Wales has long been a breeding ground for top show and sports ponies, and this equestrian smallholding is an ideal place to enjoy keeping your own horses in an unspoilt rural idyll. Hunters Lodge, in Login, Carmarthenshire, has stabling for six, a manège and seven acres – as well as a well-presented bungalow.
This is a peaceful rural setting, but not completely isolated. Login itself is a sparsely populated hamlet, but there is a filling station and Spar shop 3.5 miles away at Glandy Cross and in the village of Llanboidy, the same distance away, there is a social club, sports centre and village shop with Post Office.
Carmarthen – which means sea town fort – is nine miles east of Hunters Lodge, with more extensive amenities, being the county town of Carmarthenshire. Some claim it is Wales’ oldest town, and dates back to Roman times. The fastest train journey from Carmarthen to London Paddington takes just over three and half hours, with a change in Swansea.
There is a beautiful, wide sandy beach in the Bristol Channel called Coppet Hall Beach, 16 miles south. This was used as a training ground for the D-Day landings. There are bridleways in this area, while if you head 45min west to Druidstone Haven Beach, you can ride on the beach itself.
For equestrian families, the closest Pony Club branches are Vale of Taf or Pembrokeshire Hunt. The nearest Pony Club Centre is Havard Stables. Hunting fans will find themselves on the border of the Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire hunts.
If you need to hire an arena for dressage or jumping, Little Mill Equestrian is 40 minutes’ drive. This is a British Dressage-approved venue and holds dressage competitions.
For racing fans, Ffos Las Racecourse is the closest track (30 miles away), which hosts 23 meetings over jumps and on the Flat. When it was built in 2009, Ffos Las was Britain’s first new track for 80 years. It’s around 2hr to Chepstow Racecourse for the Welsh Grand National, and also the nearest British Eventing fixture, Chepstow at Howick. Homme House is also under 2.5hrs away. The David Broome Event Centre runs fabulous showjumping competitions, is another top venue around two hours away by car. And a major centre in the region is the Royal Welsh Show ground at Builth Wells, which is an hour and a half away, and runs plenty of big shows.
If you need a vet, specialist equine clinic Dyffryn Tywi is 40 minutes away.
Hunters Lodge is on the market with Rural Scene for £650,000. Let’s take a look at the house and its facilities.
The spacious three-bed bungalow was built in the 1980s and has been comprehensively refurbished by the present owners. It is set in a slightly elevated position with lovely views over its own land to the hills and countryside beyond.
You arrive at the property via a private track off a country lane. There are well maintained gardens, including a landscaped area at the front with ornamental shrubs, as well as an enclosed lawn at the back with a raised decking area.
The bungalow’s main entrance opens into a smart utility room with tiled floor, which is connected to the kitchen.
The kitchen is fitted with a range of modern units with laminated work surfaces, as well as a breakfast bar. The kitchen is open-plan with the dining room adjacent.
Open-plan kitchen and dining room
A cosy snug with an oak floor and feature curved brick wall leads into the large sun room with glazed double doors opening on to the garden decking.
The sun room, which is large enough to double up as a mini gym
There are three bedrooms. The principal bedroom has an ensuite shower room with electric shower, WC and basin. There are two further good-sized bedrooms and a family shower room.
One of three good-sized bedrooms
The property has excellent and well-maintained facilities outside.
Equestrian-wise, the stable yard is built of timber under a corrugated roof with concrete base, and has electricity. There are five loose boxes, each with auto-drinkers, and a tack room.
The main barn measures 30x30ft with block walls, and is sub-divided to provide another tackroom/loosebox. There is also a timber-framed open-fronted barn and an open-fronted tractor barn. The outbuildings open onto an enclosed handling yard.
The sand manège measures 20x40m.
For grazing, there are three excellent main paddocks with post-and-rail fencing, and mature hedges. There is also an orchard paddock with a variety of fruit trees.
Birds-eye view of paddocks and riding arena
Families with young children will enjoy the extensive playground area, with swings and climbing frames, while the parents can enjoy the peace and quiet in the insulated shed in the garden, which the current vendor has used as an office.
Set in approximately seven acres.
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