4 Bedroom detached house ● Drayton Road, Milton Keynes ● £800,000

Every so often, Diane and Danny spot a passerby taking a picture of their chocolate-box home at Newton Longville. They are never surprised, they admit, because, quite simply, Moor End Farm is as gorgeous today as it was over 400 years ago. “It is such a pretty cottage, and as soon as we saw it, we wanted to buy it,” Diane recalls. “It was sold as requiring renovation, but we knew exactly what we would do with it and it has become everything we knew it could be.” It has been 27 years now since the couple bought the Grade II-listed property, which includes a three-bedroom main house, an adjoining annexe and grounds of around half an acre. “We have been very happy here,” she agrees. “It has been a very flexible, multi-generational home to us – a place that is easy to live in and easy to love.” Danny adds: “It is a home that gives you a hug as soon as you step inside it.”

BACK IN TIME

Believed to date back at least as far as 1610, the cottage was originally a farmhouse set in approximately 64 acres of land. “For many years, it was owned by the Horne family and was where straw plaiting took place,” Diane explains. “This village was known for lace making and straw plaiting for the hats that were made in Luton at the time. A local genealogist examined the history of the property and was able to trace every single owner as far back as 1700. We know the cottage is older than that, but there were no more records. That history of Moor End Farm will stay here with the house when we move on.”

THE OLD AND THE NEW

Most of the renovation and extension work overseen by Diane and Danny was carried out within the first three years of their arrival. They teamed up with planners and conservation experts where necessary and now enjoy the contrast between the older and newer parts of their home. “We added a lovely kitchen and conservatory to bring the cottage and annexe together,” she explains. “They can now be enjoyed as one home or as two separate places to live if that better meets your needs. I love the way the original part feels so different from the newer areas.” The annexe was completely renovated from top to bottom. In the main cottage, flooring was replaced and windows were restored. “We used traditional materials and kept as much character as we could, as that was what we loved so much about the place.”

ALL SEASONS

Today Moor End Farm is very much a home for all seasons. The main thatched cottage features a sitting room, dining room and study or fourth bedroom downstairs. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms and a family bathroom. The new kitchen and conservatory join the cottage to the annexe, where there is a snug and second kitchen (or utility room) downstairs and a bedroom and bathroom upstairs. “The children have come home as adults and lived in the annexe, which has worked very well,” she explains. “The central kitchen is very much the hub of the house and is where we all gravitate to when we have visitors. We like sitting in the snug in the summertime, so we can look out over the garden. The sitting room in the main cottage is nice in winter, when the wood-burner-style fire is on.”

SPECIAL TIMES

There have been so many joyful occasions at Moor End Farm over the years. “We have had two family weddings here, with marquees, and a World War II party with over 80 people for our anniversary,” Diane reminisces. For over 20 years, the family also dressed the cottage for Halloween, with some visitors who came themselves as children bringing their own youngsters in later years to experience the incredible decorations. “The last time we did it, we had about 500 visitors,” she says. “This is why many people in the village call it “the Halloween house!”

VILLAGE LIFE

The couple, who are now moving for family reasons, have also enjoyed living in Newton Longville, with its friendly community and amenities including a village store, pub, café and butcher’s. Larger shops in Bletchley and Newton Leys are also close by and thriving Milton Keynes is just 15 minutes away. “We will miss the village itself, the beautiful garden and being at the centre of so many family occasions,” she agrees. “This house is such a talking point – so many people say how much they love it when they visit. We truly hope the next people to live here will enjoy it as much and be as happy here as we have been for all this time.”

SETTING THE SCENE

The gardens and grounds of approximately half an acre at Moor End Farm have brought Diane and Danny as much pleasure as the house itself. They have lovingly created three separate outdoor areas – a gorgeous space for outside entertaining and relaxation, a play area, complete with a mini Romany-style play caravan, and a hugely productive kitchen garden. Here the couple grow enough potatoes to last them all year round and enjoy an abundance of apples, quinces, pears, damsons and plums for jam and other home produce. There is a potting shed and greenhouse. In the past, planning permission has been granted for old barns on the site to be removed and replaced with other outbuildings. An original well is also within the grounds.

• Property reference CWR080610134
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