Two charming and individual Grade II listed thatched cottages, with a detached garden studio, garaging and delightful established gardens, situated in the heart of Downton.
18 and 20 The Borough are two charming period cottages, each with its own character and history, offering a wonderfully flexible arrangement of accommodation. Jasmine Cottage, which fronts The Borough, dates back to the 17th century and is a particularly attractive timber-framed cottage with a thatched roof and distinctive eyebrow dormer windows. Set behind it is Minton Cottage, an equally appealing 18th-century property with handsome brickwork and a traditional thatched roof. Both cottages are Grade II listed.
The two cottages are connected by a garage, which can be accessed internally from both properties. This gives the accommodation a great deal of flexibility while allowing each cottage to retain its own character. There is also a separate garden building, known as The Den, which provides useful
additional space and offers further potential, subject to the necessary consents.
Jasmine Cottage, 18 The Borough
The front door opens into a hallway, with a snug to the left, featuring exposed ceiling beams and windows overlooking the front of the cottage. On the opposite side is the sitting room, which has timber-panelled walls, exposed beams and an inglenook fireplace. Windows overlook both the front of the cottage and the rear terrace, and there is also a useful walk-in storage cupboard. The staircase rises from here to the first floor.
The galley kitchen is fitted with a range of cupboards, a sink and a freestanding electric oven with gas hob. Beyond is a utility room with space for laundry appliances and a door leading into the garage, which connects the two cottages.
There is also a ground floor bathroom, accessed from the hallway, with a bath, WC and hand basin.
Upstairs, a spacious landing leads to two double bedrooms, both with their own hand basins, one of which also has an enclosed WC.
Minton Cottage, 20 The Borough
Is approached through a timber-framed porch, where an oak door with sidelights opens into a tiled entrance hall. The kitchen is fitted with a range of wall and floor cupboards with timber work surfaces, a double Belfast sink, gas hob and built-in oven and grill. There is also a useful built-in pantry. An adjoining utility room provides further storage, an additional Belfast sink and a wall-mounted gas boiler.
Leading from the kitchen is an open-plan reception space providing room for both a dining table and a seating area. This continues into a further sitting room, with an inglenook fireplace incorporating a traditional bread oven. French doors with adjoining windows open onto the terrace with views across the garden.
On the opposite side of the entrance hall is a ground floor bedroom, with French doors opening onto the terrace and a further door providing access to the connecting garage. A wet room, fitted with a shower, WC and hand basin, is located close to the staircase.
Upstairs, the landing has space for a desk or study area and leads through to a spacious double bedroom overlooking the garden. This room also benefits from built-in wardrobes and an en suite bathroom with a bath, WC and hand basin.
The garage provides a convenient link between the two cottages, with a side-hinged door at one end and a roller door at the other, opening onto the terrace.
The gardens provide an attractive setting to the cottages, with a paved terrace immediately to the rear enclosed by a low wall and curved steps descending to the lawn. Established shrubs and planted borders bring colour and texture throughout the garden, while steps from the terrace also lead to a door providing access to the lane alongside the property.
Among the mature planting is a particularly striking Indian bean tree (Catalpa), notable for its broad leaves and long hanging seed pods. There is also a brick-built garden shed beneath a tiled roof, a traditional greenhouse and a fruit cage, adding to the garden’s practical as well as ornamental appeal.
The Den is a particularly useful detached garden building, finished externally in dark timber weatherboarding above a brick plinth and beneath a tiled roof. Double glazed doors with sidelights open into a spacious room with a tiled floor, exposed timbers and a vaulted ceiling incorporating rooflights, creating a light and versatile space. There is fitted shelving, which could be removed, together with a guest WC and hand basin.
Externally accessed plant accommodation houses separate gas boilers serving the heating and hot water, while a useful further garden store is positioned behind The Den.
View payable Stamp Duty for this property
A wonderful opportunity to acquire a home ideally suited to multigenerational living.
Ed Seth-SmithProperty agent