2 Reading Room Cottages, The Street, Swanton Novers

The Property

2 Reading Room Cottages is a beautifully presented, two-bedroom, period cottage with a generous garden that forms part of a delightfully quirky terrace of three cottages, tucked away in the picturesque and sleepy village of Swanton Novers, just a few miles from the Georgian market towns of Holt and Fakenham and within easy striking distance of the North Norfolk coastline.  The Reading Room Cottages are named after the original 18th Century Reading Room at the end of the terrace, now converted into the first of the cottages.

This charming cottage boasts lovely features, like the wonderful exposed beams upstairs and the secret terrace to the rear; along with the fantastic outside space which incorporates a dining patio, pretty cottage garden with lawn, a summerhouse, two brick built storage sheds and an off-street gravelled parking area.

On entering the cottage from the garden, through a stable door, you are welcomed into the modern shaker style fitted kitchen, with a range of wall and under counter cupboards, free standing oven & hob with extractor over, Corian worktops, wash hand basin and engineered oak flooring.

The oak flooring flows from the kitchen, through the dining hall and into the sitting room, seamlessly connecting the separate spaces on the ground floor.  The generous dining hall is at the heart of downstairs, with plenty of space for a dining table and chairs and leading on to the sitting room, downstairs shower room and with the staircase drawing the eye up towards the bedrooms.

The cosy sitting room is an oasis of peace and tranquility, with a wood burning stove to curl up in front of in the winter and a clever window that opens like French doors out to the secret terrace to the rear of the cottage.  Not only flooding the room with natural light but by using the window seat as a step, you can climb out and sit, hidden away from the world with a book and a cup of tea!

The downstairs shower room, features a large, walk-in shower enclosure, WC, wash hand basin with vanity unit.

Up the Norfolk Winder cottage staircase is a small landing, giving access to the two bedrooms.  These charming bedrooms have the original supporting beams both in the walls and ceiling exposed, adding to their feeling of cottage cosiness. 

The principal bedroom is to the rear of the cottage, with a window looking out over the neighbouring gardens and fields beyond.  With the original wide floorboards, a fitted wardrobe cupboard and plenty of space for a king size bed, bedside tables, chest of drawers and occasional chair, this is a wonderfully peaceful and comfortable room.  The adjacent single room next door has a window looking out over the garden and to the countryside beyond and offers ample space for a single bed, tall boy chest of drawers, occasional chair and some recessed shelving.

Outside

It is the outside space at 2 Reading Room Cottages that sets it apart.  The garden runs the length of the path leading from the parking area, a really generous space boasting a charming dinding patio and two brick built sheds which have been upgraded by the current owners to ensure dray and secure storage, alongside a log store.  

There is a lawned area, leading to a large summerhouse, which is used by the owners as an additional outside room, providing a wonderful quiet space to retreat in the garden.  There is even a secret grove, tucked away behind the summerhouse with a bench.  

Once the entrance gate is closed this lovely garden area is fully enclosed for dogs and small children.

The cottage is approached from the quiet lane that runs through the village and there is a gravelled parking area leading to the garden gate and path up to the front door.