Location

Bowden Knowe is situated in the much sought-after conservation village of Bowden, just one and a half miles from Newtown St Boswells. There is an excellent range of local amenities in Newtown St Boswells including a health centre, small supermarket and the very popular Milestone Garden Centre.

The popular historic town of Melrose, over the Eildon Hills, is only four miles away. Regarded by many as the most picturesque of the Borders towns, Melrose sits between the Eildon Hills and the River Tweed. The town provides an extensive range of amenities including a variety of specialist shops, award-winning butcher, small supermarkets, restaurants and a selection of hotels. The thriving old mill town of Galashiels, a further four miles to the west offers a wider range of shopping facilities including Tesco, ASDA, Next and Marks & Spencer and the Pavillion cinema. Alternatively, the village of St Boswells lies three miles to the east, and also provides a good selection of shops and eateries along with the award-winning Mainstreet Trading Company which encompasses a bookshop, deli, homeware store and café.

Local tourist attractions include Melrose Abbey, Harmony House, Priorwood Gardens, the Greenyards, (home of Melrose RFC and Rugby Sevens), and Abbotsford House, the former home of Sir Walter Scott. Melrose hosts the annual Borders Book Festival, a music festival and supports numerous local societies. There are a variety of outdoor pursuits in the area including fishing on the River Tweed, shooting, horse riding, golf, mountain biking, and a selection of walks including both the Southern Upland Way and St Cuthbert's Way, which passes through Bowden village.
Local schools include Newtown St Boswells Primary, the highly regarded St Mary's preparatory school in Melrose, and Earlston High School.

The Borders General Hospital also lies on the outskirts of Melrose. Bowden Knowe sits in an easily accessible area and can be reached by the A68 or by the A7 via Galashiels, providing excellent road links to Edinburgh and the north of England. The Borders Railway, which runs regular services from Tweedbank Station directly into Edinburgh Waverley in just under an hour, is approximately five and a half miles away.

Description

Bowden Knowe and Knowe Cottage sit on the south side of the village, on the village green, and set back from the road which quietly runs through the village. A driveway between the two properties leads to a courtyard in front of the garage. There is a door to the house here for everyday use which opens into the kitchen. The kitchen has a range of base and wall mounted units with a sink and integrated appliances along with two useful walk-in cupboards. Beyond is an informal dining room where an AGA provides further cooking facilities and a constant gentle warmth.

A hallway from the kitchen passes a utility room and shower room and up a few steps is a generous beamed dining room. There is an open fire here, as well as stairs to the first floor. There is also a door to the porch and garden. At one stage this was the main door to the property (outside the door are gates to the north and a more formal entrance and driveway could be reconstructed here). The south facing sitting room has a characterful beamed ceiling and a door to the garden and spans the entire width of the building. There is a wood burning stove at one end and a built-in bookcase at the other. South facing, the room is filled with light throughout the day and the views over the garden are superb.

On the first floor are four double bedrooms and a study / bedroom five. Two of the bedrooms face south and have wonderful views over the surrounding countryside and to the Cheviot hills. A further bedroom, home office and bathroom are all located off the main landing. There is a second staircase accessed from the kitchen which leads to an additional bedroom and bathroom. The middle bedroom also has a door to this second stair. A floored attic runs the length of the house and there are various large cupboards throughout.

Knowe Cottage:
The cottage sits across from the house and is entirely separate. On the ground floor there is a well equipped kitchen with space for a dining table and across the hallway is a sitting room with wood burner. There is a bedroom and a bathroom located on the first floor. The cottage has been used in the past for both holiday lets and more recently long term letting, providing an income, and from time to time as overspill accommodation for guests or family.

The gardens which surround the house are full of variety and have been nurtured over many years to provide all year round colour from an explosion of spring bulbs to autumnal foliage. The upper garden has two generous areas of lawn which are surrounded by mature flowering shrubs and trees which provide shelter and privacy from the east and west. From the main lawn a central path runs towards the lower garden through a beautifully planted herbaceous border including irises, peonies, anemones and numerous roses. Towards the bottom of the garden is an orchard with apple and plum trees, large fruit cages, a greenhouse and garden shed. A hedge bounds the property to the south and there are views over the fields and woods beyond. There is plenty of storage with sheds, garage and coal stores by the cottage. There are further elegant gardens to the west and a driveway could be formed here if a buyer wanted to use the original entrance to Bowden Knowe.