EASTER, apart from being the time when children hunt for Easter eggs, is the time when buyers hunt for property. As the weather warms up and the days get longer, thoughts turn to moving house, investing in the future or just plain old “moving fever” takes over. And if “chocolate-box pretty” is what you are looking for at this time of year, then Furzemoor Cottage, at Cold Harbour, Goring Heath, has it all and much more besides.

Cold Harbour is a tiny hamlet approached over a quiet, dead end country lane, with a cluster of properties which are mainly period, some thatched and brick and flint. The area surrounding the hamlet is peaceful, unspoilt and rural, in an area of outstanding natural beauty, set high in the Chilterns overlooking the Thames Valley. Whitchurch and Crays Pond are just a short distance away, with Wallingford seven miles drive, Goring just three miles away and Henley 11 miles away.

Furzemoor Cottage is a pretty home with a wired thatch roof (extensively re-thatched in 2003) with wide eyebrow windows and a “cat slide” — the term for a section of a roof that is extended to cover a lean-to or side room, so that it sweeps down from the ridge nearly to the ground, particularly appealing to the eye when it is thatched.

The property may have been one of three, single storey cottages built for farm workers at Cold Harbour Farm: a dwelling is believed to have been there since the mid 1600s, with the central part of the present cottage dating to the 19th century. There are rustic, red brick elevations and flint work, and, to the rear and the east side, Furzemoor Cottage has been sympathetically extended. Inside, the cottage retains plenty of character, with heavy beams and exposed timbers in the older parts.

On the ground floor the enclosed entrance porch, which has a wired thatched roof, has a quarry tiled floor, and opens onto the sitting room. This heavily beamed room faces south west, and has an impressive inglenook fireplace with a high bressamer beam, a bread oven and a raised, quarry tiled hearth. There are fitted cupboards and display shelving to the alcove and there are views from this room to the garden. The dining room also has views to the garden and an original chimney breast.

The kitchen/breakfast room has been recently fitted with cream painted Shaker-style wall and floor units, carved corner columns and open shelving. There are solid beech work surfaces with a one and a half bowl stainless steel sink unit, a built-in Britannia range double oven and concealed extractor unit, Miele fridge and integrated Bosch dishwasher. A door leads to the under stairs store/pantry, and there is a further lobby area and rear entrance hall adjacent to which is the utility room, with built-in space for a washing machine, tumble dryer and water softener. There is an inset stainless steel sink and a fitted double unit for storage. This room leads through to the cloakroom and separate shower room, with a secondary, turning staircase leading to the first floor.

Also on the ground floor, and adjacent to the sitting room is the study, which has fitted shelved cupboards from floor to ceiling to one corner, and the snug, which has a heavily beamed ceiling and walls with original supports timbers. The garden room is reached through the snug, and has lovely views over the adjoining meadows and across the Thames Valley to the Berkshire Downlands.

On the first floor, from the secondary staircase, there is a small landing, leading to the first bedroom, which has original exposed wall timbers. There is a deep walk-in wardrobe with a store room beyond it, and further double and single wardrobes and a store cupboard. The second bedroom faces south west and also has a fitted double wardrobe, with separate cupboards above it.

The main landing, reached by a turning staircase from the rear entrance hall, leads to the third bedroom and the bathroom. The third bedroom looks to the northwest, and the bathroom has a white enamelled bath, wash hand basin and wc.

Outside, the cottage sits on top of the Chilterns escarpment, with distant views to the Berkshire Downlands. The cottage has a wide splayed gravelled entrance, edged by grass verges and clipped hedges. There is a detached garage with fitted light and power, and close by is a timber garden shed.

The gardens are lovely with beds and borders, plenty of attractive trees, including magnolia, mulberry and silver birch, and boundaries protected by clipped evergreen hedging. The rear boundary overlooks a meadow. At the western end of the cottage is a stone-flagged terrace with low retaining walls. A lily pond and well-planted borders make this an attractive place to sit, and there are views from here to the open meadows. In all the gardens and grounds extend to about a quarter of an acre.

For more information, contact the selling agents, Warmingham in Goring, on (01491) 874144. The guide price for Furzemoor Cottage is £795,000.

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Published on 14 April 2009