Ivy Cottage, Bont Dolgadfan - SY19 7BB

Ivy Cottage keeps its secrets well. From the lane it presents as a modest stone and brick cottage, its name still lettered in the original glass above the door, giving little hint of the home that unfolds behind it.

Once a working stonemason's mill, it has become something genuinely one of a kind: a home arranged over split levels, rich in exposed beams, natural stone and quiet character, where each turn reveals another unexpected space. The kitchen is a lovely room in the true cottage spirit, where whitewashed ceiling beams sit above a striking expanse of exposed stone and warm timber cabinetry, creating a space that feels both practical and full of soul. From here the accommodation rises and falls through its various levels, an arrangement that gives the cottage its distinctive character and wonderful sense of flow. The main reception room is wonderfully generous, with a log burner set within a stone fireplace and ample space to gather with family, relax or indulge a collection or two. A further reception room on this level is currently used as a games room, though it would work equally well as a ground floor bedroom, home office or hobby room, giving the layout excellent flexibility.

On the lower ground floor are a practical utility room and the bathroom, neatly tucked into the lower part of the house. Upstairs are two comfortable double bedrooms. The second is currently arranged with an adjoining dressing room, a layout that can easily be retained or returned to a single larger bedroom if preferred.

Outside is where Ivy Cottage truly comes into its own. Immediately behind the house, a two-tier terrace provides a peaceful place to sit and enjoy the outlook. Beyond, the cottage garden climbs gently away, threaded with raised beds, a greenhouse, a summer house, a treehouse and a series of timber walkways that cross the brook which once powered the mill before leading to lovely open views across neighbouring fields and the surrounding hills. Useful sheds provide excellent storage, there is off-road parking to the side, and solar panels add a welcome practical touch to a home that already does things rather differently.

Peaceful, individual and quietly full of surprises, Ivy Cottage is a home with genuine character and a story to tell, one that simply has to be experienced in person.