour. The town has a weekly farmers' market, as well as regular artisan markets and events. Hereford is also close by, and is home to a Waitrose as well as health food shops and a cheesemonger.

There are a number of schooling options in the area, including a nursery and a primary school a stone's throw from the house. There are three more primary schools only a short drive away, and secondary schools include Weobley and Fairfield. Private schooling options include Hereford Cathedral School and Lucton.

Hereford rail station is 10.6 miles away, and provides direct services to London Paddington in just over three hours, as well as services to Birmingham New Street, Cardiff and Bristol (via Newport).

Council Tax Band: F