Location

Yr Hen Ysgol is located in the small village of Aberbanc, in the county of Ceredigion in west Wales. It enjoys far reaching views over the surrounding rural landscape which includes an area of woodland earmarked to be included in the Welsh National Forest.

The nearby A475 provides good access to neighbouring villages and towns with the popular market town of Newcastle Emlyn being about 3.5 miles. The larger town of Cardigan is about 14 miles. The stunning Cardigan Bay coastline is also accessible with Penbryn beach being about 9 miles together with several other pretty beaches nearby providing scenic places to walk and explore. For journeys further afield, Carmarthen and the A48 M4 link road is about 17 miles taking you onto Swansea, (about 47 miles) Cardiff (about 90 miles) the Severn Bridge and into England (about 111 miles).

Description

Yr Hen Ysgol translates to 'The Old School' in English. The building was 'Built in 1847 as a National School, serving the parishes of Henllan, Llanfair Olwyn and Bangor Teifi and comprises a 'Schoolhouse with T-shaped school to rear.' It is "Listed as well preserved former National school in attractive village setting." It is understood that the building was converted to a private house after 1976. The accommodation space on offer is very flexible with the main converted school providing three bedrooms and an attached two bedroom self-contained cottage providing overflow accommodation for friends and family, or a possible annexe or letting cottage for income. The schoolhouse cottage, formerly used by the Head Master, was used for the owners' parents to live their life independently, with their own front door, but close enough if any help was needed! Now it could easily be used as a holiday let subject to some upgrading. There is also a useful two storey annexe/studio that was built by the current owners in 2004 providing the perfect space for a home business/ recreational uses or possibly further accommodation space (stp – subject to planning). As part of the renovation works undertaken in 2019 - 2021 by the present vendors of Yr Hen Ysgol had the whole property reroofed using quality reclaimed Welsh slate. Any timbers in and around the rooves were replaced should they be needed. This also gave the vendors the opportunity to insulate and roofing voids and around places such as the dormers.   

Old Schoolhouse Cottage
This handsome property includes eye-catching detail such as the three front gabled dormer windows that have carved scrollwork and pendant finals (repeated on gable end bargeboards), octagonal chimney stacks and hood moulds to ground floor windows. The main entrance with a decorative four pane overlight leads into the open plan kitchen living room that features a tiled floor, beamed ceiling, double bowl sink, Rayburn oil range and an open fire providing a warm focal point. A door at the rear of the kitchen area leads into an inner hallway that connects the schoolhouse cottage to the main converted school dwelling. Stairs leads up to the first floor where there are two bedrooms with impressive original floorboards, old fireplaces and a stunning wood panelled wall. These rooms share a bathroom suite.

Converted School Dwelling
The main entrance porch leads from the side courtyard into an entrance hallway with a cloakroom off. A door on the right leads into the large living room with a tall ceiling, half wood panelled walls and panelled ceiling, and a cosy wood burning stove. A door leads off this room to a ground floor bathroom suite with separate shower. A spiral staircase winds upwards from the living room to a separate first floor area that provides two small bedrooms.

Returning back to the entrance hall, this then continues to an inner hall with a door on the left going into the school house cottage and double doors on the right opening out into the superb main living space of the converted school. This former classroom has been transformed into a stunning open plan kitchen dining living space utilising its tall ceilings and large windows to provide a light space. This room features a late nineteenth century kingpost-type roof with a dividing glazed wooden screen. The dining area also has a wood burning stove providing a warm centrepiece. A door leads off the dining room to a dressing area with shower room and WC that serves as the en suite for the main bedroom that is accessed via a staircase.

The screen doors open from the dining room to the kitchen area that has bespoke fitted cupboards, a central island with reclaimed slate worktops, Belfast sink and an oil fired Aga Range taking centre stage. Stairs lead up above the kitchen area to a mezzanine lounge/reading area, or could be used as a further bedroom. A door leads off the kitchen to a useful pantry with a reclaimed slate worktop and also the rear hall/utility room with door to outside. The layout of converted school itself is most certainly quirky but the present owners have always taken care to preserve the character of such a wonderful building.   

Office/ studio
The attractive office/studio building was built by the current owners in 2004 and is not listed. The detached building is faced with reclaimed local stone and has decorative bargeboards to match the style of the schoolhouse cottage and converted school. Set over two floors with a beamed ceiling, WC and kitchenette on the ground floor and an impressive vaulted ceiling with A -frames on the first floor. This building offers the perfect space to run a home business or simply use for hobbies and recreation. The building has potential to convert into further accommodation space (stp).

Externally
The property extends to about 0.5 acres (stms – subject to measured survey) and includes a pretty walled cottage garden area to the front of the schoolhouse cottage, ample private parking to the side of the converted school and a large former playground to the rear of the property. This area provides a blank canvass to landscape and design to your taste. Beyond the playground is small woodland area. There is also a useful wood store attached to the converted school, a detached greenhouse, potting shed and general garden shed.