My new home in the country

Blue Isles by Jo Bradford

If you are wondering what I have been doing since my last blog post, you're about to find out!
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My big news is that we have decided to rent out our little cottage by the sea and move to a bigger place in the country. I have also been yearning to have my business and studios nearer home for some time so we wanted to find somewhere with outbuildings to accommodate my art and photography studios too. As luck would have it, after only a week of looking we found the perfect place.
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A very old farmhouse set deep in the Cornish countryside, with views across fields to wild Dartmoor. It's 15 minutes drive to the beautiful North Cornwall coast, our nearest seaside spots are Tintagel, the legendary birthplace of King Arthur, which is slightly south of here and beautiful Bude is slightly North of here (Scenic seaside spots abound - spoilt for choice!!)
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Let me tell you a bit about the new house. It's of unknown age but believed to be 14th Century, the owners have records going back to when it came into their family back in 1502 around the end of the reign of Mary Queen of Scots, but they don't know how long it had been standing there before that.
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It's an amazing old building full of hidden nooks, beamed ceilings, stone/slate and wooden floors, lots of windows and very old roses and honeysuckle climbing all over the walls outside. It is south facing so very light and has 5 bedrooms, 3 reception rooms, 3 bathrooms, a pantry/utility room, a snug/storeroom for our surfboards and walking boots, and lots of funny little mini-rooms/walk in wardrobes dotted around the place.
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My favourite rooms are the large kitchen with it's Rayburn cooker, ancient beams and high ceiling and stone floors and the other favourite room is the master bedroom with old wooden floorboards and sunny south facing windows and more of those beautiful old beams and high ceilings.
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Outside is wonderful too!! There is a cottage garden to the front with lots of lovely plants, a little pond and raised areas for sitting in the sun. There are 2 other gardens to side and rear which get lots of sun in the afternoon and evening. Dotted around the gardens are 3 large old barns and a double garage, so there is plenty of room for my studio, workshops and darkrooms.
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And not forgetting the orchard with it's pears, apples, gooseberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, blackberries, damsons, sweet chestnuts and hazelnuts. Heaven on earth!!!!
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I have begun the mammoth task of unpacking everything, but let me tell you that moving both house and business all at once has been something of a mountain to climb!
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Anyway, that said, I had better get back to those boxes........ more from me soon!

Love,
Jo xoxo