+ Full Description

SETTING THE SCENE

Orchard Flower Farm lies within an enchanting, wooded valley close to the vibrant, creative towns of Penzance and Newlyn. Tucked away in a remarkably private, peaceful position, the house is a leafy oasis, cocooned in vivid greens, with views across the valley canopy to the beautiful Cornish countryside beyond.   Situated between Heamoor and Madron, the house is ideally located for exploring the wild beauty of West Cornwall. The peninsula, flanked by the Atlantic, boasts some of the UK's most dramatic coastline, much of which enjoys the protection of the National Trust. Nearby, you'll find pristine white beaches and turquoise waters, while local towns and villages are filled with independent shops, galleries, eateries, and hidden treasures.   The charming fishing village of Mousehole, as well as wonders such as St Michael’s Mount, Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens and the iconic Minack Theatre are all close by. As well as brimming with amenities, Penzance holds a mainline station on the London Paddington line, a ferry service to nearby Isles of Scilly and even boasts one of the UK’s last remaining Art Deco salt-water lidos.   HISTORY

Orchard Flower Farm once served as the home and studio of the late master printer Hugh Stoneman, who worked with renowned artists like Patrick Heron, Sir Terry Frost, and Sandra Blow.   The original building was purchased by the current owners in 1979 and was just a modest cottage at the time. Over the years, they worked to creatively renovate and expand the house, enlisting local architect Barrie Briscoe to lead the project. Briscoe skilfully merged old and new elements, reconfiguring the original cottage and adding a stilted timber extension modelled after Stoneman's Islington workshop. Briscoe also designed a glass conservatory on the east side and a spacious terrace off the kitchen, offering views of the property's four acres of landscaped grounds leading to Chyandour Brook.

OWNER’S COMMENT

“We bought Orchard Flower Farm at a nerve-racking auction on 28 October 1982. At the time we were living in Islington as my husband Hugh had a print studio in Covent Garden. Having been brought up on St Agnes in the Isles of Scilly I was keen to move to Cornwall to bring up my young son.

So, the adventure began! My friends all called it a daunting prospect, but I didn’t see it like that at all. The house hadn’t been lived in for some time and was far from being modernised and so was not habitable. It did however have a wonderful feeling which it still retains even more so today

The grounds were completely overgrown and had a prolific growth of unusual trees and flowering shrubs. I bought two goats to help clear the land as I didn’t want to use machinery so as not to damage any existing footings and upset the balance of nature. (it had previously been a market garden with greenhouses,) I had a good team of builders who gutted the house and made it liveable. My husband meanwhile was commuting to London weekly. As the house became our very special home we were busy growing vegetables and gardening on a large scale! My daughter was born in 1985. Both of my children had an amazing childhood making dens, climbing trees and playing in the stream.

As time went on Hugh decided to move the studio down to Orchard Flower Farm and his good friend, the architect, Barrie Briscoe designed an amazing wooden pole house on the same footprint as Hugh’s London Studio, so the set up would be the same.

Hugh worked with a lot of well-known artists like Sir Terry Frost, Grayson Perry, Patrick Heron, Breon O’Casey, Sandra Blow and a multitude of others. If the artists were not local they would often stay with us. There was a lot of fun and entertaining. We hosted my son’s wedding with marquees and live bands as well as many other memorable work and family occasions over the years.

After Hugh died I had to decide what to do with this large space, so after selling Orchard Flower Farm presses, we turned 2/3 of it into a self-contained holiday let, with the rest as a private gallery. The holiday let has been very successful and has given me a good living.

Meanwhile the privacy and peace and seclusion of Orchard Flower Farm has been a real privilege to maintain over the years for both humans and wildlife to live side by side and given its close proximity to Penzance it is an unexpected oasis of tranquillity.”

THE TOUR

Orchard Flower Farm is a unique blend of old and new, brimming with rustic character and charm. The original building features a spacious living and dining area, complete with flagstone and parquet flooring, low-beamed ceilings, and a traditional aga stove at its heart. The light-filled kitchen lies beyond and a magnificent, voluminous sunroom extends out the front, while two large bedrooms, each with a dressing room, and a family bathroom occupy the first floor. Natural materials, original features and a paired back palette with soft, earthy tones create an interior that welcomes with a sense of warm familiarity.   The architecturally designed timber addition is divided into two parts. One half, a striking double-height gallery with full-height windows, a bedroom, utility room, and showroom. The other half is a self-contained studio apartment with a mezzanine level bedroom and bathroom, and an open-plan kitchen and living area below. Once a master printer maker’s studio, it has been transformed into a light-filled, open-plan sanctuary with wall-to-wall glazing bringing nature in whilst drawing the eye out.

STEP OUTSIDE

A verdant retreat, the house offers complete privacy within its secluded grounds. Tucked away at the end of a private drive, Orchard Flower Farm sits peacefully in a leafy valley surrounded by vibrant greenery and mature trees. Perched at the top of its 3.25-acre estate, terraces and balconies span the front of the house, providing a treehouse-like experience with views sweeping over the treetops, down to a babbling brook and out to the meadows beyond.   The grounds includes a beautifully planted woodland along endless species of trees and shrubs dotted amongst gently sloping pockets of lawns, there are greenhouses, vegetable beds and several useful outbuildings, along with a spacious driveway with ample parking. A peaceful haven where wildlife thrives, there are plenty of spots to sit and take in the valley's natural beauty and the vivid night sky, with only the sounds of birds and the gentle flow of the stream.

AGENT NOTE

Planning consent has been obtained to build an artist’s studio to replace the current timber outbuilding towards the end of the drive. Planning documents can be accessed via the Cornwall Council Planning Portal using reference 00/P/0298. In addition, there was further permission granted for an amendment to the roof lights which can be seen using reference PA14/07908

It must be noted that a section 106 notice was served when the planning was granted stating that “The Proposed Studio should only be used for its stated purpose which description shall exclude any elements of human habitation or retail sales”

SERVICES 

Mains electricity and gas fired central heating, private drainage and water (supplied from spring)

DISTANCES (all distances approximate)

Penzance 1.5 miles (main line station), Newlyn 3 miles, St Ives 10 miles

WHAT3WORDS LOCATION

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