Ralph reviews a detached dormer bungalow near Malpas
Love is in the air this weekend and I do hope you plan to thoroughly spoil your Valentine. I can’t wait to see my mum’s reaction to the “treasure trail” I have set for her, laid with infinite amounts of love and attention to detail. I am confident that she will be delighted to find bonios left in all her favourite places – within the pages of her latest book, tucked into her best pair of shoes, snuggled into the folds of the throw on the sofa and wrapped in her favourite silk scarf. OK, so I may have found the bonios hard to resist and they may be half chewed and covered in slobber but I know my mum will still be thrilled by each and every Valentine surprise!
In between Valentine’s Day tasks I found time to knuckle down and do some serious work and so it was that I braved the cold and that oh so icy wind to head off to Malpas to review a lovely detached dormer bungalow. Now this is property type that really appeals to me, it seems to me that you get the best of both worlds – a self contained single storey home if you wish but there is also an upstairs if you just really like climbing the stairs to bed! Personally I can sleep anywhere, and I do mean anywhere – a bed, a desk, the basket at the front of mum’s bicycle….
Our arrival at Meadow Bank made quite an impression on me – the car crunched over a gravel driveway with gardens and paddocks on either side and we came to a halt in front of a triple car garage (one for every member of my human family – how convenient!) which also boasts an outside WC, so I am told. When I hopped down from the car I took in my surroundings – a charming bungalow nestled within (dad informed me) around 2.6 acres of gardens and paddocks. Well, my inspection of the grounds will be rather bracing, I thought to myself, and should complete my daily exercise to boot.
Inside the bungalow I found myself in a refreshingly airy and spacious hallway. I especially admired the impeccable wooden floor, so stylish as well as super easy to clean – perfect when there is an over-enthusiastic pug around who may forget to have his muddy paws cleaned before bounding into the house! A door to my left led me into an elegant drawing room which was filled with light flooding in from no less than three double glazed windows and a glazed door out to the garden. A blustery February day is not the day for opening it to the elements, but it was easy to picture balmy summer days with the door thrown wide and the fragrant smells of the summer flowers and cut grass drifting in – heavenly. Rest assured though that this charming drawing room is also the perfect space for winter comfort, with a living flame gas fire set in a beautiful surround it is the ideal setting for family nights in and drinks with friends (one day!)
Back in the hallway I made my way across to the right of the property where I found the rest of the living areas – a study, a handy utility room, a cloakroom and a stunning kitchen/family room. Another light and appealing room, the kitchen/family room comes complete with a log burning stove cleverly positioned between the kitchen and the living space. No prizes for guessing where my favourite spot in the house would be – curled up in front of the stove with one eye on any activity taking place in the kitchen and ever ready to spring into action to rescue a falling morsel of food!
Upon investigation of the rest of the ground floor I was delighted to find two large bedrooms and a family bathroom – how thoughtfully this lovely property has been configured, almost as if the architect knew that a certain pug, with rather short legs and who has a propensity to get tired climbing endless sets of stairs, would be visiting…
That said of course I knew that this was a dormer bungalow meaning that there was a first floor to explore and it was with a delicious sense of anticipation that I made my way up the stairs. I found myself on a large landing which boasted two skylights and copious amounts of storage space – the perfect place to store all the paraphernalia of my many obsessions – things that can be thrown, things that can be caught, things that can be tugged and things that can be flung! Set on one side of the landing I found a bedroom and a family shower room and off the other side I found a further, very large bedroom and an en suite bathroom. Now I know that I am the smallest member of the family but I really do think that I would have to commandeer this room as my own – the serene and cosy atmosphere enveloped me like a scrumptious blanket and I felt an almost overwhelming urge to stay there all day.
However, it was not to be as I still had to explore the outside space before bidding a fond farewell to Meadow Bank. Outside I donned my pug-sized wellies and set off to explore the grounds. My pedometer (or is it a pawometer??) confirmed that I traversed 2.6 acres of lawned garden and paddock land. I also discovered a pond, which was super exciting although I was careful not to go too near the edge – it was far too cold for an impromptu swim this week! And finally I also came across a wooden stable block with two stables and a store room – perfect for an equine enthusiast.
It was rather too chilly to dilly-dally so I hopped back into the car and turned the heater up to full blast whilst dad began our drive back to the office. As we made our way back down the drive I looked back at Meadow Bank thinking about what a truly appealing and versatile home it is. If you are as charmed as me do feel free to give myself or one of my team a call on 01244 322322 to arrange a viewing.
Until next time
Ralph X
