2-8 Mount Blackheath Road, Blackheath NSW 2785

A beautiful remnant of the original rural land grant on the Shipley Plateau, this historical 13.5 acre (5.5 ha) property is a private treasure that has been kept in the family since Robert 'Bob' Longton settled here in 1892. Bob, a "courageous and intrepid" Yorkshireman and Zulu War soldier, fell in love with the plateau and never left. He lobbied to establish Shipley as an agricultural area, received the first grant and established 'Chellowdene' on sheltered land with a lovely aspect and natural springs. He and his family cleared and felled yellow stringy bark (highly valued as construction timber), planted apple orchards and a beautiful garden, and later built the Shipley Tea Rooms nearby, (a popular Devonshire Tea stopping place for locals and tourists pre-WWII and for many decades on).
The main weatherboard house at 'Chellowdene' was built circa 1900 and is surrounded by magnificent mature plantings, including a particularly majestic magnolia. The home, probably last modernised in the 1950's, would benefit from a full renovation but has the ambience of a shaded veranda, a parquetry entrance way, two generous bedrooms with high ceilings (one with an ensuite), a study and a lounge, plus a large, light filled kitchen. Set in an area of great rural and natural beauty, with an expansive space for gardening and paddocks right on the doorstep, this is a country cottage full of potential. It's a chance to fulfill a rural lifestyle dream just a few minutes drive from the village of Blackheath and less than two hours from Sydney.
Other historic buildings on the land were integral to the versatile 'Chellowdene's' many manifestations as lumber yard, apple orchard, lay church, chicken farm and cattle property under the ownership of the pioneering and enterprising Langtons and their descendants. These structures include the original family hut 'Waratah', a large lockable corrugated iron shed and an extensive, stringy bark and iron open sided building that once housed the chicken farm. Renovation of these character filled out-buildings could present many opportunities. A large spring fed dam in the main paddock has never run dry, and was used in the past to keep the big garden well watered even in the driest summer. On inspection it is easy to be captivated by the possibilities this property offers.