As we already owned a cottage in this village we were very familiar with this property.  We’d often admired it from the riverbank opposite and knew that if it ever came on the market we would go for it.  Fast forward a few years and we did exactly that.

This cottage was not without challenges.  Its biggest challenge was also its charm – it could only be accessed on foot.  This makes for a magical retreat but less appealing when trades are carrying everything in from the road some 30m away.  

The electrics and plumbing were upgraded and the heating and water heating were replaced with energy efficient electric systems.  We moved the kitchen into the living space to create a second bedroom. We had double glazed sliding sash windows installed which were more in keeping with the age and style of the cottage, and a huge improvement in efficiency.  French doors from the living area opened out on to a new deck.

The entrance was reconfigured to create more space and a cupboard built to house the washing machine.  We went to town with the new bathroom installing a cast iron slipper bath and separate shower cubicle.