If a spacious property in a Welsh village named one of the poshest in our nation is your dream, but you want a special rural location with views, not total isolation and have a budget of less than £700,000, the choices of property might be limited.
A list of the 54 'poshest' villages to live in the UK compiled by The Telegraph using data by Savills and based on factors including house prices, lifestyle amenities, community and 'chocolate-box appeal included Shirenewton, and when you arrive at the leafy hamlet north of Chepstow, Monmouthshire it's not hard to see why.
The village is an idyllic place to call home, surrounded by views including across to the Severn Estuary, and an active community, as well as a local primary school, pubs, and yoga classes - all of which have contributed to it landing a spot on the Telegraph's exclusive list. Find out more about that here.
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Shirenewton is the biggest of three villages in between the Usk and Wye valleys in the Monmouthshire hills, the others being Mynyddbach and Earlswood, and is located three miles due west of Chepstow. It stands around 500 feet (154 m) above sea level. The population of the village and the conjoined village of Mynyddbach was 657 in 2011.
According to Rightmove, properties in and around Shirenewton had an overall average price of £581,429 over the last year. Overall, sold prices in Shirenewton over the last year were 6% up on the equivalent previous year and 13% up on the 2010 peak of £514,132.
The majority of sales in the village during the last year were detached properties, selling for an average price of £589,990. Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £772,500, with terraced properties fetching £290,000.
There is a scattering of pretty period properties hugging the lanes that wander through the area, but arguably it's a collection of homes on the edge of the village that are the standout character abodes that can offer unique living surrounded by exceptional rural views and communal gardens.
Arrive at the gates of this intriguing site and the anticipation rises because one of them is looking for you to make it your next, and very special, home. Attractive on the outside and gorgeous on the inside, it's a three-bed semi-detached home with a difference.
It is a slice of Home Farm Court, a prestigious renovation and conversion of an early nineteenth century model farm into ten luxury properties, sitting in around six acres of beautifully landscaped communal parkland and is located in the heart of the glorious Monmouthshire countryside, just south of the village.
The exclusive, gated development is approached along a sweeping, tree-lined driveway which skirts the boundaries of Shirenewton Hall park. The model farm was originally built for the hall's owner, Charles Oswald Liddell, who served as Sheriff of Monmouthshire in 1918.
The agent states that this home, number eight within the farm complex, occupies a south facing corner plot that is the best situated property converted from the farm's attractive stone buildings, which form a quadrangle around a central courtyard with feature fountain.
The garden is a good size but as the site is enveloped by stunning, undulating countryside it looks like it goes on forever, rolling over the rural fields to the horizon and the River Severn. The garden might be cloaked in countryside views, but inside the home is awash with tasteful and classy, yet comfortable interior design that floods this house with welcoming spaces where you just want to linger on a squishy sofa or at the table in the kitchen diner and chat, relax and enjoy the views of the glorious grounds that surround the home.
The house is thought to be converted from part of the main farmhouse as well as a cottage, and together they form an L-shaped design for the character home that provides an abundance of windows meaning every space happily welcomes oodles of light to join the sophisticated interiors.
The hall sets the tone of light tones from soft creams to gentle greens that cloak every space. There are pockets of period character that punctuate the calm decor, such as panels of exposed stone walls and flagstone floors that add original and tactile texture to the smooth waves of neutral colours.
To the left of the hall is the main lounge, entered via a set of double doors which offer you the chance to make quite an entrance when flung open. The lounge then greets you with a huge picture window framing the rural view as well as a gateway for uninterrupted light to cascade into the space.
The furniture is comfortable and the atmosphere is inviting, enhanced by the log burner and the wood floor which offers an extra layer of visual, as well as physical, warmth.
Back to the hall and past the cloakroom and the house offers a secondary hall that leads to arguably, the stand-out space - the kitchen diner and snug area that runs almost the whole depth of the house. As well as continuing the flow of stylish and timeless design, the space also keeps the connection with the garden running at maximum.
There's a picture window offering breath-taking views while you peel the spuds at the sink, then there's a glass door out to the sun-kissed garden terrace and finally a window where the thick walls of the old building are utilised fully to provide the most delightful window seat.
The window seat is not the only fabulous place to park yourself in this gorgeous room. The kitchen island is also trying to tempt you with a breakfast bar, the kitchen table suggesting you join in with the chat over a meal, and the sofa at the end of the space surely the winner once your stomach is full and sinking into a very comfy seat is the perfect solution.
Again the soft tones, natural materials and understated elegance first seen in the hall and lounge dress this room too and the result is a space worthy not just of oodles of time spent enjoying it but coverage in a glossy magazine showcasing the best in modern country-style interior design.
For more formal dining, or maybe the creation of a quieter snug away from the more sociable hubs of lounge and kitchen diner, at the end of this wing of the house there's an extra room to discover and delight you. In this space you'll find a flagstone floor that's seen hundreds of feet coming and going over the years, no doubt many heading for the door out to the garden or over to the large window to admire the views.
Now the upstairs is calling you to find three bedrooms and a family bathroom, again drenched in delicious interior design and also boasting a master bedroom with ensuite that includes a roll-top bath under the window that could persuade you that this space is in fact the show-stopper of the home.
The ensuite is the perfect place to offer you the chance to look a little closer at an example of the thought that has been given to the decor throughout the home, whilst trying not to be distracted by the glorious vista that appears at every window.
The change of tiles to create a mosaic border not at the top of the transition from tile to plastered wall, but in the middle of the tiles to coincide with the top of the sink unit, and the symmetry of the artwork placed either side of the window show the owner's attention to decor details that is repeated in every room.
The renovation and conversion of the property into a comfortable home has not diminished its charm and character, the house has been treated to careful interior design choices with much care and attention to detail that has created a stunning abode that anyone would be delighted to call their perfect pad in the country.
This special abode is on the market with a guide price of £640,000 with Fine & Country, Chepstow, call them on 01291 629799 to find out more. And don't miss the best dream homes in Wales, auction properties, renovation stories, and interiors - join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter, sent to your inbox twice a week.
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