Hopkins is a unique mid-century style country house with beautiful gardens. It can be found in an idyllic rural location surrounded by fields, yet is only minutes away from the historic Hertfordshire town of Ware. The town runs train services into London Liverpool Street in just 45 minutes.
The house was designed in 1970 by the RIBA Royal Gold Medal architects Patty and Michael Hopkins. The timber frame house stands on the site which was formerly workers' cottages. The form of the house, including the long catslide roof and the timber cladding, gives it a traditional external appearance yet the layout inside is contemporary.
The house benefits from a double height Principal bedroom on the ground floor with floor to ceiling windows. Double height ceilings can also be found in the hallway and kitchen/diner. This space has full width glazing along one side looking out onto a terrace and the gardens beyond. The stairs lead up from the dining area over the top of the kitchen (with the original bannisters that are in keeping with the industrial style for which Hopkins is best known) to a mezzanine landing. A set of inbuilt original Hopkins design steel ladder steps reach the second floor on which can be found an attic bedroom. The house has an abundance of natural light.
It is surrounded by 3 acres. This is largely lawn but also includes an acre of woodland, an orchard, two ponds and planted borders as well as a formal garden area surrounded by evergreen yews. Within the grounds away from the house and beyond the formal garden area, there is a charming wood cabin featuring Georgian windows, working wood burner, corrugated roof, and a veranda along the front and one side. There is also a fully operational photographic dark room within an outbuilding just to the right of the main house.
Ware town is under three miles away and provides an excellent range of shops, restaurants, and other amenities. For further facilities and train stations, the larger towns of Hertford and Bishop’s Stortford are close by. The mainline station at Ware runs direct services to London Liverpool Street (45 mins) via Tottenham Hale (30mins). Central London is approximately 25 miles away and can also be easily reached by car via the M11 or A10.
