Step Inside a Cottage Garden with Sorrento® Limestone Paving
Nestled deep in the heart of rural England sits Falcon Cottage, a 500 year old Grade II listed, long straw thatched cottage, home to David & Debbie. Step inside this charming cottage garden with our Sorrento® Aged Tumbled limestone paving.
After being passed down through generations of different families, the cottage was purchased by David in 2007. David recalls when first viewing the property, “The agent couldn’t find the key and so we had no access into the cottage, I stood there at the top of the overgrown garden looking out over the view of fields and woods on the horizon and realised I couldn’t hear a car, nor plane or another soul and thought, this is the place for me! I put in an offer that afternoon without even stepping inside the cottage.”
“Once I had taken vacant possession of Falcon Cottage the immense task ahead started to dawn on me. The kitchen and bathroom were situated in a tumble down, single storey wooden shack constructed in the 1950’s with holes in the walls and roof. There was no heating or hot water and structurally the existing cottage’s roof was close to collapse due to a severe woodworm infestation. The garden was overgrown with hedges 20ft high, on a good slope, and with outbuildings you couldn’t even see. Outside the back door was an ugly concrete path and not much else.”
The first priority was to gain listed planning permission, followed by focussing their efforts on making the inside of the property a home. Fast forward to October 2023, the garden renovation began, with a digger hired and 35 tonnes of soil and rock removed to create a flat patio. Reclaimed steps were chosen with the Sorrento® limestone paving for the main patio, leading onto an upper patio area with the Sorrento® limestone cobbles, to work with the differing levels of the garden.
David decided to use limestone in the patio to give contrast to the existing Northamptonshire Ironstone which has an orange finish. Our Sorrento® provided the perfect limestone colour they were after, whilst still working with the rustic aesthetic of the cottage and surroundings.
The garden has a whimsical and magical feel, with classic cottage garden flowers, reclaimed steps and potted plants, all with the backdrop of a charming, thatched roof and honey-toned cottage.
“My wife, Debbie, is a keen Enid Blyton fan and her childhood reading memories include the cottage described in The Faraway Tree with roses climbing around the windows and doors. Whilst constructing the patio, we allowed for a planting area abutting the house which has enabled us to plant climbing roses which appear to enjoy their position.”
Whether it be for a morning cup of coffee or a meal with friends and family, the spacious patio, complete with a 10 seater teak table and chairs, has become a wonderful place for David and Debbie to sit and gather.
