Issue 155

6 THROUGH THE KEYHOLE
7
“We love the tranquillity of being surrounded by beautiful
countryside and wildlife. When our children were growing
up here, the garden and land made a real adventure
playground for them and for our Cocker Spaniel,” says Noni.
The gardens were already landscaped when Vernon
and Noni bought the property, but they have spent time
developing them further and today they are a true delight,
planted for year-round colour, with spring bulbs and
shrubs including rhododendrons, azaleas, magnolias and
hydrangeas.
Having invested so much care and attention into the
garden, the couple decided about 15 years ago to extend
the property by adding a stunning, cedar wood Amdega
conservatory/garden room, which they carefully planned so
it is in sympathy with the rest of the house. The limestone
floor has electric underfloor heating and the conservatory
features the exposed stone exterior walls of the property.
It makes a wonderful, atmospheric dining and entertaining
space.
keeping. Close to the kitchen is a useful fitted utility room
with a Belfast sink.
Whilst the kitchen is perfect for family entertaining, more
formal gatherings can be hosted in the large entrance/
dining hall, which features an oak beam and exposed stone
pillars. As well as a cosy snug, the property also has not just
one but two fabulous reception rooms, both full of character
and both overlooking the gardens, with French doors to
the sunny patio. The drawing room has feature beams and
ceiling timbers and an imposing stone fireplace with a rustic
oak mantel housing a large multi-fuel stove. The sitting
room, part of the converted barn, has exposed beams and
an exposed stone wall and there is a wood burning stove in
an open fireplace.
For Vernon and Noni, the reception rooms come into their
own in the winter. “The two log fires provide a warm, cosy
refuge and the extensive drawing room is great for parties
and when the family come back for Christmas.”
The house has a wonderful flow, with a spacious, airy
feel and its size and generous grounds make it perfect
for entertaining. “It has been a great house for reuniting
with our friends from all over the world, who are always
amazed by Monmouthshire and the panoramic views from
the garden. Many fun social events at Lodge Farm have
included hosting a murder mystery party to raise funds for
Abergavenny tennis club and our son’s wedding reception
which was held in a marquee in the garden followed by a
disco in the barn!”
Over the years, improvements which Vernon and Noni have
made to their home include redecorating throughout and
having new carpets laid. Many of the furnishings have been
collected on their foreign travels. Upstairs, they altered
the layout of the main guest bedroom, influenced by their
time in Asia, turning a small, dark ensuite into an open plan
facility with a light and very modern feel.
Two further, double bedrooms share a family bathroom
and the luxurious principal suite has an ensuite and a walkthrough
dressing room fitted with bespoke oak wardrobes,
which continue along two walls of the bedroom. This lovely
room has a vaulted ceiling featuring exposed timbers and
French doors open to a balcony, giving views over the
walled garden, pastureland and wooded Usk Valley beyond.
For Vernon and Noni: “It has been a special place to live. It is
a real family house, full of character. It’s extremely quiet (very
different to Singapore) and it has incredible views to wake
up to in the morning. You are really living in the countryside
and it’s surprising what wildlife you see in the garden, which
also offers a habitat for an amazing variety of birds including
woodpeckers, herons, buzzards, and frequent visits from a
local red kite.”
There are not many properties that enjoy such
an idyllic spot in the Monmouthshire countryside
as Lodge Farm, next to the ancient church of
St Aeddan’s in the most historic part of Bettws
Newydd.
Surrounded by spectacular walled gardens, overlooking
its own pastureland and the woodlands of the Usk Valley,
Lodge Farm was the perfect choice for Vernon and Noni
Heritage, who moved there 20 years ago. For them, the
location was a real draw – for its unrivalled surroundings,
its accessibility and because it was in an area close to their
hearts. “We had lived and worked in many different places
around the world but we always intended to come back to
our home county. We both grew up in Abergavenny and we
have been sharing adventures together since we were 15,”
says Vernon.
“I had worked in Cardiff, before being asked to move
to Singapore, where we stayed for 17 years. When we
came back to the UK, we were looking for a rural lifestyle,
close to Abergavenny, commutable to Cardiff, Bristol and
Cheltenham and within easy reach of Monmouth, where my
youngest son was a day boarder at Monmouth School for
Boys.
Lodge Farm was a rare find – a large, five-bedroom home
with historic charm, two spacious and characterful reception
rooms, a lovely formal dining room and a farmhouse-style
kitchen/breakfast room. Some 20 years previously the
property had been altered and extended from a barn and
adjoining cowshed. Vernon and Noni were drawn to the way
the restoration and development had seamlessly blended
circa 300-year-old farm buildings with new additions, built
using matching reclaimed stone under a Welsh Slate roof
and featuring traditional oak beams. “We were conscious
both of a sense of history and of the solid build quality,” says
Vernon. “You can’t really tell where the divide is between the
old and the new, because, for the extension, the developer
sourced the stone from another barn of a similar age found
elsewhere in the county”.
Seasonal sensation
Sharon Chilcott finds out how a South Wales couple’s magnificent country home is a
house for all seasons - and one that lends itself to family fun and social entertaining.
The property sits in grounds of just under 20 acres, which
include beautiful south-facing gardens, bordered by walls
built from reclaimed stone. The gardens include a large
patio for outdoor dining and a sun trap gravelled area
which the couple use for barbeques. There is a paddock
of approximately half an acre nearest the house, with a
modern barn which Vernon uses as a tractor workshop and
store, but both could be used for equestrian purposes. The
remainder of the land is pasture, on which, by agreement, a
local farmer grazes his sheep.
“When our children were growing up here, the garden and land made a real adventure
playground for them and for our Cocker Spaniel.”
“It is one of our favourite places in the house - where we
can see the mature garden burst into bloom in spring and
constantly change colour throughout the summer into early
autumn. It’s a great addition for all seasons.”
The conservatory now links the main property to what was
formerly a large detached double garage, where there is a
ground floor utility area and a first floor en-suite guest room.
The couple have decided to use the garage space as a gym
and for a sauna. They also have an outdoor Jacuzzi sited
close to the house – all of which they particularly value in the
winter months.
At the hub of the home is the large farmhouse kitchen,
converted from a former single-storey cowshed and
featuring characterful exposed ceiling timbers. With space
for a large table for informal get-togethers, it is fitted with
cottage-style kitchen units with granite worksurfaces and
includes an Aga which runs on LPG. The flooring was
originally terracotta tiles but Vernon and Noni chose to
replace them with slate, considering this to be more in
Get the Look
The practical “click lock” flooring in the guest ensuite
is from Country Coverings
Unit 2, Hadnock Road, Monmouth 01600 716900
www.countrycoverings.co.uk
Many of the curtains and blinds, including those
in the dining room, were made by Jaybee Soft
Furnishings, The Gallery, 33A Frogmore St,
Abergavenny 01873 855605 www.facebook.com/
JaybeeSoftFurnishingsAbergavenny
Get the Lifestyle
Lodge Farm, Bettws Newydd, near Usk is on the market
for a guide price of £1,925,000 with Fine & Country, 2
Agincourt Square, Monmouth, NP25 3BT. Tel: 01600
775930 www.fineandcountry.co.uk
Sharon Chilcott
Get in Touch
If your house is on the market and you have completed a
renovation, property project or interiors make-over that
you would like to share, Sharon would be delighted to
hear from you. You can get in touch by emailing: core.
concepts@btinternet.com, putting Through the Keyhole
in the subject line.