It’s not often a property as unique and charming as 2 Pen y Waun cottages comes onto the market. Jenny White paid a visit.
It’s hard to believe a home as tranquil and picturesque as 2 Pen y Waun Cottages could exist just a mile and a half from the M4 and a short drive from Swansea City Centre and other key locations including Morriston Hospital and Swansea University’s Bay Campus.
Set in pretty Felindre, the house has the added benefit of stunning reservoir walks nearby and a pub in the village – yet it feels as though it exists in its own rural idyll, with green fields all around, a pond and nearly an acre of gardens.
Sian O’Neill and her husband Hugh have helped raise ten grandchildren here, and it’s been a wonderful place for the children to play and explore. The house itself was originally a barn for the adjoining farmhouse and later became a row of miners’ cottages, before being converted into the four-bedroom family home it is today.
“It’s a wonderful home as it is but, there is potential to do so much with it,” says Sian. “We have space to add more bedrooms, and it could quite easily be converted into two properties, or into a B&B.”
In its present form, the house is a spacious and truly characterful family home that combines the charm of a cottage with the all luxury of space. From the large, light entrance hall to the vast main lounge, it really allows space to spread out and unwind. It’s also wonderful for entertaining.
“We’ve had some great parties here,” says Sian. “We can easily feed 15 in the lounge, and the garden makes it easy to hold bigger gatherings: we had our wedding reception here and Hugh, who was a member of Morriston Orpheus Choir, has hosted choir barbeques here. We have a lot of land for parking and in the evening it’s lovely to sit people around fires in the garden.”
Another huge bonus is that the property is so tranquil. A tall hedge separates it from the neighbouring house, meaning you feel entirely secluded, and the garden backs onto green fields.
“We’ve really enjoyed the peace and quiet,” says Sian. “We’ve also loved that it is such an interesting house – it has a lovely interior.”
The accommodation is highly flexible: as Hugh now has difficulty getting around, he has his own ground floor room and bathroom, and the first floor has a long walk-in attic running alongside the hallway which could easily be converted to add more bedrooms.
After spending a quarter of a century there, Sian and Hugh will be sad to leave, but the need to be closer to family is forcing the move.
“It’s been a perfect place to live, and I think it will appeal to a lot of people, from a multigenerational family to someone who wants to develop it or turn it into a business,” says Sian. “The lovely thing about it is that you have all the benefit and seclusion of living in the country but you have the city and excellent transport links nearby.”
