Jude Cottage - Mentioned in Thomas Hardy's Jude The Obscure

The curious might wonder how a cottage for sale at North Fawley came by its name. But the question is easily answered, for Jude Cottage is mentioned in “Jude the Obscure”, the last novel written by famous West Country writer Thomas Hardy with Jude, its central character, a stonemason desperate to improve himself.

The world was so scandalized by the themes of Hardy’s novel that he never wrote another book, turning instead to verse and poetry. But while the outcome may not have been ideal for Hardy, anyone looking at Jude Cottage will find it an idyllic place.

For sale for the first time in more than 30 years, the cottage has been meticulously maintained by its current owners and offers stunning views from its setting deep in the Berkshire Downs.

Superb, heavily beamed ceilings are a feature of the ground floor rooms. The sitting room, set between the study and the dining room, has a large inglenook fireplace with brick pillars and heavy wooden beam. Beyond it, the dining room has a dual outlook and a doorway leading into the large kitchen that faces onto the driveway.

From the kitchen, it’s possible to return to the sitting room and then walk through to the study with its flagstone floor and French doors leading out to the terrace and garden. Stairs from the sitting room rise to the first floor and its three bedrooms and bathroom. The master bedroom has triple wardrobes arranged along one wall.

Sheltered gardens make an excellent backdrop for the cottage and the owners currently rent additional land from the local estate, an arrangement that could be continued subject to negotiation.

Jude Cottage is for sale through the Hungerford office of Dreweatt Neate at a guide price of £645,000. For more details, visit dreweatt-neate.co.uk.