Malbanc

Entering the original cobbled courtyard under the archway, there is a doorway between the two sets of carriage doors into Malbanc Cottage. You will step into the hallway /boot room, complete with original bridle hooks and bench for leaving outdoor gear after walks around the estate! There is a small downstairs loo and cleverly hidden cupboard for the washer and dryer.

From here you enter into a dramatic and large sitting room with its original beams. It has two seating areas, with comfortable sofas and chairs, a wood-burning fireplace and impressive gothic doors leading into the dining room. Decorated in shades of yellow, cream and grey, with a striking floral printed linen on the curtains, it is sophisticated and elegant. Large picture windows looking onto both the garden and the courtyard give it a light and joyous feel. The flat screen TV above the fireplace ensures easy viewing.

The dining room is understated but powerful, with its high ceilings, original beams and large windows. Striped curtains echoing the sitting room and fabric covered gothic chairs complete the look. The dining room table, set for 8 can be expanded to seat up to 16 persons offering the perfect answer to a group booking when two other cottages next door are rented together.

Up the stairs leading from the sitting room there are two bedrooms, a double and a twin which can clip and link, and which share a large bathroom with separate shower. Designed and decorated to the highest standard, it has a large mirror and is fully tiled with heated towel rail. The double bedroom has the original beams, and is decorated in subtle tones highlighted in mauve and purple. Antique oak furniture complements the contemporary bed treatment. The twin bedroom is decorated in soft tones with a pretty large floral pattern set on a beige linen. Set against a headboard designed with a shelf to place personal belongings, the beds can be clip and linked to make a king size double. The built in cupboard and dressing table/desk in weathered oak complete the room.

Through the gothic arch in the dining room sits a gothic dresser on the right of which is a fabulous kitchen, specifically designed for larger groups up to 16. Integrated appliances, double ovens, large fridges and separate freezer mean enough storage to feed the maximum number. On the left, a door opens into a dressing room with built in cupboard and suitcase storage and a small but elegant double bedroom, which is filled by a huge double bed covered in a fur throw. The en-suite shower room is equipped and decorated to the same high standard found throughout the cottage.

Up the winding stairs, you enter a warm and cosy twin bedroom, with tongue and groove headboard, hanging cupboard and desk/dressing table with drawers. Set in the eaves of the cottage with huge glass windows looking across the dining room, it is decorated in pretty blues and cream. A dormer window looks out onto the garden below. The attached shower room is quirky and original, with beams and tiling and heated towel rail.

The door from the dining room leads into the private garden area, with outdoor furniture and colourful flower beds. It is really the front door, leading from the parking area, down the gravel path. This cottage is perfect for groups of 8 up to 16, its elegant design and impressive architectural features will make it an instant hit.

The conversion of this cottage was supported by the Rural Development Programme for England, for which Defra is the Managing Authority, part financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas.