The lure of wanting to live in one of the most beautiful areas of Wales surrounded by popular market towns, picturesque villages and world acknowledged scenery is not hard to understand.
Add to the list of plus points that might make this particular location in Wales a winner with many house hunters is the proximity to Cardiff, Newport and Bristol as well as hoping over the border to Herefordshire and Gloucestershire.
It's the quality of life that's offered nestled in quiet rural settings surrounded by valleys such as the Wye and the Usk, or embedded within unique communities such as Usk, Raglan and Abergavenny, that makes the county of Monmouthshire the most expensive in Wales.
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The county market town of Usk is a pretty place to call home and regularly features on lists of Wales' and the UK's best places to live, and in 2021 actually won the Welsh region - find out more about that here.
The county might not lend itself to the most prolific place for developing and renovating multiple empty farm buildings due to the expense to buy as well as the availability of such sites still left untouched, but if you have the budget and the imagination, there are rural dream homes still to be created within the stunning scenery.
This empty complex of farm outbuildings still bursting with potential are called Pentywn Farm Barns. They form part of a historic farmstead dating back to the 16th century which comprise an L-shaped group of barns and a detached threshing barn, that together collectively form a model farm, U-shaped layout.
The main barn was given a Grade II listing by Cadw in 2000 for being 'a fine regional barn, of group value with Pentwyn' and is thought to date back to the 18th century, with the building appearing on the Tithe map in 1837.
The complex of barns were once part of the neighbouring Pentwyn House farmstead, a Tudor and then much expanded and remodelled Georgian property that has gained a coveted Grade II* from Cadw for being 'an important 16th century house with stone mullion windows and good 16th century interior features'.
Exciting times back at the barns though if you have the budget and you are a developer who is keen to breath new life into the buildings, a homeowner looking for a life-changing escape to the country and want to bring the extended family too, or a canny homeowner with a business brain who aims to keep one converted barn as their home and sell the other three to pay for it.
Whoever bags this brilliant barn bundle will be delighted to first discover that planning permission and listed building consent was granted by Monmouthshire County Council in March 2022 to create four two-bedroom residential dwellings, all with rural views of the Usk Valley close to the rural hamlet of Llanllowell, and only around two miles away from Usk itself.
Property one is to be a detached two-storey dwelling comprising stone threshing barn with slate roof. On the ground floor the plans show the accommodation comprises kitchen, sitting dining room, two bedrooms, shower room and bathroom.
The first floor offers a gem of a space - a mezzanine floor that is open to views of the sitting dining room below and boasting characterful vaulted ceilings above.
Property two is a semi-detached dwelling made up of the conversion of two barns; currently a single-storey stone barn with brick inserts and pantile roof, and a two-storey stone barn with sheet metal roof.
Accommodation inside offers an open-plan kitchen, dining and sitting room, entrance hall, bathroom, and two bedrooms, one with mezzanine floor above that first impressed in barn number one.
The third property is a mid terraced L-shaped dwelling covering two storeys within a number of buildings - currently a stone and brick barn with slate roof and pantile roof, and a masonry lean-to with metal sheet cladding and mono pitched metal sheet roofing.
Once renovated, the accommodation in this unit comprises kitchen breakfast room, utility room, sitting dining room, entrance porch, family bathroom, two bedrooms, another mezzanine floor over the sitting dining room, and a bonus single garage.
The fourth and final property within this exciting renovation project is a semi-detached dwelling, comprising a single-storey brick barn with part metal sheet and part slate roof. Inside, once completed to the plans, the home will offer an entrance hall, cloakroom, part open-plan kitchen, sitting and dining room, two bedrooms, and bathroom.
The planning permission includes the demolition of an existing pole barn and the construction of a new single-storey storage barn, split into four secure sheds and bin stores, with a storage unit and a bin area designated to each home.
Each dwelling also has designated private parking and outdoor space to fully enjoy the beautiful setting that these homes can offer a lucky new owner. Plans can be viewed via Monmouthshire County Council's planning website via the reference numbers planning permission DM/2019/01996 and listed building consent Ref DM/2019/01997.
The site is for sale for offers in excess of £699,000 with estate agent David James, call their Monmouth branch on 01600 712916 to find out more. And don't miss the best dream homes in Wales, renovation stories, and interiors - join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter, sent to your inbox twice a week.
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