A classic Georgian family home

Park Cottage in Frampton is an elegant Grade II listed property with views over open parkland.

Surrounded by two acres of stunning, well established private grounds, Park Cottage is a superb six bedroom Georgian property situated in a conservation area next to Frampton Hall and close to Frampton Marsh and neighbouring woodland.

Owner Darryll Loizou, who describes herself as “a huge animal lover”, moved into this elegant residence with her family in 2017. Having made the move out of the city in 2008 to enjoy rural life in an idyllic setting, she says her family has never looked back.

Park Cottage dates back to the 1700s and has an attractive Queen Anne façade featuring an abundance of lilac wisteria framing the original Georgian windows and a period front door.

It was originally three workers’ cottages linked to Frampton Hall owned by the local landowners, The Dennis Family. It was later bought and extended by the previous owners (who moved here in the 1970s), before being purchased by Darryll, who had always admired the house when passing by over the years.

Park Cottage has proved an idyllic family home for Darryll and her partner Stephen, plus her three children and assortment of family “pets”.

“We arrived with just a black lab called Milo, and now have a total mixture of 15 animals, including more dogs, three cats, four goats, two sheep and two pigs residing in paddocks close by!

“The house is enveloping, warm and inviting. It is ‘kind’ and feels like it wants to take care of its inhabitants! For such a large house, we have never felt it is too big or uninviting. There is real warmth and it has a great ambience.”

Stylish accommodation
Since moving in, Darryll has enjoyed using her creative skills to restore and revitalise this handsome home with many original features being retained and exposed, including the original wooden and quarry tiled flooring throughout.

The interior features three generous, square reception rooms with open period fireplaces in the two larger rooms, plus six double bedrooms with five bathrooms arranged over the first and second floors.

The end of the property has also been recently reconfigured to divide it into a two storey self-contained cottage, perfect for visiting family or for multi-generational living. Planning permission for a single storey extension to the rear of the property has just been passed, which would create a beautiful extension to the existing kitchen.

“My first impression was how refined the house was and how elegant the interior was. It has a wealth of original features, with floor to ceiling Georgian windows overlooking parkland and the established gardens and woods.”

Among the special features are ceiling cornicing, architraves, skirting boards and built-in bookshelves and dwarf cupboards in the sitting rooms and hallway. There are also fine original open fireplaces with handsome white marble mantle surrounds.

Every room is beautifully presented with a comfortable mixture of antique and reclaimed furniture, featuring made-to-measure soft furnishings and more contemporary pieces.

“It has been a real pleasure decorating and updating Park Cottage,” says Darryll.

“The house was already rather wonderful and full of original features, so all I had to do was have it decorated to my own personal taste.

“I was also incredibly lucky with local builders. The previous owners introduced me to their handyman who lives in the same road and what a great craftsman he was!  He also introduced me to his friend and they worked together to achieve everything I wished for.  They were ‘old school’, skilled, professional and open-minded, and really knew their stuff!  

“The Georgian windows were taken out one by one, refurbished, replaced and painted. We also had a fantastic local painter, Jen Ashton, who painstakingly went through the whole house painting and decorating, hanging wallpaper, preparing flooring to such a high standard. Her work was so impressive that she was approached to paint Frampton Hall and many other houses in the village.”

For interior decorating, Darryll chose to use traditional companies such as Sanderson, Colefax & Fowler, Zoffany and St Jude’s for wallpaper.

“I used Farrow & Ball’s ‘Strong White’ throughout the house. I’ve used Mulberry fabrics, Pier Frey, Ian Mankin, and Rose Uniacke’s fabrics to dress the windows with hand-made curtains and blinds.

“I was so lucky to have been introduced to the most talented curtain maker called Mary Maltby, who had been in the business for many years and who only hand-picks her clients!

“I am also a great friend of local artist, Jocelyn Lawman, who has brought the house to life with her amazing talents. She has hand-painted floorboards in the children’s room, hand-painted a rolled top bath in my ensuite bathroom, as well as lamp shades for chandeliers, and a large wooden cupboard that houses our silverware, plus other pieces of furniture.

“My favourite room in the house is the comfortable informal sitting room, which has built-in bookshelves and dwarf cupboard, a large corner sofa and the most enjoyable open fireplace with a white marble surround.

“The house is warm, relaxed, practical and welcoming. Comfort for us as a family is paramount, as is the creation of an understated, elegant interior. This room is designed for our dogs who like to join us on the sofa and teenage children who rock up unexpectedly to chill and watch a film. A vital room to relax in after a long day outside!”

Coach House and gardens
Also within the grounds of Park Cottage is the separate Coach House which has been converted into a two bedroom apartment with accommodation for up to six guests, providing additional income as a successful Airbnb.

Below, the former store room has also been recently converted into a spacious studio room with a kitchenette, shower room and generous amount of storage, plus heated kennels.

Behind the Coach House is a private garden/seating area for guests that is separate to the main garden.

The property’s gardens and grounds, which Darryll describes as “amazing”, are private and quiet with tall trees and shrubbery around the highly scented borders which feature lavender, honeysuckle and jasmine together with established white, pink and lilac hydrangea bushes.

An elegant York stone sun terrace with barbecue area and water fountain is the perfect spot for a sunny al fresco breakfast or lunch. Illuminated by coach lanterns atop brick pillars, it is also the perfect entertaining spot well into the evening too. A summerhouse enjoys the very best views over the house garden and has lights, power and a cosy wood-burner.

“The front garden is also gorgeous – I have an original train station bench which is positioned overlooking the parkland opposite. This is where I sit in the summer months with a 6 o’clock glass of wine underneath the cascade of wisteria, enjoying the scent of the abundance of lavender growing in my borders – it’s one of my favourite parts of the day!”

Peaceful location
The local area around the friendly and quiet village of Frampton offers many safe walks and bike rides close by, with a local bus service to nearby towns.

“The house is very private, the location feels wonderfully remote, even though we are only 10 minutes from Kirton village with a well stocked Co-op, The Kings Head coffee shop, Kirton Cottage restaurant, a great florist, and an excellent fish and chip shop! 

“We have a great country pub, The Red Lion, only 10 minutes’ drive from Frampton which serves outstanding food and drinks, with a pretty garden and a roaring open fire for in the winter months.”

Darryll says she believes Park Cottage would suit a growing family, a retired couple who enjoy inviting family and friends to come to stay, or anyone looking for an opportunity to work from home and run a small Airbnb business around raising children.

“Frampton is a very quiet and well kept neighbourhood. We feel totally immersed in nature. The village has a resident peacock, and we spot rare birds visiting from the nature reserve. I often wake to find deer and muntjac grazing in our garden. For animal lovers and birdwatchers, it is a heavenly place to live and yet it is easily commutable to London in just over an hour and a half, as well as the stunning North Norfolk coast only an hour away.

“We will miss everything about Park Cottage.  It has been a wonderful home and I have felt privileged to have lived here.

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